Sports Buzz

Tag: caretaker coach

  • Superstar switch to fix Pies? Question over Dusty final chapter — Blowtorch

    Superstar switch to fix Pies? Question over Dusty final chapter — Blowtorch

    Could Collingwood consider moving its superstar to a familiar role?

    Plus Carlton’s ongoing ruck dilemma has been labelled its “biggest issue” amid a wide open premiership race.

    Every club’s burning question ahead of Round 19, as well as the commentators for every Fox Footy game, in our ultimate weekly preview: The Blowtorch!

    Watch every game of every round this Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >

    AFL umpires not training properly? | 02:33

    ESSENDON v ADELAIDE CROWS

    Friday July 19, 7.40pm at Marvel Stadium

    How to watch on Fox Footy: From 6.30pm on Channel 504 with Garry Lyon, Jonthan Brown, Jordan Lewis, Nathan Buckley, Brad Johnson (Boundary) & Jon Ralph followed by Fox Footy Live

    Bombers’ burning question: Can they handle high-pressure games?

    While Essendon is currently sixth on the ladder and has been in the top four for key stages this year, it’s still failed challenges against some of the best sides. And overall, the Bombers have played in the third-lowest pressure rating games on average this year including going 3-1-4 in high pressure games and 7-2 in low pressure games (over/under 180). It includes Essendon losing groundball in recent losses to Carlton (-19), Geelong (-17) and Melbourne (-15) to draw questions from Saints great Leigh Montagna on whether Brad Scott’s side is capable of rising when the pressure is at its hottest. “They’ve failed the test now three out of the last four times. Are they tough enough against contest and finals-like teams? You’ve got to start to question if they’re hard enough or desperate enough,” he said on Fox Footy’s The First Crack.

    Crows’ burning question: Just how good can Riley Thilthorpe be?

    Adelaide young gun Riley Thilthorpe made his long-awaited AFL return last week against St Kilda and you only had to watch his small stint as the substitute to get excited about the talent he could be at AFL level. Taken at pick two in the 2021 National Draft, the 201cm key forward looked dangerous in tough conditions against the Saints, booting two goals and clunking a couple of marks. Thilthorpe was all the hype out of West Lakes in the pre-season, but a knee injury in the dying stages of a pre-season match meant the 22-year-old spent the first half of the season on the sidelines. Put rather than dwell on the injury, Thilthorpe went to work in the gym and how possesses a physique that will see key defenders tremble for years to come. He could well and truly light up Marvel Stadium on Friday night and bring the Bombers back down to earth.

    ‘Tackle is going the way of the bump’ | 00:37

    GWS GIANTS v GOLD COAST SUNS

    Saturday July 20, 1.45pm at ENGIE Stadium

    How to watch on Fox Footy: From 1.30pm on Channel 504 with Leigh Montagna, Nick Dal Santo, Gerard Healy, Alastair Lynch & David Zita

    Giants’ burning question: Are they back?

    After appearing at risk of missing the finals a few weeks ago, the Giants have won two games in a row to re-enter premiership calculations. Perhaps more promising than anything is that Toby Greene, both the Giants’ spiritual and literal leader, returned to his best form against Richmond with four goals. And when the GWS skipper is at his best, the Giants are a different side. The only real concern is Stephen Coniglio being bothered by a shoulder issue that’ll cause him to miss this weekend. But Adam Kingley’s side is very much trending in the right direction, with its powerful offensive game (averaging 112 points over the last two games) back on show. “They weren’t brilliant and I think there will be a lot they’ll want to fix up, particularly defensively and around the contest. But offensively — when they got their flow going and tsunami from half back going inside 50 — it was the Giants we know,” Saints legend Leigh Montagna said on Fox Footy’s The First Crack. Asked if they can continue rising, Montagna said: “I do, they’ve still got to work on some things defensively. Their system is very identifiable, it’s hard to stop but they can get scored against the other way.”

    Suns’ burning question: Can star, like the team, replicate epic home form?

    The Suns’ contrasting form in home games (9-0) and on the road (0-8) this season has been widely discussed — and there’s perhaps not a player who’s embodied that variance more than Noah Anderson. The star midfielder is the highest rated player in the competition based on home games this season, averaging 32.7 disposals, 13.7 contested, 7.8 clearances, 4.3 tackles and 8.6 tackles. However Anderson’s numbers “dramatically decline” in away games, as put by Saints great Leigh Montagna on Fox Footy’s The First Crack, where he just hasn’t produces at the same level. So if the Suns are to finally get that first win on the board in enemy territory under Damien Hardwick they so desperately need to prove themselves and make a genuine run at finals, Anderson will need to start replicating his brilliant home heroics on the road.

    Greene’s perfect troll job in question | 02:13

    ST KILDA v WEST COAST EAGLES

    Saturday July 20, 1.45pm at Marvel Stadium

    How to watch on Fox Footy: From 1.30pm on Channel 503 with Mark Howard, Nathan Buckley, Brad Johnson, Sarah Jones & David Zita

    Saints’ burning question: Can any more young guns emerge?

