Mark Duffield - Four Thoughts (23.06.2026)

Mark Duffield (0:00)

Let's move on to Four Thoughts on Sport to get us rolling this morning. First thought is on the Brownlow. The top 30 in Brownlow betting includes 27 midfielders and three ruckmen.

Luke Jackson, who is probably more capable at ground level in midfield battles than perhaps any other ruckman in history, he sits on the sixth line of betting behind Nick Dacos, Marcus Bontempelli, Isaac Heaney, Bailey Smith and Jordan Dawson.

Max Gorn and Brody Grundy sit a little further down the order. So can Jackson buck the odds and actually win this thing?

Or is it really, as we've been saying for some time, just a midfielders medal? We might get Dean Marr gets his thoughts on that when he comes on later in the show. Second thought is on Serena Williams. She has accepted a wild card invitation to play at Wimbledon. It will be her first tournament in four years. Now, full disclosure, I'm okay with this. Serena might have played or might not have played for four years, but she is arguably the greatest women tennis player in history. It does mean that one young player misses out, but I'm happy to let an all time great go round again at the tournament she absolutely dominated.

Thought 3 is on the FIFA World Cup, and this feels weirdly appropriate after talking about the worth of AFL wild card round. Because the World Cup finals have been expanded to 48 teams, Australia won't actually get as far as we've gotten in previous World Cups unless we make it to the knockout stages. The knockout stages will involve 32 teams, which has been the previous starting point for World Cup finals. And finally, Fourth Thought, the race for the Rising Star Award. Willem Dursma is averaging 19 disposals a game in his 13 games with nine goals. Carlton's Jagger Smith is averaging 23 disposals a game, but has kicked just the three goals. The pair are locked together in Rising Star betting, and they may go head to head this weekend if Dursma gets up off a calf niggle. It's going to be fun to watch. 487 736 736, that is the text line. Let us have your thoughts and questions. 1312 55 is the Bauer and Doday open line. Bauer and Doday, because the little things are everything. After the break, we'll be talking to Jonathan Horn, the sports columnist for The Guardian. Later on the show, Dean Margatis and Eliza Riley will talk to us about the WA State 18 girls. Made in WA for WA, this is Mornings with Mark Duffield on SCNWA.