Opinion
Opinion
WordPlay
Do you live in one of Australia’s most oddly named towns?
Show me the way to Peter the Swede.
- by David Astle
Latest
Analysis
NRL 2026
It takes a special person to be an NRL coach. So why do they do it?
A football season is a test of whether the forces that bond a club together can withstand the forces seeking to pull it apart. Coaching is usually the easy part.
- by Roy Masters
Analysis
Sydney Swans
The third quarter that changed the game – and maybe the Swans’ season
Trailing by 10 points at half-time, the Swans’ remarkable 75-point third quarter kick-started their season. We break down how they did it.
- by Jonathan Drennan
Opinion
Antisemitism
The AFL usually loves pushing a social cause. So why is it ignoring this one?
The AFL would never admit it, but some around football say it has turned its back when Australia most needs it because it’s nervous about a public backlash.
- by Neil Mitchell
Analysis
World politics
How the royal ‘Trump whisperers’ will be key to winning back Washington
With British PM Keir Starmer’s reputation state-side at a low, the King and Queen will have to work their magic on their latest visit.
- by Hannah Furness, Connor Stringer and Tony Diver
Analysis
Sydney Swans
Buddy 2.0: Sydney falls in love with its latest forward superstar at the SCG
As he slotted his maiden goal for his new club against his old one, Charlie Curnow staked his claim as the successor to Lance Franklin, Barry Hall and Tony Lockett.
- by Tom Decent
Opinion
Middle East at war
I covered the Middle East when Saddam was America’s friend. The bloodletting hasn’t stopped
Iranians deserve better than the ayatollahs – and they deserve better than an illegal war waged by a felonious, feckless president with no plan for what follows.
- by Geraldine Brooks
Analysis
NRL 2026
Lazy defence, panic calls, pushed passes: Ugly Eels opener had it all
The only thing more surprising that Parramatta’s opening-round capitulation to the Storm last year was that the Eels would allow it to happen again.
- by Adrian Proszenko
Opinion
Radio
Kyle and Jackie O’s demise is proof that Melbourne is culturally superior to Sydney
Melburnians’ discerning taste has brought down a Sydney rating juggernaut, and the rest of the country should be grateful.
- by Kate Halfpenny
Analysis
AFL 2026
They looked shocked: The moment Carlton’s bad habits returned on opening night
Carlton started on a new path in October, while the Swans returned to their old ways. In opening round, both clubs showed they can still walk away winners.
- by Peter Ryan
Opinion
Health and nutrition
I traded my knee for a lifetime of telling people how brave I am
How to yelp with just enough stoicism to secure a sympathy snack.
- by Richard Glover
Opinion
Hiring
‘Clear and legible’: Does your resume pass the 30-second check?
Eighty per cent of resumes don’t make it past the first screening stage. Here’s how you can get an edge.
- by Roxanne Calder
Opinion
Work therapy
Should I bother applying for a role already earmarked for a colleague?
Just because this open role has a whiff of fait accompli about it, I wouldn’t necessarily say that you should pull out of the interview.
- by Jonathan Rivett
Opinion
Media & marketing
‘Scared to speak?’: Kyle’s on-air warning before tirade at Jackie
The radio host’s decision to berate his colleague so severely she broke their 27-year partnership has gone down in history. But that wasn’t all he said in their final broadcast.
- by Calum Jaspan
Analysis
NRL 2026
The season-defining moments that have haunted Penrith all summer
For the first time in five years, Penrith blinked when a tight contest was there to be won in last year’s preliminary final against Brisbane.
- by Dan Walsh
Opinion
Middle East at war
An oppressed people are, once again, lured onto the street only to have their hopes dashed
Celebrating is the natural response of those living under authoritarianism to news their tyrant is gone. So much is loaded into the moment. Like releasing a breath that has been held for decades.
- by Waleed Aly
Opinion
Political leadership
The good, the bad and the ugly of the Liberal Party review
The party’s post-mortem of its disastrous federal election is far from pretty, but so has been its attempt to cover it up.
