James Cooney, Senior Sport Reporter, Australia

James Cooney is an Australian journalist and the former editor of Empire Magazine Australasia, UFC Magazine Australia and Football Plus. He has written for a number of publications and has a passion for all sports - particularly boxing, MMA and football. He has a Communications degree from the University of Western Sydney and is the most recent addition to the Daily Mail Australia Sport team.

Coverage: Sport

MOST RECENT ARTICLES FROM JAMES COONEY

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Footy club gets shut down and police are called over player's 'embarrassing' and offensive costume at Silly Sunday party

08/10/25 01:34

The Perth-based club has released a statement offering an unreserved apology for the incident at their end-of-season party....read

Glamorous motor sport star lifts the lid on the dark side of the Bathurst 1000 race after getting death threats
07/10/25 11:22
Trailblazing Australian motorsport star Renee Gracie still bears the scars from what happened to her at Australia's most famous race 10 years after she suffered horrible abuse.
- 21 comments
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Channel 10 star Mark Aiston reveals how his addictions to drugs, alcohol and gambling destroyed him - and how he turned his life around
07/10/25 02:13
The former newsreader has admitted his struggles with punting and substance abuse 'nearly took my life' in a raw account of his struggles.
Bailey Smith launches shady attack on the AFL's first openly bisexual star after criticism: Single photo says it all
07/10/25 12:19
If Geelong fans thought the drama over Bailey Smith's postseason party antics had died down, they've just been proved wrong.
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Footy fans slam NRL for not giving them choice to watch GF - as footy boss threatens to ditch both Channel 9 and Fox
06/10/25 03:17
Footy fans have lashed the NRL for not giving them a choice on television provider for Sunday's grand final, as the game stands to potentially ditch both Channel Nine and Fox Sports
- 29 comments
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Footy fans stunned by Reece Walsh performance in NRL Grand Final: 'Out of this world'
05/10/25 11:27
Broncos star Reece Walsh has stunned footy fans with an electrifying grand final performance on Sunday night.
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Nathan Cleary takes cheeky dig at his younger brother as family celebrates Grand Final win
05/10/25 09:53
Jett Cleary has not put a timeline on a hotly-anticipated NRL debut after signing off his first year at the Warriors with a 50-20 thrashing of Burleigh in the NRL's State Championship.
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Channel Nine's NRL grand final coverage gets off to a funny and embarrassing start as commentator 'hits puberty again'
05/10/25 05:50
Sports commentator Nick McArdle had a rocky start to Channel 9's footy grand final coverage after appearing to lose his voice early in the program.
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Clayton Oliver FUMES at Channel Seven reporter at the airport after taking a stunning shot at his own team: 'F*** off'
02/10/25 09:04
Clayton Oliver has fumed at a well-respected football reporter after he was approached by the Channel 7 broadcaster at Melbourne Airport.
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Footy star Clayton Oliver takes a stunning shot at his own team on social media after being told his $1million-a-year contract is done
02/10/25 05:43
Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver was due to make millions with five years left to run on his rich deal with the team he helped guide to the 2021 premiership.
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Furious AFL coach tells the audience to STOP CLAPPING in wild outburst at his club's glitzy end-of-year awards night
02/10/25 03:15
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge let his frustration get the better of him as the team held their annual gala on Wednesday night.
NRL boss warns Channel Nine and Foxtel he will AXE their rights to show the footy
02/10/25 02:04
NRL boss Peter V'landys has fired a broadside at the two broadcasting giants ahead of negotiations for the league's next television deal.
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Phil Gould breaks his silence on 'significant' health problem that landed him in hospital - as Channel Nine star reveals new details
01/10/25 11:10
News of Canterbury Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould's hospitalisation broke as the NRL's Dally M awards were just getting started on Wednesday night.
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Reality TV star reveals why he's HAPPY that he might have to have his leg amputated after suffering life-threatening injury during footy match
01/10/25 05:58
AFL content creator and reality TV star Connor Rogers has revealed how happy he is after having ten surgeries and receiving news that his right leg might have to be amputated.
The NRL gets the WORST possible news just before the grand final as some of the league's biggest stars are tied to shock move involving Royal family member
01/10/25 04:09
This week was supposed to be the jewel in the NRL's crown as the news cycle was dominated by nothing but good news about the biggest game of the year, but a shock move has put paid to that.
