'Went further than swim team'

'It went further than the swim team' ... Liz Cambage on James Magnussen's behaviour. Source: News Limited

Basketballer Liz Cambage moved quickly to douse a fire she lit with a bizarre Twitter post questioning whether other female athletes at the London Olympics had been affected by the behaviour of swimmer James Magnussen.

Magnussen and most of his men's 100m freestyle relay teammates last week admitted to taking the banned sedative Stilnox during a bonding session at a pre-Olympics camp in Manchester.

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He also owned up to a series of pranks which involved disturbing some of his female teammates on the same night.

There were no revelations as to anything untoward at the London Games, until Tuesday's intriguing post by Cambage.

"Have any other Olympic females athletes spoken out against Magnussen, because it went further than the swim team," Cambage wrote.

She followed up with another tweet: "And I'm talking about the Olympics not Manchester."

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The initial post was quickly deleted, as Cambage then posted: "I deleted the tweet as I have nothing to say, it was a question! Media just went wild on it."

Some hours later, Cambage then tweeted: "I apologise if my comments have been misconstrued. In no way was my tweet meant to be an allegation against James magnussen."

Tuesday's offerings are not the first instance of Cambage causing a stir via Twitter, having questioned swimmer Stephanie Rice's friendship with US basketball star Kobe Bryant at the London Games.

Bryant and Rice caused a social media frenzy when spotted sitting side by side at the cycling at London 2012.

It prompted Cambage to tweet: "I love how Kobe has his wife with him at the Olympics, yet still surrounded by groupies."

All six men's freestyle relay swimmers in the London team - Magnussen, Eamon Sullivan, Tommaso D'Orsogna, Cameron McEvoy, Matthew Targett and James Roberts could be banned from future Olympics for using Stilnox, though Roberts has denied taking the sedative.

The Australian Olympic Committee had banned the sedative weeks before the Games.

The six swimmers are all set to face Swimming Australia's newly-created integrity panel.

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All you need for Ryobi Cup final

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Key men ... Aaron Finch (L) and Ryan Harris are potential match-winners. Source:News Limited

Victoria and Queensland will battle it out for the title of Australia's premier one-day side when they meet in the Ryobi Cup final on Wednesday.

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The sides have already met twice this season, with the Bushrangers smashing the Bulls back in October but Queensland getting their revenge just a few weeks ago.

With rain predicted in Melbourne, there's a chance Duckworth-Lewis could come into play, but both sides will be preparing for all situations at the MCG.

With the help of Fox Sports cricket expert Brendon Julian and Fox Sports Stats, we've pulled together all the information you'll need to know for the final.

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WHAT, WHEN, WHERE

Victoria v Tasmania at Melbourne Cricket Ground, 2pm (EDT) Wednesday 26 February

Watch LIVE on Fox Sports 3 and Fox Sports 3HD

SQUADS (12th men still to be named)

Victoria: Cameron White (capt), Fawad Ahmed, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, John Hastings, Michael Hill, David Hussey, Clint McKay, Darren Pattinson, Rob Quiney, Chris Rogers, Will Sheridan.

Queensland: James Hopes (capt), Joe Burns, Peter Forrest, Cameron Gannon, Ryan Harris, Chris Hartley, Nathan Hauritz, Alister McDermott, Greg Moller, Michael Neser, Luke Pomersbach, Nathan Reardon (Jason Floros, Cameron Boyce on standby).

KEY PLAYERS

Victoria

Brendon Julian says: The key players for Victoria are Aaron Finch and David Hussey. They've both been in tremendous form for most of the summer and if they get going Victoria will be hard to stop.

Queensland

Brendon Julian says: Ryan Harris will be key, especially on a pitch that will probably produce a bit of swing due to the rain that's been around. He can bowl them over, and be a match-winner on his own. With the bat, the key man for the Bulls is Luke Pomersbach.

