Best of Grandstand

On InZane Rugby League this week Zane Bojack, former Raiders halfback Sam Williams and ABC Online rugby league reporter Mick Doyle discuss if Payne Haas is the greatest prop of all-time after playing 80 minutes in Brisbane's come-from-behind win over Penrith. 

On InZane Rugby League - Zane Bojack and former Raiders halfback Sam Williams are joined by Broncos and Panthers legend Petero Civoniceva to preview the Grand Final Qualifier between Brisbane and Penrith at Lang Park on Sunday. 

25 years on, Kerri Pottharst still visits Bondi Beach every year and enjoys a champagne to toast the gold medal her and Natalie Cook won at the Sydney 2000 Olympics which changed her life and the sport in Australia forever.Reminiscing with Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' Pottharst chats about that historic medal and the challenges during the games, what the atmosphere was like at Bondi and what special celebrations there'll be this week when the 25 year anniversary pops up.

Ahead of her first World Cup, Phoebe Litchfield dials in from India to share the feeling of playing alongside her heroes in an event she's dreamed of since childhood.Chatting to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge', Litchfield ranks each format of cricket in her mind right now, what she learned about leadership captaining in the WBBL last season and how she and Georgia Voll handle being great mates and competitors for the same spot in the batting lineup.

Aussie Rhiannan Iffland has once again claimed the world title in cliff diving before the final stop in Boston this weekend and it's the 9th time in a row she's been the best and bravest on the jaw dropping circuit.Chatting to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' Iffland tells us that the fear factor never disappears, tells us the one bucket list dive still on her list, shares Layne Beachley's recent advice and why she got extra emotional last week in Bosnia & Herzegovina before clinching the title.

One of the best voices in Formula 1, BBC and Drive To Survive's Jennie Gow believes that Oscar Piastri will fulfill his own prophecy and hold off Lando Norris to win the Driver's Championship. Chatting to Declan Byrne on The Saturday Sledge, Gow gives us a glance from pit lane into Piastri's steely resolve and what he said to her in 2024 that has "haunted" her. Gow also tells us how Piastri will cope with the pressure, whether McLaren will break their own 'papaya rules' and why Piastri vs Norris will add fire to the historic Aus v Eng rivalry.

On Inzane Rugby League this week - Zane Bojack was joined by Daily Telegraph rugby league reporter Michael Carayannis and AAP NRL writer Joel Gould. 

Canberra Raiders back Seb Kris says this year has been a total dream and when he reflects on his year long absence from the NRL in 2020, he's super proud of where he's got to. Chatting to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' Kris tells us of those life lessons learned, why he values being an inspiration for young Indigenous kids and lets us in on a secret around Xavier Savage's Las Vegas proposal to start their season.

Priscilla Hon was told five years ago she might not play again after an injury resembling a motorcycle crash, so her career best 3rd round result in the US Open recently was a huge achievement. Hon talks to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' about making it through qualifiers and riding that momentum, where she wants to get to in tennis and how much the huge prize money will help take her tennis to the next level.

Caitlyn Halse is the youngest player to represent Australia in Rugby Union and also at a World Cup and she's been in everything this tournament scoring and putting on plenty of tries. Chatting to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge', the 18-year-old tells us about meeting Princess Kate Middleton after their England game, why playing against the boys when she was younger has served her well and what goes into her try celebrations.

On InZane Rugby League this week Zane Bojack and former Raiders halfback Sam Williams are joined by ABC Sport commentator Quentin Hull for a three-tiered look at the finals. 

Imagine this - you achieve a lifelong dream and debut for the Socceroos and then after just two minutes on the pitch you score the winner and the only goal of the match. That's what happened to Max Balard last night against NZ in Canberra and he chats to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' about the emotion surrounding this bucket list moment, getting to share it with his Dad and the tears they shared after the game and why his phone didn't actually light up until hours after the game at the team hotel.

On InZane Rugby League this week Zane Bojack and former Raiders halfback Sam Williams debate the prospect of a wildcard round as a way of stopping the top teams from resting their stars prior to the finals. 

It's been a historic week in the AFL with Mitch Brown becoming the first male player coming out as gay or bisexual and Fremantle Dockers captain Alex Pearce talks about Brown's bravery and how it is hopefully a "real step forward" for the code.Chatting to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' Pearce talks about the accessibility and safety of the game, his own reflection on leadership and footy club culture and why the AFLW has helped advance the conversation in the men's competition.

