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Discover the Isuzu D-MAX & MU-X at your local Isuzu UTE Dealer or isuzuute.com.au EDITOR'S LETTER TM AUSTRALIA’S SPORTING MAGAZINE SINCE 1991 NE OF the enlightening Penrith’s Royce Simmons and things about working on BEST LINE IN THE Hawthorn’s Cyril Rioli. Without Othis magazine is coming to MAG THIS MONTH: the stage of the decider, understand how something that’s their footballing stories are EDITOR Jeff Centenera a fundamental part of one sport not as rich. We need grand finals jcentenera@insidesport .com.au can be entirely unnatural in for the same reason we watch another. To an Australian fan, “Here comes sport – because we’re not after ART DIRECTOR Allan Bender grand finals are woven into the this pack of the correct result as much as [email protected] fabric of our sporting culture. we’re after the moments that ASSISTANT EDITOR How to react, then, when college coaches get us there. James Smith somebody questions why you [email protected] need to play them at all? to try and find THINK the guys at FTBL This point was raised by our another Andrew remain unconvinced – they are CONTRIBUTING WRITERS colleagues who run our online I still coming to grips with the Matt Cleary, Travis Cranley, John Davidson, football vertical, FTBL. Hailing Bogut. And St A-League having a premier (the Dan Eddy, Richard Lindstrom, from Britain and raised on team that tops the table) and a Ben Somerford, Kathy Stone the rhythm of a first-division Mary’s got the champion (the team that gets GROUP EDITOR campaign, the entire notion that that toilet seat-looking trophy Kevin Airs [email protected] you needed finals and a decider total opposite of after the GF). Nevertheless, to determine a premier was that: a short, they’ve turned their powers of borderline nonsensical. Why prediction to our comprehensive Inside Sport on the web doesn’t the league season little black guy.” preview of the domestic produce the champion? Why did football competition in 2018-19. www.insidesport.com.au you need a post-season where –Patty Mills, on his The A-League is in a strange half the teams are eliminated to basketball path (p.52). space as it enters its 14th EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES: [email protected], (02) 9901 6100 determine the year’s big winner? season: an in-between year Think about it for more than a with expansion looming, moment and it begins to make sense – why, questions about its growth in viewership ADVERTISING indeed, do you need a GF? If the point of a season abounding, and a certain Olympic icon drawing a Ryan Coombs Advertising Sales Manager is to identify the standout team, the concept of lot of attention, for good or ill. Somewhere in Tel: (02) 9901 6379 Mob: 0449 671 738 finals (and single-elimination ones at that) there, there’s a vigorous competitive race that [email protected] doesn’t really help that cause. As Matt Cleary often defies the preseason consensus. With writes in our cover story this month about the Sydney FC poised to sink back to the pack, it QLD: Damian Martin Queensland Ad Manager difficulty of repeat premierships, our footy could be anyone. Check it out on p.60. Mob: 0417 168 663 [email protected] codes in particular are chaotic games almost I’ve always loved our October edition – it’s engineered to turn on a bounce of the ball, a the shoulder that bridges the end of footy and bump of bodies. Are grand finals just devices brings in so many other sports: Craig Lowndes for prolonging drama in a season? ahead of Bathurst, why the Youth Olympics might Executive Chairman David Gardiner Perhaps they are – but properly understood, be the true Games, the X Games comes to town, Commercial Director Bruce Duncan they are also summations of sporting time, the and how Australian basketball became world’s Managing Director Hamish Bayliss action of a year, or even many years, distilled to an best practice. Production & Digital Services Jonathan Bishop unforgettable memory. In this edition, we’ve called Jeff Centenera Production Manager Peter Ryman back to the great days of a pair of grand heroes: Editor Circulation Director Carole Jones SUBSCRIPTIONS www.mymagazines.com.au Toll free 1300 361 146 or +61 2 9901 6111 Locked Bag 3355, St Leonards NSW 1590 Level6,BuildingA,207PacificHighway, St Leonards NSW 2065 Locked Bag 5555 St Leonards NSW 1590 Inside Sport is published by nextmedia Pty Ltd ACN: 128 805 970, Level 6, Building A, 207 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065 © 2017. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed by Bluestar WEB Sydney, distributed in Australia and NZ by Gordon & Gotch. ISSN 1037-1648. The publisher will not accept responsibility or any liability for the correctness of information or opinions expressed in the publication. 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You are welcome to access the information that we hold about you by getting in touch with our privacy officer, who can be contacted at nextmedia, Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards, NSW 1590 6 INSIDE SPORT | OCTOBER 2018 SUPERCHEAP AUTO BATHURST 1000 LIVE & AD-BREAK FREE DURING RACING ON A DEDICATED CHANNEL OCT 1-7 Start watching right away on the foxtel app while you wait for your connection. Foxtel and some services not available to all homes. Foxtel marks are used under licence by Foxtel Management Pty Ltd. 46 52 60 64 OCTOBER 2018 40 RepeatAfterMe To win the premiership is glorious. Doing it twice? That’s a whole other mater. BY MATT CLEARY 46 CraigLowndesisGod He was meant to be the next Peter Brock. Instead, he’ll leave a Supercars legacy of his own. BY RICHARD LINDSTROM 52 ExportDrive Aussie basketball’s talent stocks are so flush, we’re now teaching the rest of the world how to play. BY JEFF CENTENERA 60 BringingtheA-Game In our comprehensive season preview guide: how will the A-League face its next crossroads moment? BY KEVIN AIRS TeamPreviews 64 Adelaide United 74 Newcastle Jets 66 Brisbane Roar 76 Perth Glory 68 CC Mariners 78 Sydney FC 70 Melbourne City 80 Wellington Phoenix 72 Melbourne Victory 82 WS Wanderers 6 EDITOR’S LETTER 26 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 84 ANZSTA AWARDS SPECIAL 10 20 THINGS YOU MISSED 28 THE NUMBERS 88 HOW TO ... 12 FREEZE FRAME 31 YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO ... 90 WORTH A SHOT 18 INSIDE SUPERCARS 32 FOURTHINGSYOUMUSTNOTMISS 92 KNOW MORE 20 INSIDE A-LEAGUE 34 IN HINDSIGHT 94 HOT SHOT #2 22 INSIDE CRICKET 38 HOT SHOT #1 96 SUBSCRIBE, SAVE & WIN 24 QUARTER TIME 58 ANATOMY OF A CHAMP 98 MY FINEST MOMENT 8 INSIDE SPORT | OCTOBER 2018 things you might’ve missed More cricket: Ben Stokes is found not guilty by the jury in his Golf’s PGA assault trial ..