ROAD TO THE FINAL

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Victoria

28 September, 2012: Lost to WA by 25 runs
7 October 2012: Beat Queensland by 190 runs
28 October 2012: Beat Tasmania by 25 runs
7 November 2012: Beat WA by nine wickets
18 November 2012: Beat NSW by six wickets
28 November 2012: Lost to SA by four wickets
9 February 2013: Beat SA by two wickets
16 February 2013: Lost to Queensland by six wickets

Queensland

7 October 2012: Lost to Victoria by 190 runs
21 October 2012: Lost to SA by nine wickets
14 November2012: Beat Tasmania by five wickets
21 November 2012: Beat NSW by 110 runs
2 December 2012: Beat NSW by 30 runs
27 January 2013: Match abandoned against Tasmania
2 February 2013: Lost to WA by 110 runs
16 February 2013: Beat Victoria by six wickets

STATS AMAZING (courtesy of Fox Sports Stats)

Victoria

Aaron Finch (497 runs @ 99.40) and David Hussey (350 runs @ 87.50) are the top two leading run scorers in the 2012-13 Ryobi One-Day Cup. Both have scored two centuries in the competition, with Finch also scoring a century against England Lions on Monday.

Queensland

Queensland have won four of their past five Ryobi One-Day Cup matches (their only loss in this time was against WA by 110 runs at the Gabba). Queensland have a good recent record against Victoria at the MCG, having won four of their last six between the two states at the venue, including defeating them by 6 wickets last Saturday week and defeating them by 12 runs in the 2008-09 Ford Ranger Cup Final.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

24 November 2010: Victoria win on Duckworth-Lewis
9 October 2011: Queensland win by 31 runs
7 December 2011: Victoria win by 12 runs
7 October 2012: Victoria win by 190 runs
16 Feb 2013: Queensland win by six wickets

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Watch the Ryobi Cup Final between Victoria and Queensland, LIVE and in HIGH DEFINITION from 2pm Wednesday (EDT) on Fox Sports 3.

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Biggest hitter in game shows drive

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Big shot ... British golfer Joe Miller is arguably the world's hardest hitter of a golf ball. Source: Gregory Bull / AP

Weighing 19 stone and standing six-foot, four-inches tall, Joe Miller looks like should be tackling NRL players instead of fairways.

But the little-known linksman is also golf's Mr Big Shot, literally, having built a successful career out of his powerful swing in the growing game of long drive.

In 2005, in his first competitive event, Miller won the European Long Drive Championship with an incredible 474-yard strike.

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In 2010 he became the first European to win the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships with a 414-yard drive. It broke the record for a winning margin by 43 yards and Miller put so much force into the shot he broke his toe.

The big-hitting Brit holds the world record for ball speed, at 225 mph, and has been developing his game since the age of 15, when he realised his amazing swing was ideally suited to the sport of long drive.

Asked about his future plans, Miller said: "My main focus is on introducing long drive to the UK and the rest of Europe because it's still new to everyone over here. We are trying to build awareness."

Now Miller is in Australia, and Brett Ogle took the chance to watch the big hitter in action and pick his brains about long driving.

Asked whether he felt nerves facing the sport's biggest names at the world championships, Miller replied: "Nerves don't come into it.

"Adrenaline comes into it, don't get me wrong," he said.

"It's one of those things. You've got the crowd going, the TV is on you, there's a lot of pressure. We're not chipping and putting here so it's not going to be delicate ... it's all-out war when it gets to that final competition."

Watch the full interview above.

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No end in sight to Judd's career

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No end in sight ... Chris Judd wants to keep playing AFL beyond the 2013 season. Source: George Salpigtidis / News Limited

Carlton star Chris Judd says there is no end in sight to his AFL career despite relinquishing the captaincy.

Judd, who turns 30 in September, enters his 12th AFL season without a contract for next year.

But the two-time Brownlow Medallist says a new deal is a given.

"I'm not going anywhere," Judd told the Ten Network on Tuesday.

"I'm keen to play on next year - the club's keen to have me.

"At some stage throughout the year, we'll sit down and nut out the finer details.

"I've been excited by what (new coach Mick Malthouse) and his team are doing and I want to hang around for a little while longer yet."