- by James Massola
Analysis
Foreign relations
A political rock star comes to Canberra. Did he match the hype?
The Canadian prime minister set the foreign policy world alight with a speech early this year. He arrived in Australia on a mission to show that middle powers matter.
- by Matthew Knott
Opinion
Afghanistan
‘Gender apartheid’: Why we can’t forget the women of Afghanistan
Afghani men are now permitted to beat their wives as long as it does not cause “broken bones or open wounds”.
- by Liz Gooch
Analysis
Middle East at war
The Iran energy nightmare is becoming a reality
Energy analysts modelling a war involving Iran have long feared two developments. Now both are unfolding at once.
- by The Economist
Opinion
Supermarkets
My supermarket made me ‘shopper of the week’. I don’t believe a word it says any more
Who can take Colesworth seriously any more? With the cramped self-checkout areas, items that aren’t “half price” at all and meat trays marked “while stocks last”, it is like an old toxic boyfriend.
- by Michelle Cazzulino
Opinion
Casinos
From a Victorian marquess to a Danish theologian: How judge unpicked Star mess
The non-executive directors have successfully defended the case but didn’t avoid Justice Michael Lee’s legendary burn.
- by Elizabeth Knight
Opinion
Workplace culture
Jackie O’s spectacular resignation should be an inspiration to us all
We can endlessly debate that Henderson should have done this years ago, but it still doesn’t diminish the courage it takes to stand up to a workplace bully.
- by Tim Duggan
Analysis
Australian Grand Prix
Move over, Binfluencers. Glamour is back on the grid
The Australian Grand Prix’s launch event used to pull Hollywood celebs and true A-listers, but over the years it became a shadow of itself. This year it was back with a bang – and this is what it was like on the inside.
- by Sam McClure
Opinion
Online gambling
Unusual bets on Trump’s war have rung alarm bells
Highly profitable trades made ahead of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran have put a spotlight on a fast-growing threat to the financial system.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Analysis
NRL 2026
The Rabbitohs revolution to fix worst attack of Bennett’s 38-year career
South Sydney had the NRL’s best completion rate in 2025, but ranked last in several other key attacking statistics.
- by Dan Walsh
Opinion
Radio
Don’t dance on Kyle and Jackie O’s grave – they were the best thing on radio
There is no word other than sneering to describe the generally inner-city, ABC-listening critics of FM radio’s most successful duo.
- by Michael Koziol
Analysis
Middle East at war
A seven-page proposal was on the table. Then Trump learnt a tantalising fact
For months before Saturday’s strike on Iran, politicians and analysts argued about the country’s nuclear capability. Trump cut through them.
- by Michael Koziol
Opinion
AFL 2026
Dennis Cometti brought joy to the commentary box, but there was one thing he loathed
Working alongside the legendary caller, I was introduced to another side of his analytical brilliance.
- by Caroline Wilson
Opinion
Victorian Parliament
Allan’s WFH laws look like genius. They only take us closer to the cliff’s edge
If you asked AI to devise a policy that would be widely popular, cost the budget nothing and wedge the Victorian opposition, it would probably come up with legislated work from home.
- by Chip Le Grand
Opinion
Political leadership
One Nation may well win Sussan Ley’s seat – that would be terrible for all of us
Smart Liberals believe the coming Farrer byelection could be a two-horse race, with neither horse wearing Liberal or National colours. That would be bad enough. What would be worse, for everyone, is if One Nation won. That too is possible.
- by Niki Savva
Opinion
Middle East at war
Bad energy: Trump will be forced to end his reckless war very soon
It is astonishing that Donald Trump has created an energy crisis that America is not set up to handle.
- by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Opinion
Psychology
If you laugh, you can’t be offended and other essential truths I’ve learnt
We once sought advice from philosophers and academics, today it’s best provided by people who understand the basic rules of life and live them in front of the cameras.
- by Wendy Syfret
Opinion
Vale
A JFK assassination buff: The quirks and keys to the legendary Dennis Cometti
Cometti’s passing is a moment to reflect on how history is made, not only by athletes, but by those who consecrate and capture the essence of what we have seen, who make it special.
