Adelaide forward Kurt Tippett faces an uncertain future if the Crows fail to strike a deal with Sydney
Photo: Getty Images
HEROES
John Inverarity
Inverarity had the courage to say what few in world cricket officialdom have dared in recent times when he doubted the wisdom of teaching young Australian spinners how to bowl the doosra, the delivery which is employed with increasing frequency - but not necessarily legality - by spinners world wide. Despite suggestions from the sub-continent that Australia's spin coaches are too regimented, the selector called a spade a spade, or in this case, the doosra a throw, and stressed the need for teaching bowlers to bowl legitimate deliveries for the long-term integrity of the game.
Australian Rugby League Commission
The ARLC made the decision most rugby league fans were waiting for by sacking Bill Harrigan and Stuart Raper as the NRL referees' co-coaches. Harrigan and Raper have overseen a number of officiating blunders in 2012 which led to the news on Friday that they had been dumped. The shocker of the year was a crucial call by video referees Paul Simpkins and Steve Clark to give Sea Eagle Michael Oldfield a try in the semi-final against the Cowboys, even though there was an obvious knock-on from Manly's Kieran Foran while contesting the ball in the air earlier on the same play. The decision by video ref Sean Hampstead to award Maroon Greg Inglis a try in Origin I, despite producing what looked to be a straightforward knock-on, was a howler as well.
Casey Stoner
Injury has prevented Australia's two-time world champion from adding a third crown in his farewell season but that won't matter a jot to his home fans after he won a record sixth Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island on Sunday. Stoner dominated qualifying to earn pole position and although he conceded ground to new world champ Jorge Lorenzo and rival Dani Pedrosa, he took the lead on the second lap when the latter crashed out of both the race and world title contention. With Lorenzo content to finish in second and secure the championships, Stoner cruised to a nine-second win to say goodbye to his most ardent supporters in the best possible fashion.
Eli Manning (New York Giants)
The Giants quarterback had had an uncharacteristically off game against the Washington Redskins, throwing several wayward passes and even an interception when, with just over a minute to go in the fourth quarter, he and his team found themselves trailing by three points and on their own 23-yard line. On the second play and just before he was buried under the Redskins' defence, Manning threw a pinpoint pass down the centre of the field which landed beautifully in the outstretched arms of receiver Victor Cruz, who ran in the game-winning touchdown without breaking stride for a 77-yard completion. It was Manning's 22nd touchdown pass in either the fourth quarter or overtime, sealing the win and underlining his status as one of the game's finest clutch players.
Erin Phillips (Indiana Fever)
Phillips became the seventh Australian to win the WNBA championship on Monday, salving some of the pain from her Olympics non-selection earlier this year. The 27-year-old, who was cut from the Australian Opals squad just prior to the London Games, scored 18 points as the Fever defeated the Minnesota Lynx 87-78 to wrap up the series 3-1. It was a career-best playoff performance from Phillips, who shot three-of-six from beyond the arc and also pulled down eight rebounds as the Fever trumped the reigning champions in four games.
GOATS
Kurt Tippett et al
The facts aren't all out yet, but the sorry saga of Tippett's departure from the Crows isn't reflecting well on anyone involved. There's Tippett himself, who was reportedly promised $200,000 outside of Adelaide's salary cap before effectively jeopardising his own playing future by reneging on an prior understanding that he would leave for a Queensland club. Or there's Kurt's father Tony, who reportedly threatened to publicly reveal the evidence that now damns his own son, had Adelaide not accepted a trade deal from Tippett's preferred club Sydney. And let's not forget Adelaide CEO Steven Trigg, who hid the dirty dealings from his own board and only owned up when the threats came from the Tippett camp and the AFL hounds circled. Finally, there's Tippett's manager Peter Blucher, who could be deregistered for finagling the deal for his client. But the winner has to be ex-Crows chief John Reid, who orchestrated the deal with Blucher and actually put something along the lines of "don't tell the AFL" into writing. Amazing.
Tyrann Mathieu
At the conclusion of the 2011 college football season, Mathieu was the unanimous best defensive player in the US, a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and the MVP of the 2011 SEC championship game. Now the 'Honey Badger' is unlikely to ever play football at a credible level again after another drugs violation. In August, the 20-year-old was kicked out of Louisiana State University's much-vaunted football program for failing multiple drug tests, and later entered a rehab facility in the hopes of resurrecting his career. On Thursday, Mathieu and three others (including former LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson) were arrested after police entered his Baton Rouge apartment and found a marijuana grinder, digital scales and 10 bags of the stickiest of the icky. Mathieu spent two days in jail and was charged with simple possession, with further charges expected to come.
Jeronimo Neumann (Adelaide United)
The Reds striker was the hero of Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday evening, scoring a brace as Adelaide came back from a goal down to beat Wellington 3-1. But it was his successful attempt to get Phoenix defender Ben Sigmund sent off in the 77th minute that dominated the post-match wrap. Neumann appeared to make the very most of incidental contact from Sigmund as they both raced towards a through ball on the edge of the box, falling in a heap and earning the Phoenix defender a red card. Wellington's Andrew Durante didn't hold back in an interview after the game, declaring Neumann had dived to get Sigmund sent off. At best, it was an unedifying spectacle. At worst, it was flat-out cheating that should see the Argentine earn a two-game ban and see Sigmund's red card rescinded.
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