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News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday.
Trial by Water podcast
A new investigative podcast about one of Australia’s most controversial cases.
Good Weekend Talks
In-depth conversations with the people fascinating Australians right now, from sport to politics to the arts.
Exclusive
Border security
Ali knows what really happens when we catch people smugglers
An Indonesian people smuggler has revealed how he was caught by Australian authorities only to be released and sent home without charge. A government spokesman said the crime was committed where the money changed hands - Indonesia.
‘Wreaking some destruction’: The schism in the Greens driving out Jewish members
Activists rising to power in the Greens are intent on reshaping the party into a hard left force, with overt sympathies for the pro-Palestinian protest movement.
Opinion
Racism
No, Australia is not ‘a racist country’. Laura Tingle is wrong
I have schoolyard memories of being called a golliwog, sausage lips and a wog. But I’m glad I was born here and those incidents don’t mean this country is inherently racist.
Gary Newman
Filmmaker
The part of Melbourne with 1500 tennis courts, a ‘Bunnings hotel’ and no train line
Doncaster is known for the shopping centre and having no railway links, but the large blocks that attracted families in the past are making way for towers and denser living.
Exclusive
AFL 2024
Enough is enough: Simon Goodwin on personal attacks and the Demons’ culture
In an exclusive interview, Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin speaks about club culture, the allegations haunting the Demons, his personal hurt, and attempting to get the Dees back on track.
Exclusive
Investigations
AFP officer’s home raided in anti-corruption investigation
A high-ranking federal police officer has been suspended after internal affairs officers searched his Canberra home this week in response to allegations of conflicts of interest.
Exclusive
Trial by Water
Geoffrey’s killer cough put him in jail. A phone call to his brother got him out
The truck driver is not sure if convicted murderer Robert Farquharson is innocent – but he can see similarities with his own unjust imprisonment.
Podcast
For subscribers
Trial By Water, Episode 2: ‘Strands of the rope’ that convicted Robert Farquharson
Listen now to the second episode of the podcast investigation on the Robert Farquharson case – and the serious questions about the science that helped convict him.
I loved hot beaches and balmy nights. Then I found this holiday spot
Where else on Earth could you kayak up close to curious penguins as well as whales – and see the world’s largest iceberg?
Melbourne property values are falling. Here’s which areas are strongest and weakest
High interest rates and increased property taxes are taking their toll, but not all suburbs are affected equally.
The innocuous black rope prosecutors say proves campers were murdered
Prosecutors say it’s impossible that Gregory Lynn is innocent of murdering missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay. Lynn says their deaths were accidental.
Opinion
Political leadership
When the PM is snookered, he goes from statesman to scrapper. Just ask Jodie
Peter Hartcher
Political and international editor
CCTV footage could offer new clues on missing Mosley’s path
Police, the fire brigade, coast guard and volunteers have been searching for the British journalist after he was last seen on Wednesday.
Booktopia might be on the brink, but your local bookshop probably isn’t
As Australia’s largest online bookseller struggles to forge a viable business model, many independent booksellers have found ways to thrive.
WEEKEND READS
Perspective
She wasn’t allowed to be born in a maternity ward. Fay Carter found a legacy in giving others a safe place
The woman who would become known as Aunty Fay Carter, a champion of her people, came into the world at Echuca Hospital. But not in the maternity ward.
I haven’t lived on this Pacific island for 40 years – but it’s as if I never left
For this former local, returning to the Cook Islands means scooting about, breathing in sweet air – and being related to everyone (including a former PM).
Victoria
Updated
Racism
‘Death to Palestine’: Islamophobic graffiti sprayed in woman’s driveway referred to police
The driveway outside the home of a woman in Melbourne’s north was sprayed with anti-Muslim and anti-Palestine messages.
‘Worried my boy would never wake up’: Mum tells of fear after attack changed her son’s life forever
The mother of a teen shoved from a moving car during a daylight robbery has spoken of the grief the attack has caused her family and the injuries her son might never heal from.
Big shoes to fill as store for people with large feet hangs up its boots
After more than 120 years, one of Windsor’s oldest stores will close its doors in July. Loyal customers have voted with their feet for years.
‘Eastern suburbs bias’: Fight to protect heritage sites in the west, too
A council in Melbourne’s west will fight a Heritage Victoria move to knock back a state heritage nomination for two 80-year-old buildings crucial to Victoria’s industrial history.
