The Roar • 4th January 2022

Underdone England undermined at the selection table

England’s performance in the first three Ashes Tests against Australia has been nothing short of disappointing. The wayward shot selection and a lack of full bowling that Joe Root made no apologies about in his post-match comments after the Adelaide Test have been nothing short of embarrassing for fans abroad. England’s first hit-out on Australian soil against the Lions and Australia A before the Gabba Test was washed out and the rolling show of COVID wiping out several state games has left th

The Roar • 29th September 2021

The rule that could have changed the AFL grand final

The AFL grand final at Perth’s Optus Stadium under lights saw the Melbourne Demons break a 57-year drought, defeating the Western Bulldogs by 74 points. The game was a see-sawing affair for the best part of three quarters until a midfield masterclass broke the game, kicking 16 of the last 17 goals of the game. The Norm Smith curse of 1964 has finally been broken.

The Roar • 14th July 2021

Aussie cricket's next step forward isn't in players, but coaches

Australia has again fallen short in a T20 match against the West Indies, going down by six wickets in a batting collapse. Australia failed to capitalise on the shorter boundaries in their opening stanza, as captain Aaron Finch top-scored with 30 on what was a flat track. The Windies were anchored by self-proclaimed ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle, who made 67 off 38 balls in a bullish performance. Australians’ success in the Big Bash and other international domestic leagues, like the IPL, have no

The Roar • 26th June 2021

Ben Simmons is Philadelphia's fall guy

Ben Simmons has been labelled a villain after the Philadelphia 76ers went down to the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA play-offs. Simmons only scored five points in Game 7 with many pundits writing him off and asking him to be traded out of Philadelphia. Simmons has been touted as a future hall of famer and has impressed, being picked up at pick one in the 2016 draft. The Australian has been linked with the Golden State Warriors and the LA Lakers to line up alongside LeBron James.

The Roar • 7th June 2021

Richmond need more options in the ruck

Dreamtime in the west lived up to expectations with Richmond coming out 39-point winners against a fast-finishing Bombers outfit at Optus Stadium. Darcy Parish was best on ground for the Dons, picking up 44 touches and winning the Yiooken award for man of the match.

The Roar • 4th May 2021

Carlton are on the rise

Carlton fans finally have a glimmer of hope to hang on to after the Blues’ 16-point win over old rival Essendon at the MCG. David Teague’s men rallied after an arm wrestle for most of the game. Essendon mounted a late comeback but the steady head of captain Patrick Cripps kicked the sealer to spoil the Bombers’ chance of a comeback.

The Roar • 2nd May 2021

Melbourne are the real deal

The Melbourne midfielders are ranked in the top echelon of modern-day AFL players. Christian Petracca has shown himself to be a bull in the centre contest. He uses the likes of Jack Viney and Clayton Oliver around him to show that he can lead a club starved of success to a chance at premiership glory. Petracca has always been ranked lower than the likes of Nathan Fyfe and Dustin Martin on the scale of midfield talent but his early-season form in 2021 has proven he can mix it with the best. Th

The Roar • 1st May 2021

AFL players are being pushed to the limit

AFL players are in the grips of a massive injury crisis with some of the best players in the game missing weeks due to injury. The likes of Patrick Dangerfield, Lachie Neale and Taylor Adams are all facing extended time on the sidelines. There is no doubt that the game has got quicker and the introduction of new rules has opened it up like never before.

The Roar • 27th April 2021

Fractured Collingwood should start looking forward

Collingwood are once again under the spotlight after a poor showing on Anzac Day. The emergence of a new breed of baby Bombers had Essendon holding all the cards in a 24-point win. The Pies might be the biggest team in Australia but their first six games of 2021 have had pundits and fans scratching their heads. Collingwood have only managed to win one game this season, defeating old rival Carlton in Round 2. The Pies have had their fair share of external noise in the off season with President

The Roar • 3rd February 2021

Brooklyn's big problem

The Brooklyn Nets are poised as one the biggest teams in the NBA the year after acquiring Kevin Durant and James Harden to go along with Kyrie Irving in what looks to be a mini dream team emerging. Brooklyn went down to the Washington Wizards after leading by five with less than ten seconds left in regulation time after a Russell Westbrook masterclass to close the game out. The loss opened up a gaping hole that has been evident at the Nets since the opening night.