    After a seriously promising patch from Mattaes Phillipou following his return to the AFL side and move to the midfield, the former Pick 10 will now be sidelined for up to four weeks due to a hip injury in an untimely blow. While the timing couldn’t be worse for Phillipou given he was finally producing at the top level, it opens up an opportunity for another young player to come into the team and show their worth. Could Hugo Garcia or Angus Hastie get another opportunity or Olli Hotton come in for his debut? The Saints want as many as these types to come out as their building blocks for the future.

    Eagles’ burning question: Can Schofield really throw his hat in the ring for coaching role after strong first showing?

    It feels like so much talk surrounding the next full-time Eagles coach has been around other candidates. Dean Cox, Jaymie Graham, Josh Carr, Ash Hansen, even Fox Footy’s own Nathan Buckley. But have we underestimated the man who is set to take the reins in Adam Simpson’s absence for the next six weeks? The Eagles were really brave in their narrow loss to Brisbane in Schofield’s first game in charge and it was a performance that would surely have piqued the interest of Eagles powerbrokers. Schofield is perceived throughout the industry as someone who has a hard edge, but his ability to connect to his players is also something he’s developed while being an assistant at the Eagles and at Port Adelaide under Ken Hinkley. It’s never easy being a caretaker coach – you’re essentially trying to enhance your credentials while needing to blood youth – but the opportunity is there for Schofield. The next six weeks are a dress rehearsal for the former Eagle and should his side continue to show signs of growth, he’ll have to be considered for the mantle permanently.

    Swans fine with Eagles interest in Cox | 00:47

    HAWTHORN v COLLINGWOOD

    Saturday July 20, 4.35 at the MCG

    How to watch on Fox Footy: From 6.30pm on Channel 504 with Anthony Hudson, Jason Dunstall, Garry Lyon, Cam Mooney & David Zita

    Hawks’ burning question: Can Ginnivan kick a bag against his old side?

    Imagine this. Hawthorn’s excitement machine Jack Ginnivan kicks five goals to essentially eliminate Collingwood from the finals race in 2024 and sink their hopes of back-to-back flags. It would be fitting, wouldn’t it? Ginnivan had an ‘almost game’ back in Gather Round when the Hawks fell to a five-point defeat at the Adelaide Oval, booting two majors from eleven disposals, but he showed glimpses of tearing that game apart. “He’s desperate to play against his old team and get out there, get under their skin in typical Jack fashion,” Hawthorn veteran Luke Breust said during the week. Plenty has been made of Collingwood’s off-season, where they traded Ginnivan and recruited former Docker Lachie Schultz to the club to play a similar role. Both livewires have similar numbers this year, with many experts questioning whether the weight of draft value they gave up for Schultz was worth it. But Collingwood’s trash has been Hawthorn’s treasure. If Ginnivan was to be the matchwinner for the Hawks come Saturday afternoon, that would absolutely break Collingwood hearts.

    Magpies’ burning question: Should Daicos move back behind the ball?

    While Nick Daicos is having an incredible third season in the midfield as one of the leading Brownlow contenders, reigning premier Collingwood has slid down to 12th and just doesn’t look the same team as last year. It includes the Pies lacking their usual slingshot from half back and ability to transition the ball from defence to forward 50. In fact, Craig McRae’s side has dropped from being ranked first in the competition last year to 16th in moving the ball from half back to inside 50 percentage, with Daicos’ time in defence falling from 41 per cent to 12 per cent amid his permanent midfield move. Granted, Collingwood’s midfield has also been down. However, former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley pondered whether the club would be considering moving Daicos behind the ball again to help with its transition game. “It’s the opposite of what the Cats have done with Tom Stewart … can Daicos start as a half back and be facing the goals and the decision maker? That first kick breaks that first line of pressure, the decisions are easier after that first one. I just wonder if it’s in their thoughts,” Buckley said on Fox Footy’s On the Couch.

    AFL wildcard weekend on the way? | 01:13

    GEELONG v WESTERN BULLDOGS

    Saturday July 20, 7.30pm at GMHBA Stadium

    How to watch on Fox Footy: From 7.20pm on Channel 504 with Ben Dixon, Jack Riewoldt, Eddie Betts, Brad Johnson & David Zita

    Cats’ burning question: Is Danger still the man?

    When you watch Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield in action right now, it’s hard to believe that he’s 34 years old. The Cats have a win-loss record of 7-1 when Dangerfield plays and a record of 4-5 when he doesn’t, highlighting the true importance the skipper has to their side. “I still think he is their barometer; I think how far the Cats go in September centres around how well Patrick Dangerfield plays,” St Kilda champion Leigh Montagna told Fox Footy’s First Crack. “It’s not so much about the quantity anymore of his numbers, it’s the impact of what he does,” he said. While Dangerfield’s numbers are down from seasons gone by, his work around the contest is still elite and he makes his Geelong teammates walk taller when he’s fit and firing. The Cats are fighting for a top four berth and Dangerfield still remains an integral piece of the puzzle for Chris Scott and his coaching staff. The question is, can Dangerfield keep it up as the season goes on and spearhead his side into yet another finals campaign?