Andrew Gaze has just been upgraded to 'Legend' status in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and he talks about the immense honour, his basketball legacy and his Dad's understated reaction. Chatting to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' Gaze also talks about learning to be a leader, the US college pathway for Aussies and what has shocked him most in his media work these days in radio and TV.

Ahead of the WSL Finals in Fiji, Aussie surfers Molly Picklum and Jack Robinson talk about the waiting game and how long they've dreamed of a world title. Chatting to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' Picklum dives into her rapid ascent, what Steph Gilmore and Ash Barty are texting her about and how much she's feeling the home support. Robinson tells us about getting Fiji tips from Kelly Slater, his calmness and life on tour with his 18 month old kid Zen.

On Inzane Rugby League this week Zane Bojack and former Raiders halfback Sam Williams are joined by Canberra super-fan and ABC Sport man of sound  Denis Carnahan for a close look at the "Miracle in Mudgee."

South African quick Kagiso Rabada joined Quentin Hull, Jason Gillespie and Stuart Clark for a lovely chat in the innings break of the 3rd ODI between Australia and South Africa.

Brianna Clark returned from college football in the US tired of the sport and after watching a Jillaroos v Kiwi Ferns game, she locked onto a new dream. Having now played plenty of NRLW, Clark chats to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' about putting posters on the back of her door aged 20, representing her mother's NZ side and the enormous leg tattoo she has of Fleetwood Mac.

Australian all rounder Cameron Green had a difficult six months out of cricket recovering from having part of his spine shaved down but he's stoked to now be back in the fold. Chatting to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' Green tells us he's operating at 80% right now, when bowling might come back in and he cheekily hits back at Usman Khawaja convincing us that the all rounder position is the hardest.

You may have heard a lot of voices this week weighing in on Izak Rankine's homophobic slur and the power of language in sport, but how many of those opinions had lived experience? Kade Matthews from Proud2Play talks through how this can trickle down to community sport and push kids away from playing, why it will "absolutely" happen again and why the AFL needs a clear and public punishment for when it does.

In his first few weeks at GWS, Joe Fonti took a bold hanger on his skipper Toby Greene at training and sneakily recorded a photo of it to show his parents. Chatting to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge', Fonti talks about his unexpected debut, why he hardly watches any footy, his cousin rivalry with AFLW star Ella Roberts and more.

Aussie netballer Liv Lewis just won 'Defender of the Year' at the Melbourne Mavericks but is quitting the sport to give footy a crack. It's a bold play but Lewis had this nagging feeling that she needed to give herself that challenge. Chatting to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' we hear about what the next few months look like, how excited she is to legally tackle in a sport, what chance she gives herself and why Lewis doesn't try juggle both and more.

On InZane Rugby League this week - Zane Bojack and former Raiders half Sam Williams are joined by dual codes superstar Wendall Sailor. 

On the Saturday Sledge this week, stand-in host Zane Bojack spoke to Gold Coast Suns star Will Powell, Brisbane Broncos journeyman Ben Talty, Aussie cricket all-rounder Aaron Hardie, Wallabies halfback Tate McDermott, NRLW star Caitlin Turnbull and former Socceroos skipper Paul Wade. 

On InZane Rugby League this week Zane Bojack and former Raiders halfback Sam Williams are joined by Roosters premiership captain Anthony Minichiello following the tri-colours stunning 64 to 12 victory over the Dolphins at Lang Park. 

Proud Dharawal woman and reigning NRLW Cowboy of the Year Bree Chester gets to play alongside her childhood heroes and now feels lucky to be an inspiration herself these days at only age 23.Chester chats to Declan Byrne on ‘The Saturday Sledge' about creating her own footy team in school, playing back in Newcastle for Magic Round and why the camp for Indigenous All Stars and the Whatsapp group chat for First Nations NRLW players is a fountain of positivity.

With the 10th season of the AFLW about to begin, four time GWS club champion and two time All Australian Alyce Parker is moving from her farm near Holbrook back to Sydney to lead the Giants. Parker chats to Declan Byrne on ‘The Saturday Sledge' about her farming vs footy split, how hard the adjustment was to city life when she was first drafted and why finals (and therefore missing harvest) is still the ultimate driver for her.

