New Zealand were 31-14 up during the second half until an Australian comeback; Watch Argentina vs South Africa in the Rugby Championship live on Sky Sports+ on Saturday from 10pm

New Zealand’s Will Jordan, is congratulated by teammate Cortez Ratima after scoring a try against Australia

New Zealand scored four tries in the first 25 minutes and held off a second-half Australia fightback with 13 men to beat the Wallabies 31-28 in a Rugby Championship thriller.

The All Blacks led 21-0 after 15 minutes but faltered badly in the second half, only just holding on in the closing minutes to win the first Bledisloe Cup Test on Saturday.

New Zealand were ahead 28-14 at the break and extended their advantage to 17 points early in the second half, only for Australia to rally with tries from Hunter Paisami and Tom Wright to cut the lead to three points.

The All Blacks failed again to build on a first-half lead and now haven’t scored a point in the final quarter of all four Rugby Championship matches this season, although clung on to deny the Wallabies a morale-boosting win.

Scott Barrett accidently hit Pasilo Tosi on the head as New Zealand lifted the Bledisloe Cup

All Blacks edge thriller with Australia

Australia’s were coming off a 67-27 loss to Argentina – their heaviest-ever in terms of points conceded – and All Blacks’ lightning start might have been their worst nightmare. Will Jordan went over first for New Zealand after only two minutes, then Rieko Ioane and Caleb Clarke scored to make it 21-0.

The hosts battled back with tries from Fraser McReight and Matt Faessler, either side of Ardie Savea adding a try for the All Blacks to secure them the bonus point and give them a 14-point lead at the break.

Ardie Savea scored one of New Zealand’s four first-half tries

New Zealand had been dominant with Cortez Ratima providing speedy ball from scrum-half and Damian McKenzie and Jordan running onto the ball from depth, but the game tightened in the second half as the visitors’ discipline lapsed and they were unable to keep the ball from Australia.

McKenzie increased their lead with a penalty and Savea was over the tryline but held up, while New Zealand seemed to have gone almost 90 meters to score through Ratima in the 57th but were again called back, this time for a forward pass.

The home side had plenty of possession but were unable to convert it into points until Paisami barged over from close range in the 65th minute, bringing the crowd of 68,061 to full voice.

Anton Lienert-Brown was shown a yellow card for an infringement in the lead up to the try and Clarke followed him to the sin bin six minutes later for a deliberate knock-on to leave the All Blacks two men down.

Wallabies centre Len Ikitau had a try scratched off for a knock-on in the 73rd minute before full-back Tom Wright finally went over for Australia’s fourth try a minute from time to cut the deficit to three points. Australia poured forward looking for a winning score but the New Zealand defence, 14-handed again, held firm to secure victory.

“It’s probably a bit of a relief to be honest,” All Blacks captain Scott Barrett said. “In the last 15 minutes we found ourself in a bit of a hole but with a bit of scrambled defence we managed to hold on.

“It’s the nature of the Aussies that they don’t lie down and they showed how desperate they were to get a hold on the cup and I’m proud of the boys to hold on.”

What’s next?

New Zealand can no longer win the Rugby Championship but will look to finish their campaign Australia again on Saturday Setepmber 28 in Wellington (8.05am kick-off), with South Africa hosting Argentina later that day (4pm) and both matches live on Sky Sports. Stream rugby union and more with NOW.

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.

It was the onslaught that never abated and forced the Swans to reimagine their season amid dire predictions about their premiership hopes.

From the opening bounce at Adelaide Oval in August, Sydney was overpowered by Port Adelaide in a staggering 112-point loss that shook the competition.

In one regard, it was an aberration for Sydney.

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Never before had a John Longmire-coached team lost by such a margin and rarely had they looked as ineffective. Even in Geelong’s demolition of Sydney in the 2022 grand final, the Swans had their moments.

This was something else and Longmire labelled the performance “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

But the scope of the defeat aside, it was a continuation of some worrying trends for Sydney.

It was the Swans fifth loss from six games during a period where the minor premiers resembled anything but the flag fancy they had appealed as during a brilliant Autumn.

It was also their eighth straight loss to Port Adelaide, a streak that has been dissected and reconsidered in recent days given the significance of Friday night’s preliminary final.

Alarmingly, it was the most vivid demonstration yet of what has shaped as an Achilles heel for the Swans flag ambitions throughout 2024, namely their propensity to start slowly.

Of the eight sides to qualify for the finals, the Swans have by far the worst opening term record and have led at the first break in just nine matches this year.

