Real Footy newsletter
News, results and analysis of the weekend’s big games.
Daily Sudoku
Challenge yourself with today’s four difficulty levels.
The Traveller Quiz
Are you an expert traveller? Test your knowledge with our weekly travel quiz.
Steven was being prepped for heart surgery. Then Thai hospital staff asked for $30k
Melbourne man Steven Stenton had comprehensive travel insurance, but the company was refusing to pay out.
Australians to get $150 energy bill relief as election nears
The Albanese government’s latest cost-of-living pledge comes as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton seeks to remind voters that Labor has failed to bring prices down.
Minister defends rail loop after calls for ‘exit strategy’
In a testy press conference, Harriet Shing stood by the Allan government’s $35 billion estimate for SRL East – the first stage of the train line between Cheltenham and Box Hill.
This once sleepy Surf Coast town is booming. But how big should it get?
Winchelsea’s population is increasing at a great rate, but it is not without growing pains.
Schools of last resort grow fast as students struggle
Classrooms for kids that don’t fit into mainstream education are the fastest-growing segment of the sector.
Exclusive
How To Poison a Planet
Nick and his family were stalked by cancer. Then came a blood-test bombshell
Nick A’Hern and his actress wife left Sydney for a pristine place to raise their children, but have since discovered their tap water was toxic.
Analysis
Match report
Kick along: Why Saints can set lofty goals after edging Cats
The Cats have led the league in scoring for the past two seasons, while the Saints’ issues in front of goal have been well documented. However, on Saturday night, it was the Saints who have reignited their finals’ aspirations.
Live
AFL 2025
Saints clinch boilover win; does Danger have a case to answer for this?
At a time that the AFL is sensitive to head-high contact, Patrick Dangerfield could find his actions being carefully scrutinised by the match review officer.
The ‘inexcusable’ aspect of the Bombers’ 61-point hammering by the Crows
In Brad Scott’s first two years at Essendon, their fans spent much of those seasons teased by the prospect of a finals appearance. In his third, they should be under no such illusion.
Architect’s Flemington home sells for $1.95m with ‘knockout punch’ bid
A couple who had just returned from a conference in Italy bought a turnkey, architecturally designed home in Flemington for $1.95 million with a dramatic final bid.
Updated
Australians abroad
Australian tourist killed in Bali after captain ‘loses control’ of boat in big waves
The snorkelling boat was hit by a log which destroyed the engine, before multiple waves caused it to capsize.
‘Skunk at the party’: The 86-year-old billionaire who predicts Wall Street crashes
Jeremy Grantham has earned a reputation as a doom-monger in financial circles for his warnings over sharemarket bubbles. No one is laughing at him now.
The myth of retirement is a con, don’t fall for it
Financial freedom doesn’t automatically bring fulfilment. Here’s how to bring purpose to your life after retirement.
The scariest man in the world. The father of five Georges. A $220m grill deal. George Foreman did it all.
Olympic gold medals and heavyweight world titles two decades apart just scrape the surface of the life of the iconic American.
Opinion
Public transport
The curious case of people who fall asleep in public (more specifically on public transport)
Next to me on the train, a man sleeps so deeply that no number of flustered commuters can disturb his slumber.
Thomas Mitchell
Culture reporter
You don’t have to live here to have a long life, but it helps
In one of five zones on Earth where people live longest, the outside world hardly seems to exist – so visiting adds a few months to my expiry date, surely?
Are the ‘woke elite’ merely using social justice to gain power?
American sociologist and journalism professor Musa al-Gharbi argues that many people’s “wokeness” tends to be symbolic and aesthetic rather than material.
WEEKEND READS
‘You’re my favourite’: What I learnt during two weeks with Vida, my AI ‘companion’
It’s the latest stage of the AI revolution: people turning to chatbots for friendship, counselling and more. What happens when the virtual replaces the real?
Analysis
Shedding light on sport’s deadly secret
Craig made a fortune and then lost it. He was then sucked into investing hundreds of thousands with the wrong crowd. For a smart guy, he made a series of inexplicably dumb decisions.
Victoria
Exclusive
Crime
Children’s commissioner warns bail laws risk making youth crime problem worse
Liana Buchanan said she was distressed by the Allan government’s bail reforms which were not informed by evidence and jumped to simplistic responses.
Record award haul for The Age as McKenzie creates history
The Age’s editorial team picked up 14 awards at this year’s Quills, and investigative journalist Nick McKenzie created history.