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Footy legend heaps praise on NRL star for refusing to be politically correct in the lead-up to the grand final
01/10/25 02:06
Melbourne storm enforcer Stefano Utoikamanu raised a lot of eyebrows with a very rare act in the lead-up to Sunday's grand final against the Brisbane Broncos.
Furious footy fans lash out over the biggest snub at the NRL's Dally M Awards: 'This is criminal'
01/10/25 12:33
Footy fans have been left gobsmacked by the exclusion of a multiple premiership winner from the list of nominees for a major award at Wednesday night's ceremony.
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Fallen cricket great Stuart MacGill relives his kidnapping ordeal in excruciating detail for the first time: 'We're gonna cut your fingers off'
30/09/25 07:29
Jurors found MacGill not guilty of taking part in a large commercial drug supply but found him guilty of the lesser charge of supplying an indictable quantity of cocaine.
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Reece Walsh is arguably the NRL's biggest star. Teams would break the bank to sign him. Now the boss of one club has revealed why he was happy to see the Broncos poster boy leave
30/09/25 04:03
Walsh has forged a reputation as one of the biggest and most popular talents in the game while playing a major role in driving the Broncos to their second grand final in three years.
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Revealed: The OTHER post Bailey Smith quickly deleted on Mad Monday after creating a storm with sexual emoji directed at female reporter
30/09/25 02:20
AFL poster boy Bailey Smith quickly deleted an Instagram post about Carlton forward Charlie Curnow during Geelong's Mad Monday celebrations that has raised eyebrows.
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Why this simple photo of AFL superstar Christian Petracca and his wife has footy fans up in arms
29/09/25 11:53
The Melbourne Demons lynchpin and his wife Bella have gone on an offseason trip that has put the AFL rumour mill into overdrive.
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Footy fans call out Reece Walsh over one word in his wild TV interview after helping Brisbane reach the NRL grand final
29/09/25 04:32
The fullback helped set up the last-gasp try that got the Broncos through to their second premiership decider in three years.
Major security scare at the AFL grand final as intruder sneaks onto the ground to celebrate with stars after Brisbane's win
29/09/25 02:41
The scenes unfolded in the middle of the MCG after the Brisbane Lions pulled off a stunning second half to beat Geelong on Saturday.
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NRL boss blasts Channel Nine over the way the league was treated on the Today show
29/09/25 12:47
The NRL is furious with Channel Nine over the way the competition was treated during the finals series.
- 37 comments
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Brisbane Lions skipper's fitting Bailey Smith sledge following on-field confrontation
28/09/25 05:49
Lions star Harris Andrews delivered a blunt sledge about his confrontation with Bailey Smith during Brisbane's Grand Final victory at the MCG.
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'Snoop' stuns with down-to-earth act after wowing fans with 'best ever' AFL Grand Final performance - but all is not what it seems
28/09/25 05:12
Aussies were stunned to see Snoop Dogg's doppelgänger lining up at the airport on Sunday after the US rapper delivered a pre-game show at the AFL grand final unlike any in recent memory.
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Star's wild one-armed tackle was the bravest moment of the AFL Grand Final... but furious fans say it NEVER should have happened
28/09/25 03:37
Cats spearhead Jeremy Cameron pulled off the bravest moment of the AFL decider on Saturday after playing through the match with a broken arm.
AFL superfan goes into meltdown over Geelong loss: 'Game should be replayed'
28/09/25 02:13
One of the AFL's most hardcore footy fans has taken to social media in the wake of Geelong's grand final loss to Brisbane, insisting that he's not accepting the 'disgraceful' loss.
- 29 comments
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Footy legend's brutal Bailey Smith slapdown as fans erupt over 'classless' moment during AFL Grand Final demolition
28/09/25 12:23
The Brisbane Lions are two-time premiers after swallowing up a disappointing Geelong Cats in the final quarter of the 2025 AFL Grand Final.
AFL conspiracy theory ignites over over Grand Final presentations: 'Scripted and cringe'
27/09/25 10:41
The AFL Grand Final post-game presentations offered some heartwarming moments after the full-time siren on Saturday - but some footy fans were not buying it.