    Bulldogs’ burning question: Is Jamarra the ‘difference’?

    Jamarra Ugle-Hagan last week responded to being slightly down on form, booting four goals from a career-best 20 disposals to lead the Dogs to a huge win over the Blues. It might well have been the former No. 1 draft pick’s best ever AFL outing in a real statement performance where he put the Dogs on his back. And it importantly came without Aaron Naughton by his side up forward as Ugle-Hagan showed he can be the man. Kangaroos legend David King on Fox Footy’s The First Crack said it “was a different beast to what we’d seen the last month or so,” questioning if the Dogs copped a “little clip” from Luke Beveridge after the team’s heavy loss to Port Adelaide. Saints great Leigh Montagna: “It’s the mental aspect, I reckon he had the kick up the backside. Now it’s up to him to stay at that consistent level … that’s the talent he’s got. He’s going too be the difference for the Dogs and how far they go.”

    ‘I think ruckmen are overrated’ | 03:27

    PORT ADELAIDE v RICHMOND

    Saturday July 20, 7.30pm at Adelaide Oval

    How to watch on Fox Footy: From 7.30pm on Channel 503 with Dwayne Russell, David King, Mark Ricciuto, Kath Loughnan & David Zita

    Power’s’ burning question: Do they have a ‘problem’ with the Hornet?

    Jason Horne-Francis has taken his game to new heights in his third AFL season — and second campaign at the Power. However Kangaroos legend David King believes Port has a “problem” with the former No. 1 pick with his discipline. While not doubting the 21-year old’s on-field talent, King thinks Horne-Francis still needs to mature to become the best version of himself — and to help the Power. “They’ve got a problem that they haven’t really wanted to talk about for a little while. Everyone defends Jason, he’s a wonderful player, he’s an extreme talent — but he’s gettable now. You can get under his skin, you can draw 50-metre penalties, and you can draw goals. “He spends a lot of time talking to the coach .. but at some point, he needs to take this situation by the horns himself and just, emotionally, remain in check,” King said on Fox Footy’s The First Crack.

    Tigers’ burning question: Will we ever see Dusty in yellow and black again?

    Dustin Martin has been sidelined since the Tigers’ Round 16 loss to Carlton as he deals with a nagging back injury that’s even stopped the champ from training – though that’s not the only reason. Seven reported on Thursday night Martin spent this week in New Zealand, missing the side’s Sunday loss and only returning to the country on Tuesday night. It meant he was never a chance of proving his fitness for this Saturday – which begs the question of what the club is letting the 33-year-old get away with, as they wait for his decision on 2025 and beyond. Adem Yze said the 33-year old could return against Collingwood next week, and perhaps we’ll see him back and yellow black. But perhaps not. The three-time Norm Smith medallist’s contract is due to expire at season’s end as rumours swirl around his future including a potential move to the Suns to reunite with Damien Hardwick or retire altogether. And the longer this back concern lingers and we don’t see Martin in action, the more you question if his legendary 301-game career at the Tigers has already had its last chapter written.

    Clarkson on the rebuild doubters | 05:30

    BRISBANE LIONS v SYDNEY SWANS

    Sunday July 21, 1.10pm at the Gabba

    How to watch on Fox Footy: From 1pm on Channel 504 with Anthony Hudson, Jonathan Brown, Gerard Healy, Alastair Lynch & Jon Ralph

    Lions’ burning question: Could Neale win a record-equalling third Brownlow?

    There’s only a dozen people in the history of the game who have won multiple Brownlow Medal’s, and Lachie Neale is one of them. Despite this, the star midfielders still manages to sneak under the radar, with the 31-year-old now in such good in good n he could well make a late run for medal number three. The third-highest rated player in the league since Round 10, Neale has reignited this Lions outfit after a slow start to the year; with Josh Dunkley and Hugh McCluggage working very well in tandem with the South Australian. It’ll be a pleasure to watch the trio, led by Neale, clash with Sydney’s own engine room on Sunday in almost certainly match of the round. “His quality stands out … I still think he reflect on him the way we should (despite two Brownlow’s),” David King said on Fox Footy’s First Crack. Leigh Montagna added. “I think we still probably underrate what he has done, because he doesn’t have the attributes and look like Dusty and Bontempelli; his actual output stacks up with any of them … he’ll get remembered as one of the all-time greats of the modern era.”

    Swans’ burning question: Will this truly their biggest test to date?

