Fresh Eagles smash rival Dockers

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Rivals ... Eagles recruit Sharrod Wellingham looks to handball against Fremantle. Source: Daniel Wilkins / News Limited

Fremantle fell to a disappointing 24-point loss to arch-rivals West Coast after backing up in hot conditions in Perth

1.2.6 (27)	Q1	0.1.0 (6)
1.4.7 (40)	Q2	0.2.4 (16)
	Q3
	Q4

Matt Priddis 2	Hayden Ballantyne 1
Shannon Hurn 1	Michael Walters 1
Chris Masten 1
Jeremy McGovern 1

West Coast had lost the opening game of the NAB Cup triple-header to Geelong and came out fresh and fired up, running all over the Dockers to finish 1.4.7 (40) to 2.4 (16) victors.

Fremantle found the going much tougher against the Eagles than Geelong, but coach Ross Lyon has plenty to work on with the likes of Matthew Pavlich, Nat Fyfe, Ryan Crowley and David Mundy still to return.

Fremantle could only muster a solitary scoring shot in the opening half as the Eagles piled on 34 points, including a super goal to Shannon Hurn.

0.4.2 (26)	Q1	0.2.4 (16)
0.7.6 (48)	Q2	0.4.6 (30)
	Q3
	Q4

Michael Walters 2	Mitchell W. Brown 2
Hayden Crozier 1	Joel Selwood 2
Chris Mayne 1
Tendai Mzungu 1
Clancee Pearce 1
Alex Silvagni 1

While all three sides will take plenty out of the opening hit outs, it will make it difficult for any of Geelong, Fremantle or West Coast to now make the cup final in the round-robin format.

However, the Eagles are in the best position given they lost to Geelong by just two points and beat the Dockers by 24.

Fremantle improved in the second half and outscored their opponents but it was too little too late.

Hurn and Scott Selwood ran amok for the Eagles, gathering possessions at will and using them to damaging effect while Paul Duffield showed he will be important to the Dockers in defence this season with nine touches.

It was the same in the second game as the fresher Fremantle proved too good for Geelong winning by 18 points.

As seen last season, the fresher team usually prevailed and so it proved in hot conditions with Fremantle triumphing 7.6 (48) to 4.6 (30).

Geelong coach Chris Scott rested Jimmy Bartel, Taylor Hunt, Jared Rivers and the injured Matthew Stokes while bringing in Steve Johnson, Joel Corey and Steven Motlop.

The Cats had won the opening game against West Coast but couldn't stay with Fremantle, who's run and carry proved damaging on the wide open spaces.

Mitchell Brown and Joel Selwood were the only goal scorers for the Cats while six Dockers got on the score sheet, though Michael Walters was the only one to grab two majors.

0.3.0 (18)	Q1	0.2.0 (12)
1.6.2 (47)	Q2	1.6.4 (49)
	Q3
	Q4

Jack Darling 3	James Podsiadly 2
Bradd Dalziell 1	Josh Caddy 1
Ashton Hams 1	Tom Hawkins 1
Mark LeCras 1	Joel Selwood 1
Fraser McInnes 1	Travis Varcoe 1
	Joshua Walker 1

Fremantle midfielder Michael Barlow looks to be back to his ball-winning best after gathering 15 touches in the two 20-minutes halves while Selwood and Brown against led the possessions, highlighting how much the team relied on the pair.

Cats coach Chris Scott said it was important to get game time into a number of players.

"We got some quality game time into most of our list really apart from Chapman, Mackie and Kelly who were available that we didn't bring with us,'' Scott said.

"I think that's the good thing with this year compared to last because we waited a bit longer to play our senior players last year and on reflection I dont think it was the right thing to do.

"I think we'll be better placed now for the early rounds of this season.''

In the opening game, it was again Selwood who inspired his team with a last-minute super goal giving the Cats a two-point victory over West Coast.

The Eagles looked to be cruising in the opening contest of the triple-header in Perth when leading by 22 points with just five minutes remaining.