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Check out the full 2013 AFL premiership season fixture

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Judd also confirmed the Blues had found ways to fit the remainder of his Visy ambassador deal in their salary cap, after the AFL tightened rules on what could be paid outside the cap.

"The AFL allowed us to put some of the money into last year's cap, where there was a bit of room, and some of it into injury payments," he said.

"With our point of view, we were really happy with how that went down."

Judd, who didn't play in the opening round of the pre-season, will also miss Saturday night's clash with Fremantle as he works his way back to fitness after a hamstring strain.

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Fox Footy is the only place to see every game of the 2013 AFL regular season live in high definition and uninterrupted siren-to-siren.

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Video: the worst sports ads

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Cringe ... Rovers players dig into some friend chicken before a match. YouTube. Source:Supplied

It's no secret that companies don't mind splashing the cash to get high profile sportspeople to front their marketing campaigns, no matter what they're trying to sell.

It can be a masterstroke - see some of Nike's football commercials down the years - but very often these advertisements land wide of the mark.

Spanish football giants Barcelona are sponsored by nutrition company Herbalife, whose latest ad, at the top of this page, features Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi trying his hand at cricket.

Judging by his performance, it's luckily the little Argentine is rather good at football. His unorthodox technique with the willow and a debatable bowling style ensure he doesn't have a future in cricket, let alone acting.

The Barcelona ace is used to competing with Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, and it appears their rivalry transcends the pitch and onto the silver screen.

Who can forget Ronaldo's infamous pronunciation of "liquid engineering" for the Castrol ads we were forced to endure during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Aussie sportspeople aren't exempt either - just ask Sydney Swans recruit Kurt Tippett.

In an advert for Balfours Pies, the former Adelaide Crows forward dons the chef whites to … heat up a pie and put it on a plate.

Makes perfect sense.

Queenbeyan product Mark Webber, true to his local roots, put his name, face and even voice behind Canberra Milk.

Points for effort to the Formula One driver, but I doubt he drinks much milk before strapping himself in to experience some severe G forces around the track.

You couldn't find a worse discipline of athlete to sponsor fried food than lean footballers, but that's exactly what Venkys Chicken, the Indian owners of Blackburn Rovers, did.

An advert from them features Aussie Brett Emerton and his teammates digging into some fried chicken before heading onto the pitch for a match.

Eating fried chicken right before a football match? I guess that explains why Rovers were relegated from the Barclays Premier League last season.

One of Shane Warne's many nicknames is Hollywood, but don't let that fool you into thinking the Aussie spin king has skills in front of the camera.

Just check out his effort below for hair a regrowth company.

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Watch the cringeworthy sports commercials above and tell us which is the worst by leaving a comment below.

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Australia's first Test report card

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Disappointing ... Australia had a tough time in Chennai. Source: Rob Griffith / AAP

After Australia were beaten by the brilliance of MS Dhoni and Ravichandran Ashwin in the first Test in Chennai, we pass judgement on each player's performance.

David Warner 
Rating: 6 out of 10
Warner never looked comfortable in the first innings but it's a credit to him that he managed to scratch his way to a solid half-century. He wasn't comfortable for other reasons - namely a case of gastro - in the second innings and was dismissed for 23. Worrying that he was out lbw both times. Was called upon to bowl very late in India's innings but could be used more later in the series.

Ed Cowan
Rating: 5 out of 10
Actually looked to be in good touch until playing a rash stroke and being deceived in flight by Ravi Ashwin on 29 in the first innings, and was also dismissed by Ashwin in the second innings. Has significantly altered his game for the sub-continent, and looks to be one of the few Aussie batsmen to successfully master the sweep shot.

Phillip Hughes
Rating: 2 out of 10
Looks like a fish out of water in Indian conditions and struggled against India's spin trio, being dismissed for six and zero. That being said, he copped a virtually unplayable ball in the second innings. Will be feeling the pressure in Hyderabad.

