2025 Super Netball grand final: Melbourne Vixens vs West Coast Fever, live updates
Will the home team send their departing coach Simone McKinnis out on a high after 13 seasons at the helm? Or will Fever goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard complete a fairytale comeback after suffering devastating pregnancy loss in January and re-joining the team in round three?
Follow the live blog below, with the deciding match starting at 7:30pm AEST.
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ABC News
24 minutes ago
- ABC News
How the iconic North Sydney Olympic Pool put local council in deep financial debt
It's seen 86 swimming and diving world records. It has hosted two Empire Games. And its 1930s architecture and harbourside location, beneath the rumbling Harbour Bridge railway and overseen by the grinning face of Luna Park, must place it near the top of any global list of spectacular sporting venues. But lately the achievements at North Sydney Olympic Pool haven't been quite so magnificent. When it finally ends, a two-year renovation budgeted at $57 million will have taken five years and cost $122 million. It's put the local council $56 million in debt, prompting it to consider some unpopular methods of clawing back cash, like increasing rates by 90 per cent, charging people to watch New Year's Eve fireworks, and selling public streets to private schools. The council has also had to curtail its public works budget and can't afford essential works like repairing leaking roofs at childcare and community centres. All in one of the nation's wealthiest areas. North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker isn't happy about it. As a councillor, Ms Baker voted against the pool redevelopment. As mayor, she has to find the cash to pay for it. "Just in the last three years we've had to defer, each year, $12 million on capital works on council assets," she said. This year the council is also trying to find $6 million in savings. "The council agreed very reluctantly to ticket access for New Year's Eve and Blues Point Reserve, and that's in order to find $300,000 to offset the cost of delivery of New Year's Eve." At the same council meeting, councillors had to choose between funding a seawall repair, or fixing North Sydney Oval's broken PA system. Former North Sydney lap swimmer Clare Payne says the pool's once-tight community of early morning swimmers have lost touch with each other. Closures for renovations at the other two nearest public pools — at Willoughby and Mrs Macquarie's Chair — have forced those swimmers even further apart. Ms Payne was upset back in 2019 when the council announced the North Sydney pool would be closed for up to two years. "That felt quite devastating." she told 7.30. "I didn't really want to even process that because I thought this is just going to be too long. I hate the fact that it's closing like this, especially both pools." The second pool was a 25-metre indoor pool that sat atop the grandstand designed by architect Ken Maher. His 2001 redevelopment on the heritage grandstand won several architecture awards. In 2019 the council announced it would be demolished, along with the entire grandstand. Mr Maher said he was "shattered, frankly, and because it seemed to be for no really good reason". The grandstand had concrete cancer — but Mr Maher says the building could have been saved. "It wasn't falling down," he said. "It may have meant that there was work that had to be done to repair the structure underneath that was suffering, but it's not unusual that concrete structures that are having concrete cancer are repaired." The redevelopment was championed by then-mayor Jilly Gibson, who retired last year. Jessica Keen is the sole remaining councillor who voted for the redevelopment. She says council staff made a business case for the pool, which she approved in good faith. "I voted for a $60 million pool, not $122 million. There is a vast difference in that budget," she said. An independent review of the project by accounting firm PWC found that the problems started even before work commenced. Among the problems identified by the review: The builder, Icon, says the council's design team have made hundreds of changes to the project. Icon blames the council for the failure of structural steel in the new indoor pool building, atop the rebuilt grandstand. That steel had to be pulled down and replaced. Icon and the council are also in a legal dispute over $28 million in cost overruns. Mayor Baker says the scale of the project was always too much for council to take on. "It started as a $28 million project. It morphed effectively on the floor of council into a $58 million project … there were literally councillors getting up on the floor of council and saying, 'I'd like a creche, and I would like this,' and so the scope of the brief was being expanded in an ad hoc way," Mayor Baker said. "There was no reporting back about how much that would cost and how council would fund it." Mayor Baker says the pool will be handed back to the council later this year and should be open to the public in the first quarter of 2026, once the fit-out is finished. She is relieved the saga is finally coming to an end. "For me it's bittersweet, because there's absolutely no satisfaction in 'I told you so,'" she said. "I don't think the cost of that $122 million to our community for the things we've had to forego and the impossible decisions that we're now having to make because of the financial impacts is worth it. "I was always an advocate for doing a much more modest approach to the pool redevelopment." Mr Maher, the architect of the demolished 25m pool, doubts he'll be returning to swim at the rebuilt site. "I don't think I'll go there. I think I'll just feel too negative about it," he said. Does he have any sense of schadenfreude? "I think the the tragedy of the project is the impact it's had on the community, no access to the pool for five years or more, huge increase in cost," he said. Ms Payne, the former North Sydney pool swimmer, is looking forward to the reopening and trying the complex's new 25m indoor pools. She sometimes swims at Balmoral, where the sea temperature is currently a chilly 15 degrees. "It doesn't necessarily get any easier, I think, swimming in cold water. It's bracing, it's invigorating. But it will definitely be nice to get a pool back — especially an indoor pool." Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV Do you know more about this story? Get in touch with 7.30 here.
