Could Andrews be Super Netball grand final spoiler?

Dan Andrews threatens to spoil the Super Netball decider, Tomahawk’s sun-tanned guns and Rafael Nadal’s $1.4m watch.

Spain's Rafael Nadal keeping time on court with his $1.4m Richard Mille watch

It might be impossible to change Dan Andrews’ mind on the Victorian lockdown, but it seems when it comes to netball the Premier is prepared to see reason.

High-powered talks in the corridors of power in Melbourne on Friday appear to have averted a threat to the Victorian TV coverage of Sunday’s Super Netball grand final.

Andrews has a habit of holding his daily press conference in the early afternoon, and there was genuine concern among netball fans that the Nine Network would cut away from the big dance between the West Coast Fever and Melbourne Vixens to show the Premier’s announcement on easing restrictions.

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The network has done it before with coverage of Super Netball regular season games — mid-match. But after an approach from Netball Australia, Andrews promised to do everything he could to get his presser out of the way before the grand final.

“This is a matter that has been raised with me, and I’m going to try and do everything I can not to clash with that very important event,” Andrews said.

Asked whether his press conference would wait until after the grand final, he said: “I don’t think it’ll be after. I think it’ll be before.”

Wouldn’t even be an issue, of course, if there was any chance of a press conference clashing with an AFL grand final.

Anyway, Super Netball chairwoman Marina Go will be holding him to it. “It would be devastating for the Vixens fans if the press conference was to interrupt the game,” Go said. “It’s the first time the Victorian team has made the grand final since the competition’s inception.

“The Vixens’ families are unable to enter Queensland to watch the grand final so the broadcast has even greater significance.”

Tanned Tomahawk

Coleman Medallist Tom Hawkins has sparked much discussion during the 2020 AFL season given his brilliant form, but it was his biceps that caught the eye of a former rival last weekend.

Former Hawthorn premiership player Xavier Ellis, who is now working with the Seven Network in Perth, noted the Geelong spearhead appeared to have spent plenty of time in the sun and then oiled his arms for the semi-final against Collingwood last Saturday.

It prompted Ellis to text Fox Footy reporter Tom Morris to request he put the hard-hitting question to the Tomahawk this week.

“Have you reduced the oil on your arms up north due to the sun and heat or has it contributed to your tan?” Hawkins was asked.

Hawkins responded: “It is just a thing where there are a few of us who do it, I don’t know what it is, but I got burned out at training the other day and that is probably where the tan thing has come from. Good question. It is just a habit now in games.”

Seeking Hair apparent

News that they are making a movie about Sri Lankan bowling superstar Muttiah Muralitharan’s life has caught the eye of cricket lovers around the world. The film will star a south Indian heart-throb of Tamil origin, Vijay Sethupathi, and is called “800” because — as you all know — that’s how many Test wickets Murali took in his career.

The news has got to be a little galling for rival Shane Warne, who announced last year that he had been in Hollywood looking at the script for a movie on his life. Warne did not reveal the name of the film, but “708” has a ring to it. “Bowled Shane” would go all right too, we reckon.

Murali’s film is set to be shot in Sri Lanka, Britain, India and Australia. That last location got us thinking that they are probably going to need to cast actors to play the roles of Darrell Hair and Ross Emerson, both of whom called Murali for chucking during that horrible tour in 1995.

If you think you look like either of those officials you can start working on your lines right now. “No ball!” isn’t quite “Go ahead, make my day”, but you could have some fun with it.

Time is money for Rafa

From the majors to midweek social, virtually nobody wears a watch playing tennis. Too clunky and distracting. But Rafael Nadal wore one while taking two hours and 41 minutes to beat Novak Djokovic in the French Open final.

The Spaniard had his reasons. Millions of ’em. It was no ordinary watch: a Richard Mille timepiece with a price tag of $1.4m. Mille insists on Nadal wearing it during matches as part of his contract as an ambassador for the luxury Swiss brand. In exchange, Mille has made a super-light RM 27-04 model that weighs just 30 grams and he comes to the party when it comes to remuneration.

Nadal’s watch agreement is worth about $7m a year. Djokovic has a contract with Seiko and Roger Federer has one with Rolex. Neither of them wears a watch during matches but look at photos of their trophy presentations … and they’ve slipped one on in time for the photo shoot.

Hatton hoodie horror

English golfer Tyrrell Hatton held off France’s Victor Perez to score a four-stroke win at the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship in Surrey last weekend, provoking an unexpected reaction from some of those watching.

Some of Tyrrell’s countrymen marvelled at his short game masterclass and his six birdies in a final round 67 to finish 19-under overall. But oop north, a couple of blokes on the management committee at Wearside Golf Club near Sunderland gazed over their spectacles at the TV coverage of the tournament and decided Tyrrell was wearing the wrong sort of jumper.

Tyrrell Hatton wearing his hoodie with the winners trophy after the final round of the BMW PGA Championship

It was a little chilly, as it often is even in the south of England in autumn, so Tyrrell played his final round in a hoodie. An absolute no-no up Wearside way.

The Wearside club grandees quickly fired off a directive to all members to ensure hoodies didn’t appear on their fairways.

“In light of Tyrrell Hatton’s recent success and fashion statement and following discussions on this, can I draw your attention to the club’s dress code and re-emphasise that ‘hoodies’ are not acceptable golf attire for Wearside Golf Club,” the grandees thundered.

“No more so in fact than designer ripped jeans. I hope this avoids any unnecessary misunderstandings on the subject.”

Not surprisingly, Golf Twitter reacted to such old school views with derision. “I love golf,” wrote one tweeter. “But still far too many clubs out there catering to the dying members. What difference is a hoodie gonna make? #absolutejoke.”

BC’s tip of the week

Brendan Cormick is out to atone this week.

“Finche (Race 9, No 9) covered so much ground in the 2019 Caulfield Cup that, roll forward 12 months, his jockey ‘Cuz’ Walker would have exceeded Victoria’s permitted travel radius. Reigning Cup hero Damian Lane can right that wrong.

“Trainer Gordon Richards will be putting the saddle on Gytrash at Randwick ahead of The Everest when Race 7 runs at Caulfield. Garner (No 7). Never better than four-wide last start in a small field. From barrier one he’ll see the rails and get a cosy run.

“If there is to be a boilover in The Everest then Tofane is the sprinter to provide it, having endured a severe form of lockdown in her final lead-up race.”

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