    The clear number one team in the competition in 2024, the Swans endured their first real bump in the road with back-to-back losses in across Round 16 and 17. They lost to a rising Fremantle and their anomaly loss to the Saints, but outside of that they haven’t been tested for four quarters in over last three months. With the inclusion of Heeney into their midfield and Cunningham in defence, the Swans are crazily only getting better – and besides McInerney, are now playing their best 23. That being said, Brisbane are arguably the in-form team of the competition in the last six weeks, and look to be peaking at the right time. In what should be their biggest test to date, the Swans can’t afford a slow start to the Lions – especially on their home turf.

    “What has happened to our great game!” | 03:35

    FREMANTLE DOCKERS v MELBOURNE

    Sunday July 21, 3.20pm at Optus Stadium

    How to watch on Fox Footy: From 3pm on Channel 503 with Kelli Underwood, David King, Nick Dal Santo & Jon Ralp

    Dockers’ burning question: Can they ‘rip the heart’ out of Dees again?

    Last time these teams met in Round 12, the Dockers put Melbourne to the sword in Alice Springs in a 92-point smashing. It was arguably Justin Longmuir’s side’s best performance this season given it showed it can really put damage on the scoreboard after at times being criticised for being too defensive minded. So can they rediscover such a killer instinct again against a more in-form Demons outfit back at their Optus Stadium fortress? “They’re a frustration for me because I love when they play a little bit of express. Often they don’t go and rip the heart out of the opposition and say: ‘We’re going to play win this game’. With five and a half minutes left against Hawthorn they still wanted to play in a controlled manner and it irks me a little bit … you’ve got to take a risk and adjust with what the scoreboard is telling you when you need to score,” Kangaroos legend David King said on Fox Footy’s The First Crack.

    Demons’ burning question: How important is Rivers to their finals hopes?

    He’s not quite Christian Petracca yet, but my word has Trent Rivers filled a void for Melbourne these last weeks. With Petracca out for the season and Oliver dreadfully out of form, coach Simon Goodwin desperately needed someone else to deliver in the engine room with Jack Viney – and Rivers looks to be that man. Registering 29 disposals in each of his last two matches, the 22-year-old has taken flight in the role with damaging kicking through the middle of the ground. This weekend against Fremantle will be another step above the Eagles and Bombers midfields he’s played in the last fortnight, but in front of his home crowd it would be fitting for the young gun to make it three out of three weeks as Melbourne’s best on ground and get his side one step closer to finals.

    Scott struggles with AFL tackle bans | 02:26

    CARLTON v NORTH MELBOURNE

    Sunday July 21, 4.40pm at Marvel Stadium

    How to watch on Fox Footy: From 4pm on Channel 504 with Dwayne Russell, Jack Riewoldt, Jordan Lewis, Sarah Jones, Ruby Schleicher & Jon Ralph followed by Bounce and First Crack

    Blues’ burning question: Where to now with their ruck situation?

    Having lost their last two games, the Blues will need to recapture their form this weekend against North – but is this the last chance they can rectify their ruck dilemma? Tossing and turning between young gun Tom De Koning and experienced campaigner Marc Pittonet, the club is still yet to land on their preferred combat of attack. AFL greats David King and Leigh Montagna discussed the decision on First Crack last Sunday night.

    “I think it’s the biggest issue at Carlton that they need to address at correct,” King said.

    “He (Pittonet) is solely responsible for (their) first possession profile … he doesn’t bring the score, (but) he brings the ability for you to start with the ball.”

    “It’s hard to argue with what he does as a ruckman,” Montagna added.

    While it’s widely accepted that De Koning provides more run and impact around the ground in general play, the duo highlighted Pittonet’s very good tap work last week against the Bulldogs, where his midfielders were ultimately unable to convert from stoppage. With six weeks to go until an impending finals appearance, do the Blues pick youth and speed, or experience and deft touch?

    Kangaroos’ burning question: Can they show they’ve learned from last week?

    To come up against the first and second-ranked sides in the competition as North Melbourne in back-to-back weeks is unlucky in some ways, but it’s also a great way to show what they’ve learned from last week. Sydney smashed them after quarter time at the SCG, but in the opening term they looked up for it. And the Blues are vulnerable too; as least as much as they ever have been this season, ranking fourth-worst in the competition for points against. On the back of two losses, Carlton won’t want to slip up against a Roos side that has looked a completely different team for most of the last month.

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  • ‘Unbelievable’ rise few saw coming; mind games behind ‘rivalry’: NBL Finals Storylines

    ‘Unbelievable’ rise few saw coming; mind games behind ‘rivalry’: NBL Finals Storylines

    The NBL Finals are here but first we must find out who will join the Perth Wildcats and Melbourne United in booking their spot in the race to the title.

    The JackJumpers and Hawks will be battling it out for one spot while the Kings are looking to keep their three-peat dream alive against the Breakers.

    Read on for the key storylines to follow ahead of the NBL Play-In games!

    Watch every game of the NBL Finals LIVE with ESPN on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

    Boomers smash Indonesia in AC Qualifier | 01:01

    JACKJUMPERS – Is this the year they bring a title home?

