Two premiership heroes have announced their retirement from the AFL, a young surfer’s world title hopes have been dashed due to a freak injury, and an Australian basketball legend has been cut. There’s plenty to unpack in today’s sports news.
Premiership heroes retire
Two multi-premiership winning players have announced their retirement from the AFL. Trent Cotchin (Richmond Tigers) and Isaac Smith (Geelong Cats) will play their final games this season.
Cotchin, the 2012 Brownlow medallist took the job of Richmond captain from Chris Newman in 2013 and had a nine-season reign as the club’s leader, taking them to three premierships in four years.
The 305 game veteran, who said he found his purpose at Richmond, is content with his decision.
“I look to the future with nothing but excitement, adventure, and opportunity, because of what I found here at Richmond and what Richmond people taught me,” he said.
“Finding out that creating an environment to help others realise and fulfil their potential not only inspired me but helped me to overcome my own fears.”
Fellow retiree Isaac Smith won four premierships across his 13 seasons in the AFL, including being a part of Hawthorn’s hat trick of flags from 2013-15.
His finest moment came in last year’s grand final where he took home the Norm Smith medal for best on ground in Geelong’s 133-52 win over the Sydney Swans.
277 gamer said he has lived out his dream of playing in the AFL.
“I am so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to play AFL football,” Smith said.
“It is every kid’s dream growing up and to have that play out for me across the last 13 seasons at two great clubs is something really special.
“From the time I walked into Hawthorn, and now being at Geelong, I have always felt right at home at both organisations and to this day have made some very special friendships and bonds with a lot of people.”
Surfer’s freak accident
Young Australian Ethan Ewing has fractured his L3 and L4 vertebrae while surfing in Teahupo’o, Tahiti prior to the Tahiti Pro.
The world number two will not compete at Saturday’s event, after wiping out on a heavy wave, breaking his back in the process.
Ewing has had a standout 2023, where he won the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach in April, an event that his late mother Helen won 40 years earlier.
The 24-year-old was guaranteed a berth at next month’s World Surf League (WSL) finals in California however the injury puts him in severe doubt for September 8 in San Clemente.
The rehabilitation timeline for such a significant injury range from six weeks to three months if surgery is not required.
Due to the injury, he would side down further in the rankings, putting him at a disadvantage if he was healthy.
Dellavedova cut as Boomers make further changes
Australian basketball legend Matthew Dellavedova has been cut from the Australian Boomers World Cup squad.
Dellavedova has been a stalwart of the Boomers for the last decade, making his major tournament debut at the 2012 Olympics in London while still attending Saint Mary’s University in California.
He ranks fifth all-time in Men’s Olympic basketball assists (98) and seventh in World Cup assists (144) since the name change from ‘World Championships’ in 2010.
“Delly” played last season with the Sacramento Kings as they made their run to the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2004. He’s since returned with Melbourne United on a two-year deal, where he played prior to signing in Sacramento.
He was cut alongside fellow point guard Will McDowell-White, who took the New Zealand Breakers to the NBL championship series where they would fall to the Sydney Kings in the five-game series.
The Boomers roster is now cut down to 13, with one final cut to be made prior to flying to Japan.
Matildas force change to TV tradition
The Matildas’ historic run to the World Cup quarter-finals has just forced a change to one of Australia’s TV traditions, as Channel Seven has announced they will push back the 6pm news to show the Matildas knockout match against France on the primary channel.
Australia plays France from 5pm at Lang Park in Brisbane and Seven’s guarantee of broadcasting the national team on the station’s main channel means the nightly news bulletin will be pushed back to at least 7pm.
The news will not be the only program that is affected, with the AFL’s Saturday night blockbuster of Carlton taking on Melbourne at the MCG needing to be pushed back from 7:25pm to 7:30pm to allow time for a short news broadcast to be produced.
The AFL has committed to showing the quarter-final on the MCG’s screens prior to bounce-down, with the SCG and Perth Stadium also on board.
The SCG plan to show the game after the Swans and Suns clash, with Perth Stadium broadcasting the game in the outdoor amphitheatre prior to the start of the Western Derby.
Photo: basketball hoop by Eric Wong available HERE and used under a Creative Commons license. This image has not been modified.