However, the Cats got back within nine-point range and Jimmy Bartel handpassed off from a mark to his captain and Selwood kicked the goal from just outside the 50-metre arc to give Geelong victory 1.6.4 (49) to 1.6.2 (47).

Josh Caddy, who crossed from Gold Coast to the Cats at the end of last season, started brilliantly with a clever goal within 20 seconds in a sign of what he can offer.

Geelong led by seven points early in the second half of the reduced minutes contest, but that's when the Eagles took over and the most heartening aspect of all was the successful return of All-Australian forward Mark LeCras.

He started solidly enough in the first half in his first official hit out in 17 months since he injured his knee and required a full reconstruction that cost his entire 2012 campaign.

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While he had just five disposals in his return, it was what he did from a free-kick on the boundary that showed just how much he was missed and why he could help West Coast go that extra step or two in the finals this year.

LeCras kicked a goal from the boundary after a free-kick and, with a super goal soon after from Bradd Dalziell and a regular six-pointer to Fraser McInnes, the Eagles looked home with a 22-point lead.

However, quick goals to Travis Varcoe and Taylor Walker, and then the super goal by Selwood, saw the Cats scrape home.

Geelong next plays Fremantle before the night concludes with the first western derby of 2013.

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Marsh battles injury, scores ton

One-dayer ... Aaron Finch finally scores some runs for Australia. Source: Luke Bowden / News Limited

Former Test batsman Shaun Marsh battled through injury to notch a classy century in Australia A's convincing seven-wicket over the England Lions at Bellerive.

Marsh collapsed clutching his right knee after completing a run to reach 99, appearing to have suffered a serious injury.

The 29-year-old writhed in agony and was treated by medical staff, but batted on long enough to reach 100 from 128 balls before promptly retiring hurt.

Marsh will have scans on the injury on Sunday but is already considered to be in doubt for Monday.

Finch said reaching the hundred was important for his opening partner.

"I think it's important for guys to get milestones like that, especially Shaun who's probably copped his fair brunt of criticism from the public and from the media,'' Finch said.

"He's a super player and I think we just saw a glimpse of how good he is.

"Just to keep the wolves at bay for a little bit for himself, for his own personal peace of mind I guess, is really important.''

Marsh and skipper Finch (80 from 92) set up the Australians' 3-260 with five balls to spare, after the Lions had made 6-259 boosted by opener Varun Chopra's 105.

The West Australian hit seven fours and a six to continue a superb domestic summer after he'd been dropped from the Warriors squad for disciplinary reasons.

Marsh, who has played seven Tests for Australia, fought his way back into the national team for the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka before playing two ODIs against the West Indies.

Finch put a forgettable debut international summer behind him after averaging just 15 in his seven ODIs for Australia.

The Lions didn't look like getting a wicket as Marsh and Finch put on 172 before the Victorian miscued and was caught at mid-off.

The visitors grabbed two in the space of two runs at 3-237 and had the Australians needing 21 off 18 before Joe Burns (18 from 19) and Tim Paine (10 from 11) guided their side home.

The Australians go 1-0 up in the five-game series while the Lions' winless tour has now stretched to four matches.

Game two is a day-game in Hobart on Monday.

Chopra compiled an opportunist's century after Australia A keeper Tim Paine had dropped a regulation nick in the first over before the Englishman had scored.

Chopra's 105, his second hundred on tour, came from 137 balls.

Chopra said the Lions would take some encouragement out of the game.

"We dragged it back really well so that's definitely a positive to take out of it and to take the game into the last over,'' he said.

The fireworks came from young gun Ben Foakes, who blasted 56 from just 42 balls.

Australia paceman John Hastings bagged 3-55.

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Broncos winger injured in trial loss

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Dale Copley ... injured in NRL trial match. Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

Brisbane Broncos winger Dale Copley has suffered a suspected ruptured patella in his right knee following Saturday's 16-14 NRL trial match loss to the Gold Coast Titans.

A Broncos medical official said Copley, who missed a large portion of last season with a broken leg, had suffered a suspected rupture in his right knee.