The Australian
27 minutes ago
- The Australian
‘It has to count': purpose quest shaped this finance leader's career
Samantha Douglas is Executive General Manager of Finance at Coles Group and has built a distinguished career leading finance functions across the sport, retail and banking industries. In this interview, Samantha shares key lessons from a journey that's included senior positions at National Australia Bank, the Carlton Football Club's finance committee and the CFO role at Cricket Australia. For Samantha Douglas, purpose and connection have always been central to her life. Whether supporting high-performing teams or driving financial strategy in the boardroom, she's guided by a strong belief in the power of impact. That conviction was shaped early. When Samantha was young, her father employed 12 young people with Down Syndrome. She saw what working meant to them, and the experience instilled in her the importance of purpose. 'He was ahead of the time,' she says with immense pride. 'He showed me that inclusion, care and kindness are important leadership qualities and that everyone can have an impact. I carried that with me.' But purpose can be hard to come by in corporate finance. 'It's not like working on the medical frontline where your purpose is really tangible,' she says. 'In big organisations, and especially support functions like finance, you can feel like a cog in the machine. It's not always clear how your work connects to real people or outcomes.' Samantha Douglas is Executive General Manager of Finance at Coles Group That search for meaning became a throughline in Samantha's career. When the work felt disconnected, the long hours were harder to justify. 'If you're missing bedtime or rushing through dinner, you want to believe it's for more than just paying the mortgage. That's when it really has to count.' Samantha didn't just seek purpose for herself: she created it for her teams. In various senior finance roles at NAB, she helped create skilled volunteering programs that connected finance professionals with customers in vulnerable financial positions. 'Even small things like that helped,' she says. 'It reminded people their work mattered.' Capitalising on her experience in sport to take a role on the Finance Committee at Carlton Football Club was also an opportunity to connect with something that provided meaning. 'I love how sport brings people together and provides a platform to provide awareness for issues bigger than the game.' While Samantha didn't take the most linear path, she made deliberate decisions at each step, anchored in purpose and balance. One pivotal move came when she took on the role of chief of staff to the Group CFO at NAB where she had a front-row seat to executive leadership. 'I got to see everything,' she says. 'Balance sheet committees, interactions between senior leaders, strategic planning. It demystified the CFO role and gave me exposure I couldn't have gotten elsewhere and whilst it was fast paced and challenging, it gave me confidence I could do it.' It also gave her clarity on the type of leader she wanted to be. 'I saw how decisions were made and how relationships mattered. That experience was invaluable.' Later, she was encouraged by the same CFO to step into the role of financial controller, recognising it would give Samantha the skills and experience she was missing. This saw her leading large teams both onshore and offshore. It wasn't a role she had aspired to, but looking back she realised, 'if you're serious about becoming a CFO, it's important experience.' It wasn't just the roles that shaped her — it was the internal work too. 'The most important relationship I've had to build is the one with myself,' she says. 'I had to learn to get out of my own way.' Building confidence became a deliberate practice that didn't happen overnight. She started small, writing down what went well each week and more importantly what she had done to make it go well. 'Eventually I just got sick of standing in my own way and got on with it.' Support was also key. A deeply supportive partner helped create space for her to balance ambition with family. Trusted former leaders remained in her corner for the occasional coffee when she hit a fork in the road, and she worked with an executive coach when she felt stuck or lacked momentum. 'It was about finding someone I trusted to help me get moving again,' she says. Like many, throughout her career, Samantha navigated the complexity of raising a young family. For over a decade, she worked part time. 'I disappeared into the wilderness of part-time work,' she jokes. During this period, Samantha learnt how to be softer on herself despite her driven nature. 'If you choose to work part time, you have to let go of everyone who rockets past.' But what it really taught her was that career progression doesn't have to come at the cost of family. It also gave her a deep appreciation for flexibility, something she now drives as a leader. 