Tigers star’s surprise Grand Final role
Veteran Richmond midfielder Dion Prestia has been nominated by the Tigers to race in the annual Grand Final sprint on Saturday.
The 2019 best and fairest winner is a left-field entrant into the MCG race after he missed 10 games this season to hamstring and calf injuries.
The full field for the race, which is now sponsored by Gatorade, will not be released until Friday, but Prestia was lodged with the AFL as Richmond’s contender despite his injury woes in the last six months.
In the Grand Final pre-game entertainment, pop star Katy Perry will headline and perform her 2008 hit “I Kissed A Girl,” joined by a surprise Australian female artist. Christine Anu will perform alongside her daughter, Zipporah, while Mike Brady will make his traditional appearance. Cody Simpson is set to perform the national anthem.
Meanwhile, in the NRL, the Penrith Panthers remain unbothered by the prospect of rainy Sydney weather ahead of their grand final qualifier, despite data showing they struggle in wet conditions. Head coach Ivan Cleary also indicated that second-rower Scott Sorensen is unlikely to play due to a lingering hamstring injury. Over the past two premiership seasons, the Panthers have won only two of six wet-weather games, giving them a 33 percent win rate in such conditions, much lower than their overall 75 percent winning rate. Including their World Club Challenge loss to St Helens in 2023, their wet-weather record slips to 2-5. Notable losses include a shocking defeat to Wests Tigers in Bathurst and a rain-affected loss to St George Illawarra, both under similar conditions to the heavy rain that hit Sydney on Thursday.
“I don’t think so,” Cleary said on Thursday when asked if rain would affect their approach. He admitted that while Sydney hasn’t seen much rain recently, practicing in the rain ahead of the match was a helpful opportunity. “I think our style suits any type of conditions. That’s what you like to think anyway. It’ll be the same for both teams.” Cleary also indicated the team would assess and adjust their strategy on game day if rain persisted.
Cleary included second-rower Scott Sorensen in the squad, but two days later expressed uncertainty about Sorensen’s ability to play after tweaking his hamstring in round 23 against Parramatta. “I don’t expect [him to play] yet, but I’m hoping,” Cleary said, adding that Sorensen still had to pass several physical tests. “If he’s going to play, then he’s got to be able to play.”
Sorensen, who has been plagued by leg injuries this season, was initially expected to return against the Roosters in the first week of the finals but was replaced by in-form Luke Garner. The Panthers went on to win that match 30-10. Sorensen has made only 16 appearances this year, his fewest since joining Penrith from the Sharks in 2021. “He’s had a pretty frustrating year,” Cleary noted. “He’s very important for us, and we’d love to have him out there, so we’ll see what we can do.”
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