The game was stopped in the first half as Copley was stretchered from the field after appearing to cop a knee while running the ball out of his own 20 metres.

He will have scans in the coming days, but faces another long stint on the sidelines.

The injury occured in their NRL pre-season trial against the Titans at Redcliffe's Dolphins Oval on Saturday night.

Rival coaches John Cartwright (Titans) and Anthony Griffin (Broncos) used their full squads to experiment with combinations ahead of next month's season-opening round.

The Broncos were first on the scoreboard through fullback Josh Hoffman, who beat three Titans in a 30-metre dash to the tryline.

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The Titans however led 16-4 at halftime following a slick try to young halfback Albert Kelly, whose left foot step was too good for the defence, while winger David Mead and Brad Takarangi also scored four-pointers.

Mead's try was set up by a clever flick pass offload by giant centre Jamal Idris, who impressed in the opening 40 minutes.

Griffin rotated three halves in Peter Wallace, Scott Prince and Corey Norman, with Wallace spending a lot of time at dummy-half and Prince running the show.

Norman scored an opportunist try early in the second half after a Prince kick rebounded off the padded goalpost before winger Denan Kemp cashed in on a Prince kick to score in the corner to reduce the margin to 16-14, setting up a grandstand finish.

Brisbane utility Jake Granville scrambled across the tryline late in the game but was ruled to have been held up before Kemp was disallowed a second try from a Matt Gillett forward pass.

Cartwright was pleased with his side's ability to eke out a result, while he also tipped former NSW Origin representative Idris to have a big year.

"It as a scrappy sort of a game, not too many opportunities,'' Cartwright said.

"One of the most pleasing aspects was Idris' strong performance.''

Cartwright also confirmed the club had agreed to a one-year deal for well-travelled playmaker Kelly for the 2013 season.

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Edwards gets Glory win at first go

Winner ... Shane Smeltz (2nd L) scored the goal which ended Perth's horrible run. Source: Justin Benson-cooper / News Limited

Central Coast's lead at the top of the A-League table has been cut to one point after suffering a shock 2-1 loss to strugglers Perth Glory on Saturday night.

The Mariners were on track for victory after Bernie Ibini's 13th-minute strike at nib Stadium.

But goals either side of half-time to Travis Dodd and Shane Smeltz secured all three points for the Glory, who remain four points adrift of the top-six ahead of next week's away clash with Western Sydney.

Central Coast (42 points) have lost just three times this season and are still in a good position to take out the minor premiership.

But with Western Sydney (41) showing no signs of slowing down, the Mariners have a fight on their hands to retain top spot.

The next fortnight will prove crucial for Central Coast, who take on Melbourne Victory and then Western Sydney in games at Bluetongue Stadium.

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Central Coast	21	12	6	3	21	42
2	Western Sydney	21	13	2	6	12	41
3	Victory	21	11	3	7	2	36
4	Adelaide	21	11	2	8	2	35
5	Sydney	21	8	3	10	-7	27
6	Newcastle	21	7	5	9	-7	26
7	Heart	21	7	3	11	-3	24
8	Perth	21	6	4	11	-3	22
9	Brisbane	20	6	3	11	-2	21
10	Wellington	20	5	5	10	-15	20

For Perth Glory, it was a sweet end to a week that started with the sacking of coach Ian Ferguson.

A five-game losing run proved to be Ferguson's downfall, with interim coach Alistair Edwards enjoying a winning start to his tenure at the helm.

An ecstatic Edwards gave a double fist pump to the crowd when the final whistle was blown.

Perth still have plenty of work to do over the final six rounds if they are to make the finals.peBut last season's grand finalists will take a massive confidence-boost from their win over the Mariners.

Central Coast striker Daniel McBreen was the architect behind the opening goal, stripping Steve McGarry of the ball in defence to give Ibini a one-on-one chance against Glory goalkeeper Danny Vukovic.

Despite having a Glory defender right on his tail, Ibini made no mistake with the finish, firing a smooth strike past Vukovic to give the visitors the early edge.

Glory fans started becoming increasingly frustrated with some of their team's slow build-ups from defence.