    The Tasmania JackJumpers were the fairytale story of NBL22, eliminating top-of-the-table Melbourne United on the way to a Grand Final Berth in their maiden season in the league.

    But now, after becoming the only team to finish inside the top four in the past three seasons, Tasmania head coach Scott Roth said it is time to deliver a championship for the state.

    “They’ve been the underdogs for quite a few years down there,” Roth told reporters at the league’s official finals launch press conference.

    “They have a chip on their shoulder and for me personally, I’d love to win one, but it’s not going to make or break me. I’d really love it for the state and everything we’ve built over the last three years – the consistency, the sustainability.

    “A lot of these clubs have a lot of history on their side, we’re just starting to create our history and to have our third year in a row in the top four is a remarkable achievement by the organisation.

    “To win a championship for Tasmania would be a thrill of a lifetime obviously and we’re going to do everything to defend the island.”

    Tasmania JackJumpers Head Coach Scott Roth. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    It was not all going to plan last month though, with Tasmania losing six of its last eight games as Roth conceded he wasn’t sure if the team was going to be able to turn it around.

    In fact, he went as far as to say the JackJumpers could’ve gone on to drop all six games.

    Instead, they won five to enter the Play-In as one of the league’s most in-form teams and threatening to make a push for another grand final.

    And for ex-NBL player Lanard Copeland, as much as winning a championship is more about Tasmania than Roth, he believes a lot of the team’s success goes back to the man who has been there right from the start.

    That extends to off the court too, where Roth understands the power of every word.

    “He knows what he’s doing,” Lanard Copeland said on NBL Overtime.

    “That was reverse psychology [when he said] we’re going to lose six in a row because he knows what he’s working with. He’s done it since he’s been there.”

    Now he may have the JackJumpers on the verge of another magic run, this time with expectations of going all the way.

    Cotton joins Gaze with 4th NBL MVP | 00:56

    HAWKS – The doubters fuelling stunning rise of ‘slighted’ Hawks

    Tasmania winning its first-ever championship would obviously still qualify as a feel-good NBL story, but when it comes to underdogs to get behind this season it is hard to go past the Illawarra Hawks.

    The Hawks have been on a fairytale run of their own to the post-season, led by new coach Justin Tatum who last week re-signed with the club for an additional three years.

    Tatum, the father of Boston Celtics superstar Jayson, was appointed caretaker coach of the Hawks back in November after Jacob Jackomas was sacked following the club’s 2-7 start to the season.

    Illawarra looked on a downward spiral having won just three of its 28 games the season prior to finish with the franchise’s worst-ever record, only further removing it from previous success under former head coach Brian Goorjian, who had guided the Hawks to back-to-back playoffs berths.

    Tatum was assistant coach at the time of Jackomas’ departure, taking over the struggling club with little external expectation it seemed of achieving much this season.

    But sometimes a fresh voice and approach is all that is needed and fast-forward to Wednesday night and the Hawks play the JackJumpers after securing an unlikely Play-In berth, having won 12 of their 19 games under Tatum.

    BEFORE TATUM WAS HIRED

    Record: 2-7

    PPG: 84.4

    Opp. PPG: 95.3

    AFTER TATUM WAS HIRED

    Record: 12-7

    PPG: 94.1

    Opp. PPG: 87.1

    Justin Tatum helped the Hawks turn things around. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images for NBL)Source: Getty Images

    “When I took over and talked to the guys [I said] everybody starts with a clean sheet,” Tatum said at the NBL’s official finals launch press conference.

    “Everything we’ve done the prior seven weeks we’ll just throw it out the window and let’s rewrite our own story.”

    The Hawks have done just that, beating the second-placed Perth Wildcats three times this season while also overcoming a tough late stretch of games to punch their ticket.

    “Unbelievable,” Tatum said of the way his team rallied to book a Play-In spot.

    “We probably had the toughest stretch of teams to play to make it to the playoffs and we knew it was going to be a grind.

    “It was a real testimony to the guys who stayed locked knowing what our focus was because we had to win so many games… we got tested towards the end which is going to help us for the run.”

    It is why Tatum – and the Hawks as a whole – still don’t’ feel like they have quite got the respect they deserve, with the Illawarra head coach telling AAP this week they “still feel slighted”.

    “But at the end of the day we’re OK with that because we have our self-respect,” he added.

    He also has the admiration of superstar son Jayson, who was asked about his father’s success at the Hawks ahead of the recent NBA All-Star Game, revealing the pair had been talking earlier that day.

    “Extremely happy for him. Happy for what he’s been able to do over there and kind of turn that organisation around,” Jayson said.

    “He loves it. He loves it over there. He loves being in Australia. He says the games are extremely competitive. The atmosphere is crazy. Hopefully they can continue and go all the way. But it’s been great to see him turn that thing around and have a lot of success over there.”