The Roar • 2nd February 2021

Super Bowl LV: Clash of the quarterback titans

Super Bowl LV is set to be a match between two of the top quarterbacks in the game, with Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady to go head to head in a battle of heavyweights. Brady is chasing his seventh Super Bowl ring and his first with Tampa Bay. Mahomes, on the other hand, has one ring and is chasing back-to-back Super Bowls with the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes is the next big thing in the NFL, with fans and pundits backing him to be the next icon.

The Roar • 31st January 2021

The death of the leg spinner

The era of Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill in the Test frame is slowly vanishing with the leg spinner being almost irrelevant in Test cricket for Australia. The king of spin Shane Warne has not inspired the next generation of bowlers to take up the tweak. Nathan Lyon is Australia’s only front-line spinner, taking just shy of 400 Test wickets. Lyon had his work cut out for him on the final days of the Sydney and Brisbane Test matches against India.

The Roar • 20th January 2021

Australia is far from pitch perfect

Australian cricket is once again on its knees against India after the most tantalising fifth-day action at the Gabba. Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara held the innings together with a strong middle-order partnership. Australia was poised to take advantage of the conditions ahead of this series. The lack of pitch deterioration this series was something that caught fans of both sides scratching their heads. Both the Gabba and SCG pitches didn’t produce any significant fifth-day cracks and tur

The Roar • 13th January 2021

Are the bad-boy Aussies making an unwelcome return?

Australia’s performance on the final day of the Sydney Test was disgraceful. The use of foul language directed at India’s Ravi Ashwin were not in the spirit of the game and raised questions over Tim Paine’s leadership, in a frustrating day for the Australian skipper. Paine has made a public apology after reflecting on his actions but this attitude, to get personal and attack the opposition, is reflective of one of Australia’s darkest days in South Africa. Paine was appointed captain after Ste

The Roar • 10th January 2021

The versatile wicket-keeper

The current cricket summer has thrown up a lot of questions regarding selection for India. The added pressure of quarantine has not made the selector’s job any easier with less wiggle room on bringing players into the squad. One of the biggest issues that have faced the Indians is the wicketkeeper selection, where Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha have both been tossed up as the best men behind the stumps. This new age keeping dilemma seems to be in the aftermath of great wicketkeeper-batsmen i

The Roar • 6th November 2020

The race that breaks the nation

The Melbourne Cup might be my favourite day on the Australian sporting calendar full stop. But unfortunately, the events of Tuesday’s cup and the previous eight years have shone the spotlight on heartbreak on race day. I by no means am a lefty when it comes to the Melbourne Cup and you won’t see me holding a sign that reads #nuptothecup outside my local parliamentarian’s office. I love the cup and enjoy what it brings to my city every year. But unfortunately, it’s suddenly become a very anxio

The Roar • 4th November 2020

Victoria's openers are in good hands

New Victoria coach Chris Rogers might be the key to securing Marcus Harris and Will Pucovski’s spots in the upcoming Australian team to take on India on home soil. A former Australian opener, Rogers took the reins of the Bushrangers in August, after Andrew McDonald stood down. Victoria’s first match in the Sheffield Shield against saw Pucovski and Harris put together an opening stand of 486, surpassing the Waugh brothers’ 30-year-old record for the highest partnership in the competition. Harr

The Roar • 27th October 2020

What I learned from the weekend's grand finals

The finals of both Australian footy codes came to a close over the weekend in what was an incredible feat in itself to make it to the end of what has been a year of ups downs and a pandemic through in for good measure. The Tigers and the Storm came out on top in two games that could now be considered as very 2020.

The Roar • 11th September 2020

Key forwards reign supreme

As the game changes and moves in the most interesting time in the game’s history, one thing in particular that evolves is the position of the key forward in the AFL. The key forward still remains king when it comes to success at the highest level. The game has evolved so much to the point where 100 goals in a season almost becomes an anomaly and the big key forward taking big marks and kicking his team to a winning score has slowly been changing in modern-day footy.

The Roar • 25th August 2020

Shai Bolton is Richmond's midfield star

Richmond’s 2020 campaign has faced its fair share of ups and downs with injuries and a grueling fixture on the road in an era of COVID-19.