Perry steals WBBL thriller, Toure fires Sydney hat-trick, Wheelaroos fall to France

Friday brought plenty of drama across Australian sport, with Ellyse Perry producing a match-winning innings in a one-run WBBL thriller, Al Hassan Toure scoring a hat-trick for Sydney FC and Tasmania edging the New Zealand Breakers to reclaim top spot in the NBL. Australia's Wheelaroos also suffered their first defeat of the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup, while a major pay dispute threatened to overshadow the Wallabies' northern hemisphere campaign. There was also significant movement in Australian cricket's coaching ranks, with Mike Hussey agreeing to take on an expanded role with the national men's team.

Cricket — Perry inspires Sixers in last-over WBBL thriller

The Sydney Sixers have maintained their unbeaten start to the Women's Big Bash League after defeating the Melbourne Stars by one run in a dramatic finish at Junction Oval. Ellyse Perry was the difference between the sides, producing an outstanding unbeaten 84 from 57 deliveries to guide Sydney to 5-160. The experienced Australian struck 13 boundaries, including a six, after the Sixers had stumbled to 25-2 early in their innings. Ashleigh Gardner contributed 34 from 23 balls, while Erin Burns added 29 from 21 to help Perry establish a competitive total.

Melbourne's chase was immediately complicated by the loss of Rhys McKenna on the first delivery. Captain Meg Lanning also departed cheaply for two, leaving the Stars struggling at 29-2. Amy Jones made 28 and Annabel Sutherland contributed 22, but it was a late partnership between Danielle Gibson and Georgia Prestwidge that brought the home side back into contention. Gibson scored 31 from 20 deliveries, while Prestwidge remained unbeaten on 21 from 13.

The Stars entered the final over needing eight runs for victory, but Sarah Coyte held her nerve. Gibson was caught in the deep, and Melbourne ultimately finished on 7-159, falling just short. The result leaves the Sixers with three victories from three matches and at the top of the early-season standings. Melbourne, meanwhile, have now lost three of their opening four games. Perry was deservedly named player of the match after contributing with both bat and ball.

NBL — JackJumpers edge Breakers to reclaim top spot

The Tasmania JackJumpers have returned to the top of the NBL ladder after surviving a late New Zealand Breakers comeback to secure a 79-77 victory at Launceston's Silverdome. Tasmania appeared comfortable for much of the opening half, building an 11-point advantage early in the second quarter. However, New Zealand finished the half strongly, producing an 11-0 run to level the scores at 43-43 at the main break.

The JackJumpers responded immediately after half-time, opening the third quarter with seven unanswered points and gradually re-establishing control. New Zealand refused to go away, though, and reduced the deficit to just two points in the closing seconds. Breakers forward Sam Mennenga had an opportunity to win the game on the final possession, but opted for a long two-point attempt rather than a potential game-winning three. The shot missed, allowing Tasmania to escape with the victory.

Mennenga was nevertheless outstanding, finishing with 29 points and 17 rebounds in a dominant individual performance. For Tasmania, Dakota Mathias led the way with 18 points, while captain Will Magnay contributed 16 points and three blocks. Josh Bannan also recorded an impressive 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. The victory improves Tasmania's record to 8-3, moving the JackJumpers ahead of the Sydney Kings into first place. New Zealand have now lost five consecutive matches and sit at 4-8, with injuries to Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Charles Bediako contributing to their difficult stretch.

Football — Toure hat-trick leads Sydney FC past struggling Mariners

Sydney FC have climbed into second place on the A-League Men ladder after recording a convincing 4-1 victory over Central Coast Mariners at Allianz Stadium. Al Hassan Toure was the star of the evening, scoring a hat-trick to lead the Sky Blues to their second victory of the campaign. The one-cap Socceroo opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 30th minute after Central Coast defender Noah McCann was penalised for handball.

Toure doubled the advantage just before half-time, finishing a well-worked counterattack involving 17-year-old midfielder Akol Akon. He then completed his hat-trick shortly after the interval, capitalising on another quick Sydney transition to put the result beyond doubt.

Substitute Gabriel Popovic added a fourth in the 85th minute, scoring his first goal for the club just two minutes after entering the contest.

Central Coast managed a consolation goal through Oli Lavale, who converted a stoppage-time penalty after Ben Garuccio fouled John-Kymani Gordon in the area. The match also marked an important milestone for Sydney captain Rhyan Grant, who made his 350th A-League Men appearance. The victory moves Sydney to second with seven points from four matches, while Central Coast remain without a win under new coach John Hutchinson, having collected just two draws from their opening four fixtures. For the Mariners, the defensive problems that have plagued their opening matches remain a major concern.

Rugby League — Wheelaroos lose top spot after France defeat

Australia's Wheelaroos have suffered their first defeat of the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup, going down 69-34 to France at Wollongong's WIN Entertainment Centre. The clash was effectively a battle for first place in Pool B, with both nations having won their opening two matches. France established an eight-point advantage at half-time, leading 30-22, before producing a dominant second-half performance to pull away from the hosts. The French attack proved particularly difficult to contain, with Dany Denuwaelere scoring twice and Nicolas Clausells also crossing twice. Gilles Clausells and Florian Guttadoro were among the other major contributors.