    Hawks cement NBL playoff spot | 01:14

    BREAKERS – Will the mind games work for NBL underdogs?

    Finn Delany had no problems calling it a “rivalry game” but Mody Maor doesn’t seem to want to go anywhere near that word, or any other one close by that matter.

    Since last week’s official press conference ahead of the post-season, the New Zealand Breakers coach has played down talk that their Play-In game against the Kings brings added motivation.

    Specifically, he was asked if it would help them banish any “demons” remaining from Game 5 in last year’s Championship Series, where the Kings went on a 14-0 run late to secure a comeback win.

    “Demons kind of insinuates this is something terrible that happened to us and it’s not how I feel,” he said.

    “This is part of our learning curve, this is part of our growth as a club, me as a coach, the players that where there. This is an experience we can draw upon conclusions we’ve made and put them into practice. But definitely not exorcising demons.”

    Mody Maor carefully chose his words. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images for NBL)Source: Getty Images

    That kind of messaging was consistent from Maor this week too, telling media that it wouldn’t matter who was on the other side of the court — dressed in purple and gold or not.

    “The reality is whoever we would face now I would want to beat the living you know what out of them,” he added.

    “Does the fact that we lost Game 5 of the Finals over there give us extra motivation? No, it doesn’t, because we’re chasing something that is relevant only to this year.

    “The only thing that is relevant to the past is the lessons learnt. As long as we learned the right things, and hopefully they come into play and help us in this one, it’s all that matters.”

    Whether you believe him or not is one thing, but the mind games continued when the Breakers coach was asked about the underdog status his team carries into the game.

    “They’re right,” he flatly said, adding the Kings are “definitely favourites” and that people are “right to write us off”, which will especially prove true if Will McDowell-White (shoulder) and Finn Delany (back) are ruled out.

    It is all set up for an ambush but will the Kings take the bait?

    KINGS – Are the defending champions feeling the pressure?

    Well, they’re the defending back-to-back champions for a reason and so you’d expect an experienced group like this one isn’t going to get drawn into mind games too easily.

    After all, the Kings have their own problems to worry about, namely the outside noise surrounding the organisation as it faces the prospect of premature elimination.

    Sydney entered this season with much loftier goals, chasing a three-peat after becoming the first club to achieve the feat back in 2005.

    It was always going to be challenging without coach Chase Buford and key duo Xavier Cooks, DJ Vasiljevic while the team’s new-look import trio was hardly a guarantee to hit the ground running right away.

    Not checkmate yet – Kings still in fold | 01:10

    But an inconsistent season has left the Kings in a perilous position and there is little room for error now, although the way Sydney finished the regular season has Mahmoud Abdelfattah confident, having cruised to a 122-67 win over South East Melbourne.

    “The guys are aware of the situation but we finished the season off on the right foot,” he said.

    Abdelfattah ran out a different starting line-up in that game to the one that played in Sydney’s 106-95 loss to Illawarra the game prior, with Alex Toohey, Jonah Bolden and Shaun Bruce all getting the start alongside Jaylen Adams and Denzel Valentine.

    The Kings coach though told media last week that wasn’t necessarily a sign of things to come ahead of the do-or-die game against the Breakers, pointing out the fact he has experimented with the starting team quite regularly this season.

    “We’ll see. I’ll talk with the coaching staff,” he said.

    “I’ve changed the starting line-up five of the last six games. I’ll probably change the starting line-up again. I’m not worried about keeping the same starting line-up or mixing things up.

    “Whatever I feel is going to work for the collective unit, I’ll do my best to do that.”

    WHAT TIME ARE THE NBL PLAY-IN GAMES?

    The JackJumpers host the Hawks at 5.30pm AEDT on Wednesday in the first Play-In game at MyState Bank Arena, with the Kings in action against the Breakers right after at 7.30pm at Qudos Bank Arena.

    HOW CAN I WATCH THE GAMES?

    You can watch every game of the NBL Finals LIVE with ESPN on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

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  • Why Spurs’ ‘shambolic’ 17-game episode should frighten Ange amid ‘huge potential’ to shake up PL

    Why Spurs’ ‘shambolic’ 17-game episode should frighten Ange amid ‘huge potential’ to shake up PL

    Australian manager Ange Postecoglou is in hot contention for a move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, with the Celtic coach among the favourites for the vacant managerial position.

    Numerous reports from England have named Postecoglou a strong chance to take over at Spurs, with the Athletic saying the club is “strongly considering” the Australian and The Independent’s Miguel Delaney labelling him a “primary candidate.”

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    Postecoglou’s exceptional work in Scotland has won him plenty of suitors in England’s heavyweight sides, but whether the Australian would – or should – move to Tottenham is a contentious point.

    The North London club has hardly been a fertile ground for silverware, with just one trophy this millennium, the 2008 League Cup.

    It’s also been a harsh environment for managers, something on full display again this season. Antonio Conte departed in March, before his assistant-turned-interim-boss Cristian Stellini was bounced out the exit door soon afterwards.