Fresh off a silver medal in Singapore at the World Aquatic Championships, where she didn't realise she was part of a dead heat, Jenna Forrester is proud of what she's got through to find success. Joining Declan Byrne on ‘The Saturday Sledge' Forresters talks about overcoming a shift in her identity, dealing with heightened expectations and sickness to her hero her Mum and what life is like under coach Dean Boxall alongside Ariarne Titmus, Mollie O'Callaghan and more.

With a top end white ball series against South Africa kicking off this weekend, skipper Mitch Marsh gives us the lowdown on the upcoming matches and his recent success. Talking to Declan Byrne on ‘The Saturday Sledge', Marsh talks about one of his favourite ever tours in West Indies, why cricket is third on the list of sports he's going to get his new baby into and what footy code he really wants to play when he retires from cricket.

For Australian netball legend Laura Geitz, it all comes back to wanting the same pair of shoes as her older sister and a competitive drive that only a younger sibling can relate to. Fresh off being named in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Geitz chats to Declan Byrne on ‘The Saturday Sledge' about coming late to netball at age 13, what she learned by leading her country and why her eldest son is more excited about NRL icon Cam Smith getting into the Hall of Fame.

On Inzane Rugby League this week Zane Bojack was joined by former Raiders half-back Sam Williams, Cowboys inaugural captain Laurie Spina and rugby league immortal Wally Lewis to pay tribute to the late Maroons legend Sam Backo. 

Former Sydney Swans player, now author Brandon Jack joins 'The Saturday Sledge' to promise us that all the antics in his new book 'Pissants' are not based on truth. The novel follows a fictional footy club and it's players exploits on and mostly off the field and we hear about how he dreamt it up, what the response has been from his ex-teammates and why he's drawn to the darker side of writing.

Fresh off another stellar year for the Brumbies, Tom Wright is out to make sure the British and Irish Lions aren't leaving Australia with a 3-0 whitewash. Talking to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge', Wright talks about farewelling Nic White, what Joseph Suaalii has added to the Wallaby group, why life and rugby looks different these days with his first kid watching on and how he dealt with the pain of last week's non-decision at the MCG.

To give you an idea of how little Sydney Swans player Lewis Melican was expecting to be drafted, he was celebrating Schoolies on the Gold Coast and missed four calls from John Longmire after being picked.Talking to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge', Melican chats about his career battling injuries, Grand Final pain and what he's learned across the years the Swans have done the Pride game as they will again this weekend.

Grace Kim had the best two hours of her life a few weeks ago when she went eagle-birdie-eagle then chipped in on the playoff hole to become just the 5th Australian woman to win a major in golf. Chatting to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge', Kim recalls the "all gas no brakes" freedom she was playing with, why other players on tour are jealous of the Aussie crew and why she has the avocado emoji on all her golf balls.

One of the greatest gold medal stories of Paris 2024 for Australia was Noemie Fox who had to beat the best just to make the Olympics, overcome her sister Jess in a heat and then execute everything to perfection in the final.The dream came true and 12 months on, Fox chats to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' about the magical experience, dealing with the loss of her grandfather the day she qualified and how long it took to truly sink in that she'd achieved her gold medal dream.

On Inzane Rugby League this week - Zane Bojack and Sam Williams are joined by Quentin Hull and Maroons legend Billy Moore for a rugby league round-table discussion on International eligibility. 

Inspired by Cathy Freeman as a kid, Mahalia Murphy wants to show kids across Australia, especially in small towns and communities, that you can dream big. The NRLW Parramatta Eels captain Mahalia Murphy chats to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' about code hopping between League and Union, how crazy the last decade has been for women's footy and what Magic Round is going to be like.

After an out of the blue call from coach Sandy Brondello while training for her WNBL1 team, Alex Fowler has taken her shot and just won the MVP for the Opals at the Asia Cup. Joining Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' Fowler gives us an idea of how far off her Opals dream was, why she had to learn to work hard after being the tallest kid for so long and how she celebrated her birthday the night the Opals won the Asia Cup.

Flynn Southam fell out of love with swimming at age 18 but turned around this common story to win two medals at the Paris Olympics. Talking to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge' Southam details how he found the love again, what he's learned by swimming alongside legends like Kyle Chalmers and what's next as he lines up for Australia in the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore.

The first gold medal for Australia at the Paris Olympics went to Grace Brown and 12 months on we re-live what was a dream day and part of a "mythical" finish to her cycling career. Chatting to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge', Brown also chats how impressive Pogachar has been in this years Tour de France, how the TdF Femmes is shaping up and where she finds satisfaction and purpose these days after retiring.