Australia remained competitive during the opening period, with Adam Tannock, Daniel Anstey and Bayley McKenna among the try-scorers. However, France's superior execution after the break ultimately proved decisive. The defeat means France finish top of Pool B with three victories, while Australia progress to the semi-finals in second position. The Wheelaroos will now face defending champions England on Tuesday, 10 November, in a challenging semi-final. France will meet Ireland in the other match. Despite the setback, Australia remain firmly in contention for a place in the final and will have the benefit of home support in the knockout stages.

NRL — Addo-Carr survives Eels axe after club makes decision

Parramatta Eels winger Josh Addo-Carr will be allowed to see out the final year of his contract after the club decided against terminating his deal following his recent roadside drug-testing controversy. The Eels board met on Friday and determined that the 31-year-old would remain with the club for the 2027 season. The decision follows confirmation earlier in the week that a subsequent laboratory analysis of Addo-Carr's oral-fluid sample returned a negative result, despite an initial roadside screening indicating the possible presence of cocaine.

NSW Police have confirmed that no further action will be taken in relation to the September incident. Addo-Carr had faced considerable uncertainty after the initial result, particularly given his previous departure from Canterbury following a separate positive roadside test in 2024. The winger has scored 27 tries in 45 appearances for Parramatta and remains a popular figure within the playing group. He is expected to resume training next week, although the NRL's own integrity process still needs to be completed. The decision represents a significant development for the Eels as they begin preparing for the 2027 campaign, with Addo-Carr's speed and experience remaining valuable assets.

Rugby Union — Wallabies pay dispute threatens to overshadow England Test

Australian rugby union is facing an increasingly public dispute between Rugby Australia and the Rugby Union Players' Association, with negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement deteriorating ahead of the Wallabies' northern hemisphere tour. The previous agreement expired following Australia's two heavy Bledisloe Cup defeats against New Zealand, leaving players and administrators without an agreed framework for the coming period. Tensions escalated after Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh sent a letter directly to players outlining the governing body's latest offer, bypassing the players' association responsible for negotiating on their behalf.

RUPA president Tom Robertson criticised the decision, describing it as disappointing and inappropriate while the national team was overseas. Rugby Australia chairman Daniel Herbert subsequently responded with a strongly worded statement, arguing that the association's counter-proposals threatened the financial future of the sport in Australia. At the centre of the disagreement are player payments and employment protections. Players are seeking improved compensation, appropriate career-ending injury coverage and fairer conditions across both the men's and women's programmes. Rugby Australia maintains that its current proposal would increase payments and expand the Wallaroos' full-time professional programme.

The dispute comes at a particularly sensitive time for Australian rugby, with the men's Rugby World Cup scheduled to take place on home soil next year. The Wallabies are preparing for Sunday's match against England at Twickenham, but the disagreement has increasingly dominated discussion surrounding the tour. With the current agreement expired, the possibility of industrial action, including media boycotts, remains on the table. Both parties have indicated that a resolution is possible, but the public nature of the disagreement represents an unwelcome distraction for coach Les Kiss and his players.

Cricket — Mike Hussey returns to Australian coaching setup

Cricket Australia has secured the services of former international batter Mike Hussey, appointing the 51-year-old as a long-term consultant coach to the men's national team. The appointment comes after Australia's disappointing 2-1 Test series defeat to South Africa, during which repeated batting collapses exposed significant weaknesses in the team's top and middle orders. Hussey, affectionately known as Mr Cricket, will work with the national side across several formats, with particular attention to preparations for next year's Ashes series in England and the 2027 ODI World Cup.

He will also take on a specialist advisory role for Australia's T20 programme ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the subsequent T20 World Cup. His experience is considerable, having played 79 Tests, 185 ODIs and 38 T20 internationals for Australia. Hussey has also developed an impressive coaching résumé, including work with Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League and England's coaching staff during their 2022 T20 World Cup triumph. Interestingly, England had also expressed interest in bringing Hussey into its coaching setup following the appointment of Stephen Fleming as Test coach.

Hussey ultimately chose to commit his services to Australia.

He will begin his new role during the upcoming T20 international series against England, which starts on 21 November. The appointment represents a significant addition to Andrew McDonald's coaching staff as Australia looks to address its recent batting problems and prepare for a demanding period of international cricket.

Motorsport — Payne sets Sandown benchmark as Supercars finals intensify

Championship leader Matt Payne has made an impressive start to the Sandown 500, recording the fastest time in Friday's second practice session ahead of this weekend's Supercars semi-final round. The Grove Racing driver clocked 1:08.5014, narrowly beating championship rival Broc Feeney by just 0.0735 seconds. Cooper Murray finished third for PremiAir Racing, while Andre Heimgartner was fourth.

Payne's performance was particularly encouraging given the importance of the weekend, with the seven remaining championship contenders fighting to secure one of four places in the Adelaide Grand Final. The Sandown round features two 250-kilometre races, with victory in either event guaranteeing automatic qualification for the championship decider. PremiAir's Jayden Ojeda had earlier topped the opening practice session, benefiting from an additional tyre allocation under the championship's rookie regulations.

There were concerns for defending champion Chaz Mostert, who struggled with technical issues and finished 20th in the second session. Mostert's position is particularly precarious given his fourth-place standing in the championship, leaving him with little room for error over the weekend. Qualifying and the first race take place on Saturday, with the second 250-kilometre contest scheduled for Sunday.