    Now 31-year-old Ryan Mason is caretaker coach, and wants to take over the full-time gig at season’s end – but three losses in five games in charge means that appears unlikely.

    The club’s problems have become deeply ingrained down the years, and an overhaul is required.

    Much of the issue can be traced to the club’s problematic hierarchy. The owner, Joe Lewis, is almost entirely absent, leaving things up to chairman Daniel Levy – a canny businessman who has seemed hopelessly out of his depth at times when it comes to the football side of running a club.

    That was the case in 2018, when the club failed to sign a single player in the off-season – while Levy’s attentions were directed almost completely on the club’s new stadium.

    Daniel Levy has long been a target for Spurs fans’ frustrations. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

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    The club’s lack of leadership frequently seems to come down to a lack of an effective football director running the ship, leaving Levy holding the reins.

    Managing director of football Fabio Paratici in January was handed a 30-month ban from any football activity within Italy, dating back to a financial scandal from his days as football director and managing director at Juventus (2019-21).

    11 other officials (past and present) from the Turin club were also banned and the club handed a points deduction for the false accounting charges.

    But in late March – just days after Spurs manager Antonio Conte was sacked – the Italian ban was extended by FIFA to become a worldwide ban.

    Paratici, in the middle of searching for a new manager, was suddenly banned from the kinds of duties that make up a football director’s nine to five – transfer negotiations included.

    The Italian is currently appealing the global ban, but for now he’s been sidelined, leaving Levy in complete control. Again.

    There has been a significant change in recent weeks, however. A six-month review into Spurs’ structure resulted in them signing an Australian for a new role as the club’s chief football officer – effectively second in command behind Levy, and above Paratici should the Italian have his ban overturned.

    Scott Munn spent ten years as the CEO of A-League side Melbourne City – from when it was founded as Melbourne Heart in 2009 – before taking over the Chinese operations for City Football Group. Like Postecoglou, Tottenham is a massive step up for him.

    He doesn’t technically begin working at Spurs until July 1st, but there’s surely no doubt that he’s in talks with Levy about who should be Tottenham’s next manager.

    And having been on the other side of Postecoglou’s brilliance, when the manager was dominating the A-Leagues with Brisbane Roar in 2011 and 2012, Munn might just prove decisive in bringing his fellow Australian to Tottenham.

    Australian Scott Munn will commence work as Spurs’ chief football officer on July 1. Picture: Zak SimmondsSource: News Corp Australia

    For now, however, the situation at Spurs closely resembles the one when Paratici first arrived in June 2021.

    Jose Mourinho had been sacked on April 19 – and the search for a managerial replacement was bumbled to say the least.

    Almost daily, a new manager was linked to the role. Former boss Mauricio Pochettino was linked to a return. Then came a parade of other names – Antonio Conte, Paulo Fonseca, Gennaro Gattuso, Brendan Rodgers, Julian Nagelsmann and Erik ten Hag.

    Eventually, they ended up with former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo, landing him on June 30 – a full 72 days after Mourinho’s sacking.

    Nuno lasted just 17 games in total, including 3-0 defeats to Chelsea, Manchester United, and Crystal Palace, and a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal.

    As The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare pointed out, the Portuguese coach was facing an uphill battle the moment he was appointed.

    “Nuno, fresh from leaving Wolves that summer, had no authority or credibility from the minute he walked through the door,” Eccleshare wrote.

    “The players knew it, the fans knew it, and he only lasted 10 league games in charge.”

    However, BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty believes the managerial circus reflected worse on the club’s hierarchy rather than the recently-disposed boss.

    “The sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo is the conclusion of a shambolic episode that arguably reflects more badly on Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy and his boardroom cohorts than on the departing manager,” McNulty wrote.
    “Nuno has not lasted much longer than the time it took Spurs to decide to appoint him after a horribly botched and drawn-out managerial search in which potential candidates seemed to appear and disappear in the blink of an eye.”

    Nuno was practically set up to fail at Spurs. (Photo by PETER POWELL / POOL / AFP)Source: AFP

    As of publication, Tottenham’s managerial search has lasted 61 days and counting.

    The worrying sign is it looks increasingly likely it will eclipse the 72-day wait before Nuno was appointed.

    It spells danger for Postecoglou, should he get the gig.

    However, Sky Sports News reporter Rob Dorsett believes Spurs’ lengthy wait for an appointment is different to the first time around.

    “When Nuno Espirito Santo was appointed, it took Spurs 76 days before he got the job,” Dorsett said.

    “It’s been exactly 60 days since Antonio Conte was sacked as Spurs manager. This isn’t happening quickly for Spurs – but that’s deliberate, from my understanding.

    “They want to be thorough and do their due diligence in their process of appointing a new manager. They will take their time.

    “I understand Spurs fans’ frustrations: they would like to know who their new manager is going to be so the club can start working out transfer plans. But there is no rush from Spurs’ perspective.”