But the slow-and-steady approach paid dividends in the 27th minute, with a pin-point long ball from Nick Ward finding a small gap in Central Coast's defence.

A running Dodd put the finishing touch on the move, expertly trapping Ward's pass with his right foot before firing a beautiful shot with his left.

Smeltz then sent the 5,909 crowd into raptures in the 64th minute when his powerful header hit the back of the net, with Mariners goalkeeper Mathew Ryan unable to keep the ball out despite getting a hand to it.

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See highlights, including Smeltz's and all the other goals, in Match Centre.

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Jets beat Heart, boost finals hopes

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Outmuscled ... Emile Heskey (C) holds off an opponent in the Jets 2-0 win. Source:AAP

Newcastle landed a crucial blow in the scrap for A-League finals places with 2-0 win over fellow top-six contenders Melbourne Heart on Friday.

Emile Heskey and Ryan Griffiths scored in each half at Hunter Stadium as the Jets climbed back into the top six with their first win in five games.

The result in front of 11,396 fans continued the Heart's disastrous run away from home, their sixth straight loss on the road leaving them sitting perilously in sixth spot.

Jets coach Gary van Egmond made five changes to his starting side, including three in defence and a first start of the season for English striker Michael Bridges.

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Central Coast	20	12	6	2	22	42
2	Western Sydney	20	12	2	6	11	38
3	Victory	20	11	3	6	3	36
4	Adelaide	20	11	2	7	3	35
5	Newcastle	21	7	5	9	-7	26
6	Heart	21	7	3	11	-3	24
7	Sydney	20	7	3	10	-8	24
8	Brisbane	20	6	3	11	-2	21
9	Wellington	20	5	5	10	-15	20
10	Perth	20	5	4	11	-4	19

And it had the desired effect, with Bridges impressing in a classy display and striker Adam Taggart also making an impact after being promoted.

Griffiths and midfielder Zenon Caravella were other strong contributors while Heskey was a tower of strength up front.

He gave the home side the lead after just nine minutes, taking a first-time shot well after Griffiths unlocked the Heart defence with a clever through ball.

The visitors had several chances to hit back, with dangerous striker Eli Babalj causing most headaches in attack.

He wasted one chance in the 13th minute but was unlucky not to equalise when his volley struck the post from a Richard Garcia cross.peTaggart and Heskey also had decent chances late in the half and the home side looked in control as they headed to halftime in front.

The Heart started the second half strongly and came within centimetres of an equaliser through Nick Kalmar in the 53rd minute.

Brazilian playmaker Fred made his return from a quad injury off the bench but the Heart hit a flat spot with little created in attack.

Taggart was unlucky not to extend the Jets' lead in the 65th minute, striking the left post with a low shot from just outside the box.

But he capped a strong performance when he set up the Jets' second in the 81st minute.

Taggart found Griffiths with a looped through ball and the striker controlled beautifully before craftily scooping the ball over Heart goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne.

Van Egmond admitted it was a tough call to drop the likes of young guns Craig Goodwin and James Virgili to the bench but felt the inclusion of new faces worked a treat.

''It was time (to make changes),'' van Egmond told Fox Sports.

''As you saw tonight, we always looked dangerous going forward. It always looked like we had goals in us.

''I thought Bridgey early on, when he was nice and fresh, did some very clever things ... hopefully he can derive a lot of fitness out of this and continue.''

Heskey said the performance augured well for the Jets' remaining six regular-season games.

''We knew how important the game was. It was one of those ones we knew we had to win,'' Heskey said.

''When we perform like this, that's what we're capable of doing.''

Heart coach John Aloisi was disappointed his men didn't take their chances in the first half and admitted the winless away form this season was a serious problem.

''It's not good - we know that,'' Aloisi said.

''We're trying to put it right but now we've got a home game to look forward to next week (against Sydney FC). It's a big game for us.

''We're still in finals contention and we have to keep working hard.''

New Dutch recruit Marcel Meeuwis made his debut off the bench in the 62nd minute and Aloisi said he would be better for the run. 