Shane Watson
Rating: 4 out of 10
His first Test outing in his new mode as a batsman had mixed returns. He showed flashes of the trademark aggression that have made him so dominant in the short forms of the game, but never quite looked settled. Warner's illness gave Watson his wish of opening the batting in the second innings, but he didn't even face a pace bowler.

Michael Clarke
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Typically brilliant from the start. The Australia captain looks a class above his teammates, especially when it comes to playing spin. Failed to capitalise on his start in the second innings, but he was victim to a viciously turning ball from Ashwin. In the field, he rotated his bowlers well despite the criticism received for restricting Pattinson too much in the first innings. Might be required to bowl more himself in the coming Tests.

Matthew Wade
Rating: 2 out of 10
Not a great Test for Matthew Wade. He won't want to relive his shot in the second innings, as he was clean bowled playing a sweep shot that was never on. Had a tough time behind the stumps as well, facing a plethora of balls that didn't carry through to him, and dropping a couple of difficult chances off Nathan Lyon.

Moises Henriques
Rating: 8 out of 10
Henriques proved a lot of doubters wrong with his stirring debut performance. His first innings was impressive but his defiant knock in a losing cause late on day four could be the making of the man. Looked far more comfortable on the spinning deck than most of his more accomplished colleagues. Wasn't as threatening as he would have hoped with the ball, but did bag his first Test wicket courtesy of a terrible shot from Harbhajan Singh.

Peter Siddle
Rating: 4 out of 10
As usual, Siddle toiled long and hard all day, but his lack of a plan B saw him gain little reward in Chennai as he struggled to get a lot of movement out of the ball. Despite lacking penetration, he wasn't truly hammered by India's batsmen, going for less than three an over but only picking up the one wicket.

Mitchell Starc
Rating: 3 out of 10
Went from Australia's form bowler to their most vulnerable in the blink of an eye. Starc failed to swing the ball at all on the dusty wicket, and didn't get the bounce that James Pattinson found. Never really looked like taking a wicket and as a result, didn't.

James Pattinson
Rating: 8 out of 10
Easily Australia's best bowler. At some stages he looked to be bowling on a different pitch than everyone else, extracting pace, bounce and swing where others couldn't. He was willing to try new things and was rewarded for doing so with six wickets. Pattinson showed there is a way to be successful with fast bowling in India.

Nathan Lyon
Rating: 4 out of 10
The 215 runs he conceded in the first innings grabbed plenty of headlines, but Lyon was always fighting a losing battle without much in the way of support. Ashwin had Jadeja and Harbhajan keeping up the pressure at the other end, while Lyon occasionally had Pattinson. There's no hiding the Aussie spinner didn't bowl to his best, and didn't extract as much spin out of the pitch as the Indians – or even Michael Clarke – did, but his figures don't tell the full story.

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Ref Cam set for Super Rugby debut

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Ref Cam ... The latest innovation in broadcast technology will be unveiled in Brisbane. Source:Fox Sports

Fox Sports' ground-breaking use of technology will continue this weekend when Australia's first "Ref Cam" is unveiled in the much-anticipated Queensland Reds-New South Wales Waratahs Super Rugby clash.

Following on from a KFC T20 Big Bash League season that featured FoxKopter, Helmet Cam and Zing Bails, Fox Sports will unveil "Ref Cam" as its latest piece of broadcast innovation.

Trialled in the Super Rugby pre-season, referee Chris Pollock has been given the okay to don the specifically-engineered camera - which transmits live vision via an earpiece camera - in Saturday night's clash at Suncorp Stadium.

One of the biggest matches on the Super Rugby calendar, Aussie fans will now find themselves a step closer to the always fiery Reds-Waratahs showdown.  

"Rugby fans will be blown away by some of the angles this camera can produce," Head of Fox Sports Channels Gary Burns said. "You don't get any closer to the thick of the action than this.

David Pocock ... Ref Cam's extreme close-up. Source: Fox Sports

"The referee has the best view of anyone on the field, but now we are able to share that point-of-view with those watching at home and at Fox Sports venues.