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Lions star reveals shocking secret injury he carried into grand final win over Geelong
27/09/25 09:32
Star Brisbane Lions midfielder Josh Dunkley played in his third AFL premiership with an injury that will need surgery.
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Channel Seven star hits back after she was accused of neglecting her baby over these innocent photos
25/09/25 02:44
Much-loved Seven AFL commentator Abbey Holmes fronted the broadcaster's coverage of the Brownlow Medal on Monday night.
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Sam Kerr opens up about motherhood for the first time - and reveals what she hopes baby son Jagger does when he grows up
25/09/25 01:05
Matildas superstar Sam Kerr has opened up about her journey into motherhood, five months after she and Kristie Mewis welcomed their first child.
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Brisbane Broncos superstar Reece Walsh's cheeky dig at Nathan Cleary ahead of blockbuster preliminary final
24/09/25 05:14
Brisbane Broncos star Reece Walsh has taken a cheeky swipe at Panthers playmaker Nathan Cleary ahead of their preliminary final showdown at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.
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Bisexual AFL star Mitch Brown says he reached out to Izak Rankine following homophobic slur ban: 'He's not a bad person'
24/09/25 03:05
Former West Coast star Mitch Brown has revealed that he contacted Izak Rankine following the Adelaide star's ban for using a homophobic slur.
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NRL world reacts to return of superstar ahead of Preliminary Final: 'Huge risk'
24/09/25 01:50
Footy fans have been left stunned after Melbourne Storm named injured superstar Jahrome Hughes in their squad to take on Cronulla in Friday night's NRL grand final qualifier.
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She's the heavily pregnant fiancée who has every right to be black with rage at her footy star lover whose scandal cost them almost $200,000. This is her astonishing reaction as Victor Radley grovels in public
24/09/25 01:08
Sydney Roosters star Victor Radley has broken his silence on the drug text message scandal that saw him hit with a monster ban.
Pain is written all over Eddie McGuire's face as the shattered TV identity farewells tragic Footy Show legend
23/09/25 11:27
A devastated Eddie McGuire has paid a touching tribute to Footy Show cult hero Chris Doheny after he died in a car crash on Friday.
Is that Oscar? Images reveal the depth of humiliation Aussie was subjected to after Azerbijian disaster
23/09/25 06:48
World championship leader Oscar Piastri's horror Azerbaijan Grand Prix was even worse than anybody thought.
- 28 comments
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Video that shows Brisbane superstar is set to make shock comeback for AFL grand final
23/09/25 04:39
Brisbane midfielder Lachie Neale looks to be on track for a miracle AFL grand final return after getting through Brisbane's training session on Tuesday morning.
Jockey at centre of 'racially charged' videos learns his fate after appealing monster ban
23/09/25 02:46
Veteran Jockey Noel Callow has learned his fate after an appeal to have his 10-month ban for using 'racially charged' language overturned.
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Melbourne Demons post hilarious response to Saints star's robbery at Brownlows
23/09/25 01:37
The Melbourne Demons have responded in hilarious fashion to one of the biggest voting snubs in Brownlow Medal history.
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Bizarre Izak Rankine Brownlow Medal detail leaves footy fans confused following ban for homophobic slur
22/09/25 11:52
Footy fans were left scratching their heads during the Brownlow Medal after a puzzling detail concerning Izak Rankine
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Footy storm erupts over eye swipe on Collingwood star during preliminary final
21/09/25 03:10
Footy fans are demanding the AFL punish Dayne Zorko after the Lions star appeared to attack the face of Collingwood's Mason Cox during Saturday night's thrilling preliminary final.
NRL star's 'sad' admission following the Raiders' loss to the Sharks in semifinal: 'Don't really want to talk about it'
21/09/25 02:09
Canberra Raiders playmaker Jamal Fogarty was shattered following his side's 32-12 loss to the Cronulla Sharks.
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Sydney doctor Mackenzie Little wins medal at World Athletics Championships - after last week saving a life
21/09/25 02:03
Mackenzie Little's extraordinary ability to combine her lives as a fulltime doctor and a professional athlete has been rewarded.
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Footy world erupts after non-call shocker in AFL preliminary final: 'It should have been paid'
20/09/25 10:55
Reigning premiers Brisbane will play in their third straight AFL season decider after a massive second half set them up for their 29-point preliminary final defeat of Collingwood.