Hawthorn was the only other team with a negative opening term record (12-13) but five of those deficits came in their horror opening stretch before a Rd 6 win sparked their season.

And it is not just the fact that the Swans have been trailing. As a comparison of percentages, while every other finalist was above 100, Sydney’s quarter-time percentage is 75.93.

FIRST QUARTER RECORDS — AFL FINALS TEAMS IN 2024

1. Sydney — 9-1-14 For: 62.76 (448) Against: 88.62 (590) Percentage: 75.93

2. Port Adelaide — 17-1-7 For: 87.70 (592) Against: 65.73 (463) Percentage: 127.86

3. Geelong — 16-0-8 For: 88.64 (592) Against: 62.66 (438) Percentage: 135.16

4. Giants — 17-0-8 For: 80.62 (542) Against: 68.89 (497) Percentage: 109.05

5. Brisbane — 21-0-4 For: 104.87 (711) Against: 55.59 (389) Percentage: 182.78

6. Bulldogs — 13-0-11 For: 80.74 (554) Against: 69.50 (464) Percentage: 119.40

7. Hawthorn — 12-0-13 For: 74.64 (508) Against: 73.65 (503) Percentage: 100.99

8. Carlton — 14-2-8 For: 79.74 (548) Against: 68.57 (465) Percentage: 117.85

Source: finalsiren.com

It remains the biggest conundrum stemming from the loss to Port Adelaide in August ahead of tonight’s preliminary final and, potentially, the grand final in a week’s time at the MCG against either Geelong or Brisbane.

A freshen up for players away from the club in the days after the Port Adelaide loss proved the catalyst for a form reversal, beginning with the gallant win over Collingwood, after Longmire realised “they were just a bit tired”.

“We have been able to come back and find some form just through competing … and what we are most pleased about is just finding different ways to get over the line,” he said.

As champion Swan Isaac Heeney said this week, there is a stark difference in Sydney’s form now compared to when they were in a rut.

“That was in the past and we were out of a bit of form at that stage, but I feel like we are back,” he said.

“The boys are really confident and we know our best holds up against anyone and we will be ready to go.”

The merits of the eight match streak are arguably inconsequential, as Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley noted on Wednesday.

It is a rare occasion where the two rivals play more than once in a season and most of the matches in the streak were played at Adelaide Oval.

None of the top 20 highest-performing players in the past five matches between the preliminary final rivals have played every game.

“You have these runs. It has absolutely nothing to do with what will happen on Friday night,” Hinkley said.

“The next game is a lineball game and you have to be ready. And we have a big challenge with the Sydney midfield. We respect them enormously. We have to bring our absolute best or we will not be in the game.”

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But the Achilles heel remains, for even though the Swans have won their past four games, they have conceded leads at quarter-time in three of them and only led the Crows by seven points despite kicking a season’s best seven goals in their Rd 24 clash.

For the most part, the Swans have proven good enough to reel rivals in. To borrow from recent clashes between Australia’s best two middle-distance horses, the Swans have begun like champion galloper Mr Brightside when pitted against star mare Pride of Jenni.

Last week it conceded a significant start before pulling back the margin in the straight in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.

But the Port Adelaide loss was like Pride of Jenni’s demolition in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick in April.

Just as she extended her lead the further the race went, Port Adelaide put the foot to the floor against the Swans six weeks ago and continued to accelerate away from a top-class opponent.

Longmire, who described Port Adelaide as “a terrific footy team” this week, is well aware of the problem, though it was not addressed in a pre-match press conference this week.

Google Sydney Swans and slow starts and there will be quotes galore from the 2012 premiership coach this season lamenting the issue and vowing to address it.

As a case in point, after Fremantle snapped the Swans 10-match winning streak with a one point win at the SCG in Rd 16, courtesy of a seven goal to two opening term, Longmire said; “We have looked at it closely, so it’s not as if I have to look at it any closer.”

“It’s a bit of everything but when we get back to pretty basic footy and we get our pressure up, it’s amazing what happens from that. It’s very simple, but we’ve got to do it a bit earlier,” he said.

The Swans squared with St Kilda at 2.2 (14) apiece a week later at Marvel Stadium but in the eight matches since, only twice have they led at the first change – the Rd 24 clash against the Crows and the Rd 18 win over North Melbourne, where they took a two point advantage into the second term.

Heeney, who is playing his 200th game tonight, said the Swans “know we need to start well against Port and we will be up for it from the get go”.