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Check out all the action, including highlights of both goals, in our A-League Match Centre.

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Pies undefeated with win over Bombers

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Screamer ... Magpie Jamie Elliott can't hang onto this attempt. Source: George Salpigtidis / News Limited

Collingwood has finished the first triple-header of the NAB Cup undefeated after a dramatic late win over heated-rivals Essendon at Etihad Stadium.

1.0.5 (14)	Q1	0.2.3 (15)
1.2.10 (31)	Q2	0.4.5 (29)
	Q3
	Q4

Travis Cloke 1	Leroy Jetta 2
Andrew Krakouer 1	Brendon Goddard 1
Ben Sinclair 1	Dyson Heppell 1

In the final game of the night, the two clubs played out a two-point thriller and it was a free-kick to Magpies key forward Travis Cloke in the dying seconds that settled it.

Cloke was awarded a push in the back just 10 metres from goal and duly slotted it with 34 seconds left on the clock to leave the scores on 1.2.10 (31) to 4.5 (29)

0.3.3 (21)	Q1	0.3.1 (19)
0.4.5 (29)	Q2	1.6.2 (47)
	Q3
	Q4

Daniel Giansiracusa 2	Travis Cloke 2
Tory Dickson 1	Jarryd Blair 1
Jarrad Grant 1	Jamie Elliott 1
	Quinten Lynch 1
	Brent Macaffer 1
	Dane Swan 1

In a final twist, young Bomber Luke Davis was awarded a free kick after the final siren but his shot from outside 50m did not make the distance.

Magpies coach Nathan Buckley was happy with the performance but said there was a long way to go before the season proper.

"We were able to get through it, but it's a long way from a normal round of footy,'' Buckley said

"I don't think we could have asked for more from our mature recruits."

Essendon held a one-point lead at half-time and they extended that to 13 points midway through the second half, with star recruit Brendon Goddard kicking his first goal.

Magpies star midfielder Scott Pendlebury and former Carlton defender Jordan Russell impressed for the 'Pies, while Dyson Heppell and Goddard were high in Essendon's best.

Despite the loss, Essendon coach James Hird said he was extremely proud of his players given the pressure on the club due to the ASADA and ACC investigations.

"They have shown a strength of character that not many people have and they have been resilient,'' he said.

"They've been focussed on their footy when I can imagine they just would have liked to focus on themselves.

"Tonight's performance, with everything that's going on in the background, I thought was terrific.''

Collingwood were equally lucky to come away with a win in the second game of the night after they came from behind to score a 18-point win over a gusty Western Bulldogs outfit in the first round of the NAB Cup at Etihad Stadium.

Backing up from the first game of the night, the Bulldogs looked the hungrier of the two team for most of the game but the fresher Magpies surged home in the closing stages and finished 1.6.2 (47) to 4.5 (29).

After losing the first game to Essendon, the Bulldogs earnt a two-point lead at half-time and were a much better team in the second game following a spray from coach Brenton McCartney.

1.2.4 (25)	Q1	1.0.3 (12)
1.5.6 (45)	Q2	1.1.4 (19)
	Q3
	Q4

Tom Bellchambers 1	Shaun Higgins 1
Alex Browne 1	Liam Jones 1
Alwyn Davey 1
Cory Dell'Olio 1
Kyle Hardingham 1
Nick Kommer 1

"When fatigue set in and the opposition put defensive pressure on us, we didn't use it that well,'' McCartney said.

"We gave up goals late in quarters.

"Sometimes you've just got to hang in there for the last three or four minutes and that's something we've got to get better at.''

Collingwood looked a little rusty at the beginning but were sparked by a classy performance from small forward Jarryd Blair and superstar midfielder Dane Swan.

In the night's opening game, Essendon gained some respite from their off-field nightmare with a morale-boosting AFL pre-season win over the Western Bulldogs.

The Bombers opened the NAB Cup on Friday night with a 26-point win over the Western Bulldogs in the first of three mini-games.

Essendon then had a break before playing Collingwood in the last game of the evening.