Footy legend reveals AFL boss's incredible threat when he said he'd miss the grand final parade because he was bleeding internally
18/09/25 05:37
Former star Jeremy McGovern has revealed how close he came to not playing in one of the AFL's most hotly contested premiership deciders.
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AFL bigwig brought a case of VB to Albo's house but the PM refuse to drink it - and his choice of beer will confirm a lot of Aussies' suspicions about him
18/09/25 03:22
The prime minister' is an unabashed fan of the Hawthorn Hawks and he invited the team's president to his Kirribilli House residence recently.
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Why some of footy's biggest names have been BARRED from the MCG on AFL grand final day
18/09/25 12:56
Come 2.30pm on September 27, the MCG will be jam packed with around 100,000 people - but some household names won't be among them.
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Do these photos prove Tammy was NEVER part of Bailey Smith's plan? As their romance cools, we reveal the big moves the Cats star is making closer to home
17/09/25 01:51
Many had naively hoped Tammy and Bailey would become the next Bec and Chris Judd. But significant moves closer to home suggest the Geelong Cats star was never looking for an interstate romance.
- 38 comments
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Snoop Dogg controversy rears its head just days before his AFL grand final show as he suddenly cancels performance
17/09/25 03:45
The hip hop icon's show at the biggest footy match of the year has been plagued by controversy since it was first announced by the AFL.
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Nathan Cleary makes Today show hosts' hearts melt with his very romantic take on Mary Fowler's Paris modelling debut
17/09/25 02:03
The Panthers superstar has opened up about how he feels about his girlfriend's stunning new look.
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Gout Gout is confirmed to star at the AFL grand final - as another Aussie sport star reveals the hilarious way he earned a spot on the field on footy's biggest day
17/09/25 12:43
The news has broken just as the 17-year-old prepares to run on the biggest stage of his life at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Former TV star Tiffany Salmond reveals how NRL players have tried to date her by sending her awful TikTok videos
16/09/25 07:29
Glamourous former NRL presenter Tiffany Salmond has lashed out at the 'bizarre and weird' way footy stars try to get dates with her.
Souths NRL stars and their partners get VERY glammed up for the club's big night - as one player breaks down crying in startling moment
16/09/25 05:45
The South Sydney Rabbitohs had a nightmare 2025 season on the pitch, but players and their partners were still in high spirits at the club's annual awards night.
Bisexual AFL star's ex-wife breaks her silence about their relationship after he made history by coming out
16/09/25 03:05
Shae Bolton-Brown has posted an emotional message about her ex-husband Mitch Brown after he created history by becoming the first AFL player, past or present, to come out as bisexual.
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Revealed: AFL coach left female staffer in tears with verbal attack because a disabled footy reporter was in his press conference
16/09/25 01:25
Geelong boss Chris Scott has been exposed for making an AFL employee cry with a stinging verbal attack - and all because a legally blind reporter wanted to ask him questions after a match.
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AFL WAG Chloe Pink reveals disgraceful comments on her appearance by trolls at awards night
15/09/25 06:50
Chloe Pink, the wife of AFL star Toby Pink, has revealed the deluge of horrible abuse she received about her appearance after the AFL's Best and Fairest Awards night on the weekend.
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Danika Mason tells footy reporter to read out his search history after he admitted his social media feed was FLOODED with stories about her
15/09/25 05:32
Channel Nine sports presenter Danika Mason has cheekily suggested that a footy reporter read out his search history after he admitted his social media feed was flooded with stories about her.
Footy fans lose their minds as NRL's decision on Reece Walsh headbutt confirms their conspiracy theories
15/09/25 03:19
Headbutts used to be a one-way ticket to a sendoff and a suspension. But the NRL's stance on Reece Walsh's attack on Hudson Young proves that's not the case anymore.
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AFLW stars forced to play on ground 'with dog poo on it' after shocking scenes during their training run
15/09/25 02:40
The AFLW has been criticised for conditions at Collingwood's Victoria Park for the Magpies' clash with the Sydney Swans on Saturday.
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Footy fans are accused of targeting Reece Walsh's DAUGHTER after he set off fireworks by head-butting rival in one of the wildest NRL games ever played
15/09/25 12:39
Walsh had just been controversially sin-binned for head-butting Hudson Young when he copped a volley of abuse as he walked off the field on Sunday.