Analysis
Naked City
He was one of Victoria’s top homicide detectives. Working too hard cost him the job he loved
After 25 years in the homicide squad, Lucio Rovis was transferred to a taskforce and then offered his old job back. It was too late.
AFL 2024
‘We can go all the way’: Lions survive Doggies test and Neale says season’s far from over
Brisbane’s season was flickering pre-match but it remains alive after an impressive win over the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium. Lachie Neale was outstanding for the visitors.
Who’s better, Dusty or Gaz? Here’s what the man who’s played with both thinks
Dion Prestia has played side by side with two of the modern-day greats, Dustin Martin and Gary Ablett jnr. Here’s what he said when asked to pick between them.
Politics
$620k speechwriter, legal threats and press conference props: A weird week in politics
Alex Ellinghausen was there in parliament to capture a very weird week in politics.
Business
Exclusive
Indigenous culture
Leaked letter reveals internal concerns about science on Australia’s next world heritage site
Rock art monitoring in Western Australia’s north was being done without “integrity, diligence or governance”, a Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation employee wrote.
World
New York serial killer suspect kept ‘blueprint’ of crimes on computer, prosecutors say
A document found at the home of the accused killer features checklists of tasks to complete before, during and after killings, and practical lessons for “next time”.
Opinion
A Labor diehard wants them to lose the next election. I can see why
Annika Smethurst
State Political Editor
The Greens are playing with red paint over Gaza. It could stain their hands
David Crowe
Chief political correspondent
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Property
Our 12 favourite homes for sale in Victoria right now
Looking for your next home? From a renovated Edwardian with pretty gardens to a crowning glory penthouse, we’ve got you covered.
‘It’s paradise’: The natural disaster-hit suburb that many home owners won’t leave
Rising water has become a constant threat, but many residents cannot afford to elevate their homes or move.
Good Food
Lifestyle
The women trying to end the censorship of postpartum bodies
Pregnant bodies have been in the spotlight, thanks to celebrities such as Rihanna, but postpartum figures have yet to experience the same treatment.
Culture
Opinion
Review
Settle down, Swifties – the Beatles are still the biggest thing to hit Australia
Looking beyond the headlines and focusing on the Eras Tour’s Australian leg in isolation, it’s worth noting a few sober facts now that we’ve all, ahem, shaken off the excitement.
Tom Compagnoni
Head of Creative Video
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
Exclusive
AFL 2024
Enough is enough: Simon Goodwin on personal attacks and the Demons’ culture
In an exclusive interview, Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin speaks about club culture, the allegations haunting the Demons, his personal hurt, and attempting to get the Dees back on track.
‘We can go all the way’: Lions roar, Dogs found wanting and Neale says season’s far from over
The Brisbane Lions injected life into their inconsistent AFL campaign by registering an emphatic 43-point win against the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.
The untold story of the day Ian Thorpe fell in the pool
It was declared the biggest story in sport since Phar Lap died. Two decades on, Ian Thorpe, Craig Stevens and others remember the most infamous false start in swimming history.
University to study Freeman’s ‘dream state’ in famous gold medal run
Cathy Freeman’s 400m gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics is arguably Australia’s greatest sporting moment. Now Freeman has revealed how she mentally handled the pressure is the topic of a study at Monash University.
He took 699 international wickets. An American tried to tell him how to bowl
Dale Steyn, who played across all three formats for 15 years before his 2019 retirement, was in New York when he decided to try his luck at a street cricket set-up.
‘We trust you’: A $6 million pledge renews faith in netball
Just six months after it pulled $17 million from the sport, the federal government will pump millions into the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney.
‘What the hell just happened?’ The inside story of the ultimate Essendon-Carlton clash
As powerhouses Essendon and Carlton, both in the top eight, prepare to clash this weekend, we delve into the extraordinary final that Carlton fans of a certain age will never forget and Essendon people wish they could.
Have Your Say
Flag favourites, disasters and the side that’s just plain boring: The mid-season verdict on every club
At the halfway point of the season, here’s a look at the AFL ladder and the masterstroke moves made to date, the teams in the flag fight and the clubs who should just move on to planning for next season.
Kane Cornes
AFL columnist