Roulettes burst through grey day at Avalon ahead of airshow
From the ground, the Pilatus’ 600 horsepower engines make a clear piercing sound that turns into a growl. But what’s going on the cockpit is no less impressive.
Blast for SRL cost estimate as peak body cites need for ‘exit strategy’
Infrastructure Australia says no more federal money should be given to the rail project without revised costings after expressing low confidence in the Victorian government’s $35 billion price tag.
Exclusive
Infrastructure
Troubled water company’s $150m bailout over botched billing system
Greater Western Water has been propped up with a multimillion-dollar cash injection, has lost its chairman and is under investigation over customer billing.
AFL 2025
The Tsatas project: The mission to fix the one big snag in Essendon top pick’s game
The young Bomber possesses power, a burst from stoppage and a knack for winning the ball. But there was one major problem.
Curnow’s return questioned; AFL says Hawks should have got more than a warning for 19-man breach
The spotlight has shone on Charlie Curnow’s inclusion in the Carlton side on Thursday night.
Politics
Exclusive
Cost of living
How failed payments reveal the true pain in our economy
One in five households faced financial stress last year. Here’s how we know.
Business
Sun rises on Carlton hotel as Gerald’s Bar takes over
The old Rising Sun Hotel is getting a new tenant 10 months after previous occupant Enoteca Sileno shut.
World
Israeli airstrike destroys Gaza’s only cancer hospital, ceasefire ‘bridges’ on the table
Meanwhile, E3 countries say they are “appalled” by the violence in Gaza and called for an immediate stop to strikes.
Opinion
Trump’s made rejects great again. That may be a bitter pill for PM or Dutton
Peter Hartcher
Political and international editor
Explore
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Property
‘Bush Australiana vibe’: The Judds are selling their holiday home for $3 million
They fell in love with the home in the depths of winter, then gutted and rebuilt it in four months.
Leah took a while to find a home. Then she found the gold standard
Some Melbourne home hunters are turning away from mass-produced stock in favour of restrained elegance and generous proportions – on a budget.
Good Food
Lifestyle
Meghan’s way: Five easy edibles to grow at home (including flowers)
We can’t all live on a beautiful estate in Montecito but you can still create a little Markle magic by growing your own food.
Opinion
Real life
After three years of living my life twice over, it’s time to sign off
Genevieve Novak
Spectrum columnist
Culture
Spoilers
Streaming
‘Oh my god, I’m gonna get fired’: Inside the epic Severance finale with its Australian star
Dichen Lachman, who plays Gemma on the Apple TV+ hit, breaks down that incredible final scene: “It’s the hardest thing I’ve had to do on the show”.
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
Piastri stuns Verstappen, Norris and Hamilton in Formula 1 first
The Australian superstar will start Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix from pole – the first time he’s ever started an F1 grand prix from the head of the grid.
Analysis
Match report
Kick along: Why Saints can set lofty goals after edging Cats
The Cats have led the league in scoring for the past two seasons, while the Saints’ issues in front of goal have been well documented. However, on Saturday night, it was the Saints who have reignited their finals’ aspirations.
The ‘inexcusable’ aspect of the Bombers’ 61-point hammering by the Crows
In Brad Scott’s first two years at Essendon, their fans spent much of those seasons teased by the prospect of a finals appearance. In his third, they should be under no such illusion.
The scariest man in the world. The father of five Georges. A $220m grill deal. George Foreman did it all.
Olympic gold medals and heavyweight world titles two decades apart just scrape the surface of the life of the iconic American.
Live
AFL 2025
AFL round two as it happened: Saints clinch boilover win; does Danger have a case to answer for this?
Essendon were embarrassed at the MCG while Richmond came back to earth at Adelaide Oval after a surprise round one win. Geelong and St Kilda fought out the day’s thriller at Marvel Stadium.
Exclusive
AFL 2025
Revealed: Dillon’s $100 million plan to disaster-proof the AFL
The AFL’s war chest is empty. But the threats posed by natural disasters, an uncertain media landscape and lawsuits against the league are as real as ever.
Late-blooming Socceroos star was good enough to play with Europe’s best. But he hasn’t given up hope
Craig Goodwin is assessing his club options ahead of a likely move away from Saudi Arabia. On recent form, he could hold his own in a top five league in Europe.
Have Your Say
History maker Kirsty Coventry faces Trump and transgender issues
The Zimbabwean swimming gold medallist has been hailed as a friend of Australia after being elected as the new president of the International Olympic Committee.