Revealed: The reason behind Brisbane star Callum Ah Chee's emotional tribute at the Gabba
14/09/25 05:20
Brisbane star Callum Ah Chee made a touching gesture to the heavens after he scored in Saturday night's semi-final as the Lions went on a 53-point Gabba rampage.
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Fists fly in wild brawl between NRL rival supporters at Sharks vs Roosters
14/09/25 03:25
Wild footage has captured a brawl between Sharks and Roosters fans during Cronulla's 20-10 sudden-death win on Saturday night at PointsBet Stadium.
Australian motorsport world in mourning after shock death of Aussie Racing Cars competitor Shane Mann
14/09/25 02:14
The Australian motorsport community has been rocked by the sudden death of Aussie Racing Cars driver Shane Mann.
- 1 comment
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Broncos superstar Reece Walsh shares rare insight into being a single dad ahead of finals clash
14/09/25 12:18
Brisbane star Reece Walsh has opened up about his private life, revealing what life is like for him as a young father on the eve of his side's blockbuster showdown with Canberra.
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First Bailey Smith was busted verbally attacking a female footy worker. Now his coach has had to apologise for doing the exact same thing
12/09/25 12:13
Chris Scott contacted the woman just days after Smith's sweary tirade at a female photographer came to light.
Devastated family of ex-NRL player who died in gym tragedy aged just 39 ask Coldplay to make his daughter's dreams come true
11/09/25 05:31
Tye Alroe's tragic passing in July left his family absolutely shattered. Now they're hoping the superstar band can help ease their pain.
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Bisexual AFL star Mitch Brown reveals why he feels GUILTY after he made footy history by coming out
11/09/25 04:57
Former West Coast Eagles star Mitch Brown has been widely praised for his stunning revelation two weeks ago.
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Photographer on the end of Bailey Smith's F-bomb tirade says the footy star swore at ANOTHER female member of the media - as fans call for him to be banned
11/09/25 12:56
Smith let fly with the shocking outburst after he took exception to the way he was photographed at an open training session on Wednesday.
Ivan Cleary reacts to claims his son Jett is trying to ruin his brother Nathan's attempt to win a fifth straight grand final
10/09/25 06:32
The Panthers must beat the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland to keep their five-peat dreams alive on Saturday.
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Footy fans hammer the NRL for getting Teddy Swims to perform at the grand final: 'Is that Temu Post Malone?'
10/09/25 01:15
American singer Teddy Swims is up against AFL grand final performer Snoop Dogg - and footy fans say the rapper is the clear winner.
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New blow for ultra-woke AFL great turned ABC star Bob Murphy after scandal over his strip-club remark to co-host
09/09/25 06:24
Murphy excelled on the field during his time with the Western Bulldogs but a new revelation shows he's struggling badly in his current career.
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Footy fans turn on Channel Seven star after she blasted some of the AFL's biggest names for dropping the F-bomb on TV
09/09/25 04:52
Caroline Wilson blew up after two players and a coach swore on live broadcasts during the first week of the finals.
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Legendary footy hard man Mark Carroll reveals his dressing room blow-up with one of the NRL's biggest stars - and it got physical
09/09/25 02:33
Former Manly hard man Mark Carroll has been offside with departing Sea Eagles star Daly Cherry-Evans for almost the entire NRL season.
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Cathy Freeman reveals she is battling to be able to run again after suffering a serious injury
08/09/25 07:15
The Aussie sporting icon has given her fans a health update and opened up about how she has been changed by motherhood.
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Footy great Mick Neil reveals an incurable disease has left him unable to get out of bed as his legendary teammates rally around him in hospital
08/09/25 05:10
Balmain rugby league greats are rallying around their former Tigers teammate Michael Neil after he received an awful diagnosis.
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Footy star blasts his own club for wild act that was caught on video at their end-of-year awards night
08/09/25 02:38
West Coast have been blasted by a former Eagles player over what he saw at the club's end-of-year awards night on the weekend.
- 3 comments
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Radio star demands HUGE change to Welcome to Country at the footy after fans were stunned when ceremony went off the rails
08/09/25 12:50
The ceremony before the Hawthorn vs GWS finals match on Saturday left fans scratching their heads and resulted in the game being delayed.

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