    Whether that is deliberate or not is up for debate.

    But refusing to pay the reported €20m fee to Feyenoord for their top choice, Arne Slot, was an embarrassing mistake for Spurs – one that is far too similar to the chaos of two years ago.

    Antonio Conte struggled to have any success at Spurs. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    Although a large section of the Spurs fanbase have voiced their displeasure about the potential capture of Postecoglou, many pundits have taken a different perspective.

    The Australian manager’s talents have been widely recognised and respected by the media, even if it has taken them quite some time to finally come around.

    After all, who could forget that radio segment featuring talkSPORT’s Alan Brazil.

    “He does not hold the required licence – oh, this has got to be a wind-up,” Brazil said.

    Asked how he’d fare, Brazil sarcastically replied: “Oh, he’d be a great manager. Where do they come up with these guys from?”

    But the perception from the UK media isn’t about whether Postecoglou could make the step up.

    It’s all about whether he should.

    “He’s a very good manager isn’t he?” former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan told talkSPORT.

    “And there’s a natural progression there, whether Celtic fans want to hear that or not. The Premier League is a natural progression.

    “Celtic are a wonderful football club and nothing I’m saying is detracting from that, but the Premier League is the biggest in world football.

    “Managers are going to want to find themselves in that space if they have anything about them. If he feels his time at Celtic has run its course – but going to Tottenham has its challenges. And not just because of (Spurs chairman) Daniel Levy, but because of Daniel Levy.

    “Any manager looks in to there and thinks ‘I’m a Levy appointment, I’m going to have the same challenges any manager has had’.

    “They would be rowing against a stream of great toxicity and negativity towards the ownership model of this football club.

    “‘Do I want that? Or do I think there might be an opportunity if I keep winning everything with Celtic? Keep progressing Celtic and I might even get a bigger job than Tottenham’.”

    Postecoglou’s continued success in Scotland has gained plenty of admirers in the Premier League. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    For Celtic great Chris Sutton, he’s taken note more and more clubs down south are taking a keen eye to what Postecoglou is doing in Glasgow.

    But his eyebrow-raising moment has been the mere fact it’s taken this long for one of the bigger clubs to wake up and see what the Australian boss has been building for the past two seasons.

    “I’m not shocked Postecoglou is high up on Spurs’ list,” Sutton told the Daily Record.

    “I’m more surprised he wasn’t high up on it in the first place and it’s taken a few to drop out of the running for him to move up.

    “I would love Postecoglou to stay at Celtic. It’s a huge job and there is unfinished business for him at Celtic Park, like the Champions League. But I am also a realist and I know Spurs would be a huge draw. We don’t know what Postecoglou is thinking but it’s not a leap to believe he would want to test himself in the English Premier League one day.

    “He’s been linked with numerous jobs down south and there is a feeling clubs are starting to sit up and take notice of his achievements in Scotland, but also his CV from Japan and Australia. It’s clear they now know he’s a top class coach. Celtic fans are right to be concerned.

    “I know Spurs have their issues but this is not a club struggling at the foot of the division in danger of relegation. Even after an apparently disastrous campaign, they have still been in the running for the Champions League places.”

    Postecoglou has refused to entertain speculation linking hm away. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    Sutton also touched on the attractiveness of Postecoglou’s style of football.

    Having spoken with a number of disenfranchised Spurs fans on the radio who have vented their fury at the club’s dour style of play under Mourinho and Conte, Sutton feels Postecoglou fits the ball for what they’d want to see.

    “I speak to a lot of Spurs fans on the radio and a lot of them are fed up with the way the club play,” Sutton said.

    “They were sick of the style of football under Jose. They were sick of the defensive approach under Conte.

    “There is a historical demand for entertaining, attacking football at the club – and Postecoglou ticks those boxes. I’m sure a lot of Spurs fans would be happy to see him come in, even if he might not be the big name appointment some of the other candidates might be.

    “This is a club that is craving silverware – they’ve only won one trophy in 20 years. Postecoglou is a serial winner. But Postecoglou would back himself. Would he be tempted? Of course he would be.

    “He has been in the game long enough to know you sometimes have to move when you are hot. Celtic will be aware of it as well.

    “They know he won’t be around forever and I’ve got no doubt they will have a contingency plan in place. But I would think even Celtic fans would understand if he made that decision, even if they would be desperately disappointed.”

    With Celtic’s season not over until June 4, Postecoglou’s focus remains firmly fixed on his team and the pursuit of the domestic treble.

    But once that final whistle blows at the end of Celtic’s Scottish FA Cup final against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, questions regarding the Hoops boss’ immediate future will come thick and fast.

    In trademark Postecoglou fashion, he’ll likely bat them away with a witty remark as we have become accustomed to throughout his managerial journey.

    And even if Spurs elect to go in a different route for their new manager, this will almost certainly not be the only time a ‘Big Six’ team comes knocking for Postecoglou.

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