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Watch Ref Cam in action from 7.30pm (EDT) Saturday night on Fox Sports 2HD!

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"The sound that it captures is great too. Through this camera you get a real appreciation for how tough it is out there, believe me."

Burns paid tribute to the Australian Rugby Union and SANZAR, who were both keen to see the latest in broadcast technology implemented in Super Rugby.

"But this wouldn't have been possible without the support of the ARU and SANZAR, so we really must thank them for seeing the benefits of the technology and working with us to give their fans the opportunity to see something very unique," Burns said.

"We also thank referee Chris Pollock for volunteering to wear the camera and allowing us to make it all happen in such a big game."

Fox Sports rugby reporter Sean Maloney will have a behind-the-scenes look at "Ref Cam" on Rugby HQ on February 28.

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Nugent: no idea of toxic culture

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Leigh Nugent ... denies having knowledge of a "toxic" culture in London. Source: Kym Smith / News Limited

Leigh Nugent says he'll fight to keep his job as Australian swimming's head coach despite damning reviews uncovering drug abuse in a "toxic'' culture in the sport.

Reviews found Australia's swim campaign at last year's London Olympics unravelled amid a lack of leadership, collapsed morale and animosity between swimmers.

But Nugent, who oversaw Australian swimming's lowest medal haul at an Olympics in two decades, said he had no idea of the cultural failings.

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"A lot of these things have come out in reflection,'' Nugent told reporters in Canberra.

Two separate reviews were released publicly on Tuesday, both condemning swimming's culture and management.

One review cited a "toxic'' culture in Australia's swim team at last year's Olympics, saying incidents of "getting drunk, misuse of prescription drugs, breaching curfews, deceit, bullying'' were not addressed by team hierarchy.

Claims some swimmers devised an initiation ritual involving the use of sleeping drug Stilnox were being further investigated, with the Australian Olympic Committee warning of likely sanctions for using the banned prescription drug.

Australia's swimmers won just one gold medal, six silver and three bronze at last year's London Games, the lowest tally in the pool since 1992 in Barcelona.

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Read "The Bluestone Review" in full.

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Australia also went without an individual gold medal for the first time since the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

The London team was undermined by a lack of moral authority and discipline which manifested in a "schoolyard clamour for attention and influence'', said the Bluestone Review into culture and leadership.

"Situations were left to bleed,'' the report said.

The festering and lack of leadership caused swimmers to feel alone and without support.

"Swimmers described these Games as the lonely Olympics and the individual Olympics ... swimmers felt undefended, alone, alienated,'' the report said.

The review said some older athletes saw the storm brewing, with stalwart Libby Trickett admitting she was among them.

Trickett said she heard rumours of swimmers abusing prescription drugs and others being bullied.

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"Definitely there were some things that were toxic,'' Trickett said.

"It wasn't one thing or a particular person that was toxic. It was an unfortunate series of events that led to that outcome.''

Trickett backed Nugent to continue as head coach, despite the review finding a disconnect between swimmers and the coach, and also veiled criticism from Australian Sports Commission (ASC) chief Simon Hollingsworth.

"It is fair to say that the head coach should have oversight over the broad happenings of the team,'' Hollingsworth said.

The ASC and Swimming Australia commissioned the other report, the Independent Swimming Review, which identified serious management shortcomings.

The review highlighted a lack of clear national vision, poor accountability, transparency and communication, and questionable use of funds.

It also found Swimming Australia's board was unable to deal with issues and did not critically evaluate performance, and made 35 recommendations to improve governance and the high performance program.

Swimming Australia president Barclay Nettlefold said an integrity panel had been created to examine recommendations from both reviews.

"Before we look at winning gold medals, we want to win back the admiration of the nation,'' he said.

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Demons fined $500k but won't fight AFL

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Suspended ... Dean Bailey (L) and Chris Connolly have both been punished Source: Colleen Petch / News Limited

Melbourne Demons have been spared of draft penalties and technically cleared of tanking while the AFL have avoided a costly and drawn-out legal fight.