Star recruit Brendon Goddard had a team-high 13 possessions and Kyle Hardingham kicked the supergoal as the 'Dons won 1.5.6 (45) to 1.1.4 (19).

Essendon's defence was superb, the league's oldest active player Dustin Fletcher and his young key-defender apprentice Jake Carlisle dominating.

There was plenty of applause for the Bombers as they took to the field, a welcome change from the intense media scrutiny of the past few days.

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Essendon are under Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority and AFL investigation because of supplements their players took last season.

The club was also implicated in the landmark Australian Crime Commission investigation into sport.

While the Bulldogs took the early initiative when Shaun Higgins kicked their supergoal, Essendon kicked the last two goals of the half to lead by 13 points.

They then kicked clear in the second half and first-year player Nick Kommer goaled seconds before the fulltime siren to add emphasis to the win.

Captain Matthew Boyd had a game-high 17 disposals for the Bulldogs and fellow midfielder Nick Lower also impressed in the first game for his third AFL club.

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Pistorius breaks down in court

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Oscar Pistorius ... weeps during his court hearing in Pretoria. Source:AP

Prosecutors say they will pursue a premeditated murder charge against Oscar Pistorius as the star openly wept in court on Friday.

Pistorius was formally charged at Pretoria Magistrate's Court with one count of murder.

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Reeva Steenkamp, a model and budding reality TV show participant, was shot and killed at Pistorius' upmarket home in an eastern suburb of the South African capital in the predawn hours of Thursday, sending the country reeling.

Pistorius stood with his face in his hands as he broke down in tears on his first court appearance.

The magistrate delayed Pistorius' bail hearing until next Tuesday and Wednesday and ruled that the 26-year-old Pistorius would be held at a Pretoria police station until then.

Pistorius' father, Henke, was in the court as was his brother Carl, sister Aimee and other supporters of the 26-year-old double-amputee athlete.

Oscar Pistorius ... weeps during his court hearing in Pretoria.

Police said Friday an autopsy on the body of the victim was taking place.

Lt. Col. Katlego Mogale said the results of the autopsy would not be published.

Twenty-six-year-old Pistorius -- known globally as "Blade Runner" is accused of killing blonde cover girl Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot four times with a 9mm pistol registered in Pistorius's name.

Scene of the crime ... journalists wait outside the main entrance of Pistorius's estate. Source: AFP

She suffered wounds to the head and hand and died in the early hours of Thursday.

The sprinter spent the night behind bars, being subject to blood-alcohol, DNA and other tests, as forensics experts continued to work at his house in an upscale Pretoria estate.

Lawyer Kenny Oldwage earlier said his client was "very well, obviously emotional, but fine."

The police said they will oppose bail and have poured icy water on early reports that Pistorius had shot his 29-year-old girlfriend after mistaking her for a burglar.

Police were called to Pistorius's upscale Pretoria home at around 4:00 am by neighbours who heard gunshots.

He is the only suspect in the case.

The sprinter became an international celebrity during last year's London Olympics, inspiring millions as the first double-amputee to give able bodied competitors a run for their money.

Now his apparent fall from grace has equally captured the attention of millions around the world.

He was publicly adored in his native South Africa, though questions had been raised about his colourful private life that was replete with glamorous girlfriends, guns and fast cars.

"Obviously we are shocked," his father Henke Pistorius told AFP. "He is with the police and the matter is in the hands of the authorities."

Steenkamp, once an FHM cover girl, was described as "the kindest, sweetest human being; an angel on earth," by Sarit Tomlins of her management agency.

Born in Cape Town, she grew up in Port Elizabeth where she graduated with a degree in law from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Police revealed there had been previous allegations of domestic disputes at Pistorius's home.

"There were always rumours attracted to Oscar Pistorius, but most of them I just put down to him being a celebrity," said Kyle Wood, a 25-year-old fellow resident of the gated community.

Pistorius ... a groundbreaking athlete. Source: AP

In 2009 Pistorius spent a night in jail after allegedly assaulting a 19-year-old woman at a party.