- by Jake Niall
Analysis
Australian economy
Sorry folks, this rosy report is as good as it gets this year
Spending, especially among the states, is also growing on everyday services including health, education and policing.
- by Shane Wright
Opinion
Radio
Jackie O enabled the misogyny of Kyle Sandilands. Inevitably, he turned on her
Prime ministers and premiers have pandered to bottom-shelf vulgarian Sandilands. It’s hard to feel too much sympathy for his co-host when she endured one of his on-air sprays.
- by Jacqueline Maley
Opinion
Courts
I’m a retired Supreme Court judge. Tom Silvagni should not have been prosecuted in secret
In April 2008, I jokingly referred to myself as the “Queen of Suppression Orders” when explaining to a jury why I had banned a show that had been about to air on the Seven network.
- by Betty King
Opinion
Obituaries
Dennis Cometti cracked many famous jokes, but there’s only one I would chisel on his tombstone
Just 76 years old, Dennis Cometti was so loved, so full of life. Has there been a more widely loved sports commentator in the history of our country?
- by Peter FitzSimons
Opinion
Radio
Kyle and Jackie O: Radio’s biggest train wreck delivers a silver lining
The spiking of the duo’s $200 million contract raises questions about the wisdom of KIIS FM network owner ARN’s decisions to bet the farm on the pair.
- by Elizabeth Knight
Opinion
Middle East at war
Markets are down on Iran war, but the slump could be a lot worse
Investors’ relatively calm response to the attack on Iran will be short-lived if the hostilities drag on.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Analysis
Middle East at war
No, he’s not Winston Churchill. But Starmer’s learnt something from history Trump hasn’t
Publicly rebuked by the president and deeply unpopular at home, Keir Starmer is sticking to his guns over Iran and wants to avoid “the mistakes of Iraq”.
- by David Crowe
Opinion
Jacinda Ardern
Welcome, Jacinda, but here are seven ground rules for moving to Sydney
Before she settles on our northern beaches, the former Kiwi PM needs some pointers. Rule 1: We own her, along with Russell Crowe and pavlova.
- by Michelle Cazzulino
Analysis
Middle East at war
Iran has a plan to see off Trump. It’s not that complicated
The Islamic Republic is aiming to drive up the cost of the war for the US president – American casualties, energy costs, inflation – to persuade him to declare victory and go home.
- by Steven Erlanger
Analysis
Radio
The four words that destroyed a decades-long partnership
For 27 years Jackie O has stood beside Kyle Sandilands but success built on chemistry is inevitably doomed.
- by Michael Idato
Opinion
Supermarkets
Our supermarket duopoly needs to tell not just the truth but the whole truth
The ACCC/Coles Federal Court case has exposed pricing practices that push ethical boundaries. But wait until you see what they’re planning next.
- by Allan Fels
Opinion
Middle East at war
Iran’s regime won’t just fall over. This war is likely to be long and bloody
Khamenei was a polarising political and spiritual leader opposed by many Iranians, yet was also revered by some, who have called for revenge.
- by Amin Saikal
Opinion
Short-term loans
Should I use my super to buy a $100k car or get a loan instead?
It may seem silly to get a car loan so late in life but, depending on your super returns, it can make sense.
- by Noel Whittaker
Opinion
Aged care
For many retirees, this 37-page aged care ‘test’ is a waste of time
The means assessment test for aged care is not compulsory, and for some, you’d be better off not filling it in at all.
- by Rachel Lane
Opinion
AFL 2026
Take off your duffle coats and stop whining about fairness, the AFL is bigger than Victoria
Some clubs, including my old team Richmond, say the academy system doesn’t pass the pub test. Here’s my message to the AFL Commission as they consider the rules.
- by Wayne Campbell
Analysis
Radio
Kyle and Jackie O’s disintegration may be the biggest bust-up in Australian media – ever
The show had succeeded for years, but its entry into Melbourne on a $200 million deal proved the beginning of the end for the duo’s distasteful radio show.
- by Stephen Brook