But the Demons were on Tuesday fined $500,000, the third-largest fine in AFL history.

Then-football manager Chris Connolly and then-coach Dean Bailey were both suspended as a seven-month investigation of the club's actions late in the 2009 season was finally resolved.

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While no one at the club was found to have deliberately lost matches for draft picks, Connolly and Bailey were both found to have acted in a manner ''prejudicial to the interests of the AFL''.

Connolly, now in a marketing job with the Demons, was banned from serving any role at any AFL club until February next year.

Bailey, now an assistant coach with Adelaide, has been suspended for the first 16 rounds of the coming season.

That adds another blow to a horror off-season for Adelaide.

The Crows were already without chief executive Steven Trigg, suspended until July, and football manager Phil Harper, suspended until March over the Kurt Tippett saga, which also cost them draft picks and a $300,000 fine.

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Connolly and Bailey will both remain employed by their clubs.

The Crows will continue paying Bailey during his suspension and the Demons will consider doing the same for Connolly.

The finding against the Demons centred on a comment Connolly made in a 2009 football department meeting regarding the team's performance and the desire to secure a priority pick.

While there have been suggestions the comment was light-hearted, AFL acting general manager of football operations Gillon McLachlan said Connolly now accepted that it was stupid of him to say it and that people in the room took him seriously.

That included Bailey.

''He (Bailey) felt pressured after that meeting and made decisions to appease ultimately Chris and made decisions around resting players and around positional selections of players,'' McLachlan said.

But McLachlan said there was no evidence that Bailey didn't coach to win on game days, that players didn't give their all or that club officials had issued any directive to lose games, so the Demons were not charged with tanking.

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Demons president Don McLardy said while the club were unhappy with aspects of the process and outcome, they wouldn't fight it.

''A legal avenue is the last resort, not the first resort,'' he said.

''We sought to discuss openly with the AFL the situation and we feel that this is a resolution that we can accept.''

He said the fact the Demons could play their first pre-season match on Friday night with the issue resolved was a big consideration.

''We need clear air,'' McLardy said.

But while McLachlan said the AFL had drawn a ''line in the sand'' by creating a beefed-up integrity department, McLardy said clubs were none the wiser as to what separated experimentation from tanking.

''Nobody has got clear-cut ideas about tanking and what it means,'' McLardy said.

''But I still respect the AFL's right to protect the integrity of the game.''

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RLIF extends shoulder-charge ban

Ban backed ... The NRL's ban on shoulder charges has been endorsed by the game's governing body. Source: News Limited

Rugby league's international governing body has endorsed the NRL's ban on the shoulder charge by extending it across all competitions.

All rugby league matches - starting with this weekend's World Club Challenge between NRL premiers Melbourne and Super League champions Leeds - will now be played under the new rules prohibiting the shoulder charge.

Rugby League International Federation chairman Scott Carter said competitions already in progress - such as the Super League - will be allowed to separately determine if the rule is implemented immediately.

"Reviewing rules such as the shoulder charge is an important part of ensuring we have created the right environment for our players,'' Carter said in a statement.

"Player safety is a fundamental principle and the latest research and current trends show that the shoulder charge has the potential to create an unacceptable risk of injury for players.''

The ban has been met with a largely negative reaction by NRL players, who argued tougher penalties for contact with an opponent's head would have been a better response to a spate of ugly shoulder charges last year.

The matter came to a head last year when St George Illawarra utility Dean Young was flattened when hit by South Sydney's Greg Inglis, who was banned for three matches as a result.

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Inglis' Rabbitohs teammate Sam Burgess - a keen exponent of the shoulder charge - said he wasn't in favour of the ban.

"If I'm honest I think it's a crap rule change, because everyone likes seeing it - it's on every highlight reel with all the big hits,'' Burgess told Triple M's The Rush Hour.

''You do have to change (your tackling technique) in a sense because the decisions to make a shoulder charge are split second, so you have to change your whole mindset defensively.

"I think we'll see a few penalties early on in the year.''

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