Weekend sport preview

SBS World News Radio: While the Paralympics continue in Rio de Janeiro, there is plenty of other sporting action as well in Australia and around the globe.

Weekend sport previewWeekend sport preview

Weekend sport preview

The AFL finals continue with Hawthorn up against the Western Bulldogs in a sudden-death semifinal.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has urged his side to match the Bulldogs' aggression as it looks to keep its hopes of a fourth straight premiership alive.

Clarkson has also hit back at suggestions his side will be outpaced by the Bulldogs.

"I'd reckon that we've got a little bit of leg speed on the outside, too, that perhaps we don't get too much credit for. I don't mind that. So the game will be won or lost by the team that can get its hands on the ball the most."

For the Bulldogs' part, a main focus is aiming not to be awed by the dominance the Hawks have shown over the past three seasons.

Coach Luke Beveridge wants the Bulldogs to take heart from their upset win last weekend against the West Coast Eagles.

But having said that, he says his team will be respectful of what Hawthorn has achieved.

"But we won't overdo that. We'll still focus on ourselves and what our very best can bring, and hope to manufacture, you know, a similar type of performance to what we did last week."

On Saturday night, the Sydney Swans will look to recover from their shattering loss to the Greater Western Sydney Giants last weekend.

It will not be easy, though, playing the Adelaide Crows at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where the visitors have won four of their last five matches.

In the NRL this weekend, there is a grand-final rematch to kick off the action.

The reigning premiers, the North Queensland Cowboys, welcome the Brisbane Broncos tonight, looking to keep alive their hopes of winning back-to-back titles.

On Saturday, the Canberra Raiders take on the Penrith Panthers, hopeful their injured duo Blake Austin and Josh Hodgson will be fit to take the field.

They will be given every chance to play, but, either way, coach Ricky Stuart says he is happy with the reaction his side has shown to last week's defeat to the Cronulla Sharks.

"It's actually nice to see the disappointment on their faces after the game on Saturday night, because you know they care. There's been a huge cultural shift here over the last 10 weeks in this club. Getting close used to be good enough, where, now, we expect to win."

In rugby news, the Wallabies will be looking to make it two wins in two games when they take on Argentina in Perth on Saturday night.

For Australia's scrum coach, Mario Ledesma, it will be a night of mixed emotions.

The former Argentina hooker played for his country with distinction.

But now he is helping the Wallabies ensure their scrum will be a match for every side they play.

Ledesma says he has been getting plenty of phone calls and texts from friends and family back home.

"Everybody's treating me like I'm a traitor or something, (laughter ...) but it's all good. The team and the coaching staff over there, I'm really good friends with, and they've always been really supportive of what I'm doing over here, so there's no issues there."

In tennis over the weekend, Australia will try to re-enter the World Group of the Davis Cup with a victory against Slovakia.

The weekend will be a special one for a group of specially chosen Indigenous children.

The Evonne Goolagong Foundation selected them to be part of a training camp in Sydney while the match is going on.

Evonne Goolagong's brother Ian is hosting the camp and says he is hoping the leadership skills the children learn in Sydney will be taken back out into their communities.

He says the idea is to help take the game to a whole new audience.

"There's no courts out there in those remote areas. That's why, if we can train other Aboriginal kids, I mean, they can go out to those different communities and do what I've been doing the last few years."

Finally, in motorsport this weekend, the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix takes place on Sunday evening.

Just two points separate standings leader Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg.

 


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