He has often spoken publicly about his fondness for guns.

Last year he told a newspaper he sleeps with a pistol, machine gun, cricket bat and baseball bat for fear of burglars.

There are an estimated 1.5 million gun owners in South Africa, where crime remains a major problem.

Many residents keep weapons at home and equip their houses with electric fences and panic buttons that summon heavily armed guards within minutes.

In November, Pistorius tweeted about arriving home and hearing the washing machine on "and thinking it's an intruder to go into full combat recon mode into the pantry! waa."

Pistorius was also known as an adrenaline junkie, with a love of speed reflected in a passion for motorbikes. Four years ago he crashed his boat in a river south of Johannesburg, breaking two ribs, an eye socket and his jaw.

Empty alcohol bottles were found in the boat, but his blood alcohol content was not tested.

Until now his problems off the track had been eclipsed by his success on it.

The Johannesburg-born athlete won gold in the 4x100m relay and the 400m individual at the Paralympic Games in London. He was triple gold medallist in the Beijing games in 2008.

He was named by Time Magazine last year as one of the world's 100 most influential people.

He had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11-months-old after being born without lower leg bones. But he played sports unhindered while growing up, switching to running after fracturing a knee playing rugby.

Today sponsors are racing to distance themselves from the sprinter whom they once feted.

A South African pay television channel has canned a campaign featuring the runner.

There was no immediate comment from global sports giant Nike on its sponsorship of Pistorius, whom it featured in an advert showing the runner setting off from the starting blocks with the line "I am the bullet in the chamber".

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Bio passports for FIFA World Cup

Cup ... FIFA will introduce biological passports in Brazil. Source: GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

Every footballer at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will be required to have a biological passport, the sport's world governing body FIFA announced on Friday.

FIFA intends to introduce the system of biological profiling at this year's Confederations Cup in Brazil, as part of the worldwide crackdown on doping in sport and it should be fully operational by the next World Cup.

A delegation from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) met FIFA officials at their Zurich headquarters on Thursday, and WADA president John Fahey said his agency was "very satisfied with the commitment of FIFA on the biological profiles''.

Biological profiling, as used in cycling, is considered one of the most effective methods of detecting the use of performance-enhancing drugs and blood boosters like EPO.

EPO was first tested for by FIFA at the 2002 World Cup where all players had to undergo urine and blood testing and, whenever the results were abnormal, an EPO test was performed. All results were negative.

FIFA is also developing the hormonal profiling project, a new initiative in collaboration with the WADA-accredited laboratory in Switzerland.

"There is always more which can be done in the fight against doping, but we know FIFA has always been serious in this domain,'' Fahey said.

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Crusaders edge Waratahs in trial

Israel Folau ... impresses again for the Waratahs in a trial. Source: News Limited

NSW Waratahs knocked back a whopping nine kickable penalty shots at goal as they fell 16-14 to the Crusaders in a scrappy Super Rugby trial at Allianz Stadium.

Waratahs coach Michael Cheika stuck with his policy for the trials of not taking three-pointers as they looked to get their attack fine-tuned ahead of their Super Rugby opener against Queensland on Saturday week.

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Young five-eighth Ben Volavola had an indifferent night at the office for the Waratahs but showed glimpses of class and enough to please Cheika with playmakers Berrick Barnes and Bernard Foley in doubt for the Reds' clash.

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Israel Folau was named man of the match as the star fullback made the most of his limited opportunities with several line breaks for the hosts who scored two tries to one.

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Folau brought the small crowd to their feet every time he chimed into the backline and showed enough to suggest he's in for a big year.

Although Cheika wasn't pleased with the amount of dropped ball, overall he was happy with the performance and defended the choice not to take penalty shots.

"I thought we weren't too bad considering we had about probably nine or 10 guys in their first game at the start of the game, so they were blowing like crazy from the start which I could tell.

"We knew what we were trying to do which is good. I like that. One of the big things we want to do is be very clear about how we want to play and just keep playing like that.

