Sport

GEORGIE PARKER: Rankine is not a fringe player. He is one of the league’s brightest stars. And that is exactly why, if the charge is proven true, the AFL cannot afford to flinch.

RICHO’S TOP 10: Nathan Buckley appears the front-runner to take the Melbourne job but this is the guy I’d be hiring.

MITCHELL JOHNSON: Dropping a retirement bombshell right before the finals can shift the dynamic. And not always in the way people think.

SOPHIE GANNON: The Dockers were written off early in the season, but now find themselves fighting for a top-four finish thanks to this player’s hot run of form.

GEORGIE PARKER: I applaud the AFLW’s call not to lock in their grand final venue and  - as a still bitter Adelaide fan - wonder why the AFL don’t follow suit.

If Penrith go on to win this year’s title, they will have earned the right to join the Saints on the top step of rugby league’s podium.

The futures of Jack Silvagni, Simon Goodwin and Harley Reid feature in Richo’s top 10 this week.

MITCHELL JOHNSON: Another one-goal loss. Another finals campaign over. And for the West Coast Fever, another season of near perfection without the ultimate prize. Here’s what went wrong.

KIERSTEN DUKE: The inaugural NRLW Magic Round will be remembered for more than just being a marquee moment for women’s sport in this country.

SOPHIE GANNON: The rule we all love so much is being strangled by its own interpretation. And the consequences are dire.

MARK ‘SPUDD’ CARROLL: There have been some real sob stories this season, but after this club’s horror run I predict they will bounce back big time next year.

GEORGIE PARKER: Netball has fought long and hard to establish itself on the main stage without one thing all the other major female sports have the advantage of enjoying that it does not.

Karate reflects everything the Olympics claims to represent: discipline, respect, tradition, global reach and the pursuit of excellence. Yet it continues to be overlooked. Now the fight is on to bring it back.

If the West Coast Eagles, one of the most successful clubs in history, get granted draft assistance by the AFL it will set the most damning of precedents.

RICHO’S TOP 10:: The Hawks, Dogs and All-Australian selectors are in Matthew Richardson’s sights this week.