'There's more genuine flexibility now,' she says. 'If I look at teams that I've been a part of over the past few years, many women work five days, because now we can get to school functions and appointments.' But she's realistic about the challenges. 'There are parts of finance that are immovable: month-end, year-end. But with rhythm, planning and support, it's doable.' Now with decades of experience across stretch roles, part-time work and purposeful pivots, Samantha brings it all to bear as executive general manager of finance at Coles. Her advice to others? 'Chase personal growth. Back yourself, and build broad experience early. And don't feel guilty about how you do it, whether full-time, part-time, or in-between. There's no single path.' - Disclaimer This publication contains general information only and Deloitte is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your business, you should consult a qualified professional adviser. Deloitte shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by any person who relies on this publication. About Deloitte Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ('DTTL'), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. Please see to learn more. Copyright © 2025 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. -
The Australian
3 hours ago
- The Australian
NRL 2025: Jahrome Hughes' new deal could help other Storm stars stay
Jahrome Hughes' decision to re-sign with the Storm could prove 'infectious' for the rest of the club's superstar spine, with skipper Harry Grant confirming conversations have started for him to extend his stay beyond 2026. The club locked in the reigning Dally M Medal winner last week on a long-term deal and the attention now shifts to Grant, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Cameron Munster who are the core four who can help them win premierships. 'I think it definitely does (affect my decision) knowing that you've got your halfback and a guy that I've got a really good relationship with on and off the field,' Grant said. 'He takes control of the team, leads the team around the park well and you know he's going to perform week in, week out. 'If you have this within your club, it's pretty infectious and that's what you want to be as a footy team – a footy team that wants to raise the bar and keep getting better.' Grant is signed until the end of 2026 but would be free to negotiate with rivals from November 1 if a deal isn't struck by then. It's something he's not focused on as he prepares to play his 100th game for the club in Thursday's heavyweight showdown with the Broncos, with the Storm desperate to keep the game's best dummy-half. 'Those conversations always happen and they've been happening,' he said. 'It's just when that time's right to sit down and knuckle something down and know what that looks like. 'As a player and a club, we've all got really good relationships in that sense. There have been those conversations happening, but that'll come when the time's right. 'You've just got to be delicate of when that is. 'The main thing at the moment is playing good footy. So for me, it's knowing that I've got to do whatever it takes to perform.' While other clubs would love to have the Queensland and Australia hooker, the emergence of Rugby360 could also mean Grant fields enormous offers to switch codes. 'My old principal when I was in primary school told me I was better suited to rugby union, but I never put my hand up (to play),' he said. 'Everyone is an athlete at the end of the day, and you've seen plenty of guys that have been able to make the switch from rugby union to rugby league, so I don't see why it would be any different. 'If it's in guys' best interests and it's a decision they want to make, then I don't think any player or anyone should hold anything against them in that regard.' Grant said the threat of other codes should lead to the NRL focusing on grassroots footy and looking to develop the future with all the emerging talent out there. It comes amid reports that R360 bosses met with Papenhuyzen in Melbourne last month as they try to pinch as much top-end talent as possible. 'He's a businessman, Paps, so he's probably had meetings with plenty of people,' Grant said, hoping the Storm can keep their spine together for as long as possible. 'You want to keep everyone, you want to keep the squad together. 'As players, we know we're here to perform and to get the best out of ourselves. All that stuff is not a worry that I need to be stressed about or thinking about. 'There's so much trust with the guys up top, so whatever decision is made in terms of the roster, then we're comfortable with that.' Breaking News Siraj stars as India beat England by six runs in fifth-Test thriller Breaking News Israel wants world attention on hostages held in Gaza