"... We want to win but I think you see by the way that we decided to take penalty kicks for goal that we understand the balance of what we want to get out of practice matches as well."

The Waratahs fought back well in the second half after trailling 13-0 at halftime.

Brendan McKibbin's injection at halfback for Grayson Heart in the 27th minute was pivotal for the Waratahs with the classy No.9 giving his side some much-needed direction.

NSW scored their first points of the night when back-rower Lopeti Timani charged onto a pass from McKibbin close the line with the big Tongan barging his way over on 60 minutes.

McKibbin slotted the goal from the sideline to make it 13-7.

The Waratahs hit the lead for the first time about seven minutes later when replacement hooker Luke Holmes scored after a rolling maul from a lineout close to the Crusaders' line with Brendan McKibbin kicked the conversion to make it 14-13.

The Crusaders hit back with a penalty goal to Tom Taylor to make it 16-14 much to the disapproval of the enthusiastic small crowd.

The first half of the match which was split into 20 minute periods didn't reach any great heights with the Crusaders scoring a try through prop Pa'ea Fununu off a rolling maul while the other points came from a conversion and penalty goal to star No.10 Dan Carter while replacement five-eighth Tom Taylor slotted kicked the first of his two penalties in the first half.

Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder said the trial was a typical scrappy affair for this time of the year.

"These pre-season games are all like this. We were pretty disjointed and and pretty messy and for the last two weeks we've just been doing the same sort of thing. You just try and play with some structure, try some moves," he said.

"There's some things that need tweaking but nothing major, everything's in place."

The former All Black was impressed by Folau.

Blackadder confirmed that Carter left the field with a corked knee but said the injury was nothing serious.

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Quade: the past is in the past

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Long road back ... Cooper is keen to make amends for his forgettable outburst. Source:News Limited

Controversial Queensland Reds playmaker Quade Cooper is eager to put a topsy-turvy 2012 behind him and use his recent boxing success as a building block towards regaining the Wallabies No.10 jersey.

Cooper returns to the rugby field on Saturday night in the Reds' season-opener against the Brumbies and if his recent knockout of Barry Dunnett is anything to go by, he appears to be in the best physical shape of his career.

"I think it helped my footwork and when I started boxing … it helped with my knee rehab," Cooper told Fox Sports' Rugby HQ.

"I feel like I'm in a good space leading into the season from a footwork point-of-view and a fitness point-of-view as well."

Boxing aside, Cooper knows there's still plenty of hard work to come on the rugby field if he's to regain the superb form of 2011.

He's also chasing redemption with the Wallabies and coach Robbie Deans, who were the targets of his now famous "toxic" environment Twitter tirade and follow-up comments on The Rugby Club.

"It's a very important year but I'm not going to get clouded and all that sort of stuff from the past," Cooper said of the comments that saw him fined $40,000 and handed a two-match suspended ban.

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"I said a few things and I also apologised for a few of the things that I said.

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"There was a lot of emotions, up and down, with the way I was playing and a few things behind the scenes.

"But I'm not going to get caught up in that … I'm hoping that this year will be a positive year."

The 24-year-old fly half wants to make that unfortunate period a distant memory by winning back the Wallabies No.10 jersey and securing a place against the British and Irish Lions.

But that's easier said than done with good mates Kurtley Beale and James O'Connor both keen to fill the playmaking role, and talented Brumbies five-eighth Christian Lealiifano also on Deans's radar.

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Watch the Reds take on the Brumbies, Live and in HD from 7.30pm (EDT) Saturday on Fox Sports 2HD!

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"It's been a great building block with the start of the season with the boxing and getting fit and having a pre-season with the Reds boys," Cooper said of his start to 2013.

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"So I'm really excited about the opportunity of gaining back my spot in the Wallabies and it's a big year ahead with the Lions.

"And if I'm fortunate enough to put the gold jumper on and play again for the Wallabies this year, against the Lions, then that will be great.

"But then again, if I'm not selected for it then all I can do is play the best football I can and hopefully be a part of the 2013 set-up."

Cooper's journey back to the top begins at Canberra Stadium on Saturday night.

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