Year In Review: The five defining sport stories of 2018

Sports broadcaster and 3AW Football commentator Shane McInnes joined Heidi Murphy on 3AW Mornings to run through his top five defining sport stories of 2018.

The list has already prompted debate, with the Boomers basketball team’s mid-year brawl and Winx‘s fourth consecutive Cox Plate only earning honourable mentions.

Click PLAY for the full chat and debate

5. Commonwealth Games

Australia dominated with 80 gold — 35 more than England. The Gold Coast was faultless in its hosting of the event, until organisers let themselves down with a debacle of a Closing Ceremony in which the athletes were all but forgotten.

4. Usain Bolt

Bolt’s signing with the Gold Coast Mariners was always a marketing ploy, and it worked — initially. But, as much as the Jamaican sprinter wanted to prove he could play soccer, these things always come back to money and, after being offered $2 million under his asking price, it was never going to have legs.

3. Serena’s Meltdown

The golden girl of tennis, divided public opinion as she verbally lashed the chair umpire in the US Open final after receiving a coaching violation.

2. Andrew Gaff

The longest suspension handed out by the AFL in a decade after Gaff was suspended for eight weeks for punching Andrew Brayshaw and breaking his jaw. Gaff missed the entire finals series and was forced to watch his teammates win a premiership on the sidelines despite being considered by many to be among the Eagles’ most important players.

1. Sandpapergate

Wow. Australia’s top two batsmen — the captain and the vice captain, no less — suspended for a year. A young up-and-coming batsmen booted for 9 months. And then dominoes continued to fall — the coach, the high performance manager, the CEO and the Chairman. And a nation’s cricketing reputation left in tatters.