Former St Kilda champion and Fox Footy analyst Leigh Montagna stressed this week on both the network and also Triple M that Port Adelaide have a legitimate chance of continuing their streak against the Swans.

But although they kicked a big winning score in the thrashing last month, he said they had a better chance of winning by preventing the match from becoming a shoot out and restricting the Swans in the opening term is a critical step.

In games where less than 160 points have been kicked as a combined score, Port Adelaide have won 11 of the 13 matches.

“I know it feels like this is the one where everyone just assumes the Sydney Swans (will progress),” Montagna said.

“I was having a look for a segment for The Watch List and making the case for Port Adelaide and if they can turn this into a scrap and turn it into an arm wrestle, they are every chance of winning this game. In the last 11 weeks, they have only conceded more than 75 points twice.

“They are defending really well. The Geelong game was a disaster … but if you take the broader body of work, they are defending really well. They can win an arm wrestle.

“When it opens up into a high-scoring game, they are five and six, so I don’t think a shoot out will work against the Swans. But if they can make it a scrap, they are right in this game.”

By Blake Antrobus For Nca Newswire

Published: 20:27 EDT, 19 September 2024 | Updated: 23:18 EDT, 19 September 2024

WARNING: GRAPHIC DETAILS 

A man neglected, flogged and abused his two-year-old stepdaughter because he disliked her – forcing her to eat her own faeces before he murdered her and dumped her remains near a weir.

Tane Saul Desatge was found guilty earlier this week during a judge-only trial of murdering and torturing Kaydence Hazel Mills – the daughter of his then-girlfriend Sinitta Tammy Dawita – between February 16 and May 6, 2017.

The two-year-old’s body was found buried near the Chinchilla Weir, in regional Queensland, in March 2020, wrapped in garbage bags and a blanket.

Desatge, 45, was sentenced to life imprisonment at Toowoomba Supreme Court on Thursday. He will be eligible to apply for parole in 2042.

Ms Dawita, 32, was found not guilty of her daughter’s murder and the alternative count of manslaughter, and not guilty of torture.

In a published judgment upon returning his verdict, Supreme Court Justice Paul Cooper said the pair commenced a relationship in 2015 and were living in a unit in Chinchilla by 2016.

Kaydence was the biological daughter of Ms Dawita and another man, Robert Mills.

Tane Saul Desatge was sentenced to life behind bars after he was found guilty over the murder of his two-year-old stepdaughter Kaydence Hazel Mills (pictured)

Desatge (pictured left) and Kaydence’s mother Sinitta Tammy Dawita (pictured together) blamed each other for the toddlers death

Justice Cooper said Desatge held ‘animosity’ towards Mr Mills which influenced his treatment of Kaydence.

The child would be left unclothed and would sleep in the toilet after being confined there by Desatge, he said.

At other times, Kaydence was made to eat her own faeces by Desatge.

Justice Cooper said the child was beaten with a bamboo stick in the face and head during toilet training – the beatings becoming so severe she was last seen lying on a red couch not breathing properly.

Kaydence’s death could not be ascertained but an autopsy found it could likely have been from a severe blow to the base of her skull.

Justice Cooper said there was evidence she had suffered a rib fracture at least a week before her death in early 2017. 

‘The defendants concealed her death: first, by wrapping the body and placing it in an outhouse in the backyard of the house they lived in Chinchilla; then, subsequently, burying the body at the Chinchilla Weir,’ a summary of Justice Cooper’s judgment states.

Justice Cooper said the pair then disposed of Kaydence’s belongings and said she had gone to live elsewhere.

Both Desatge and Dawita blamed each other for Kaydence’s death.

Both Desatge and Dawita (pictured with Kaydenc) blamed each other for the toddlers death

The 45-year-old had claimed he came home to find the child having difficulty breathing and was told by Dawita that Kaydence had fallen down the stairs.

‘In convicting Desatge of murder, the Court rejected Desatge’s statements that he was not present when Kaydence suffered the injuries which led to her death,’ the judgment states.

‘The Court drew an inference that Desatge hitting Kaydence on the head and face with the bamboo stick caused her death.

‘In convicting Desatge of torture, the Court found that he intentionally inflicted severe pain or suffering on Kaydence before she died, by hitting her on the head and face with the bamboo stick.’

The recent surge in global conflict has led to speculation that World War III could be on the horizon. 

Walkie-talkies, solar panels and fingerprint recognition devices used by Hezbollah fighters have detonated across Lebanon, killing 20 and wounding hundreds of people including mourners at a funeral, witnesses and security sources have reported.

This second wave of carnage comes a day after thousands of exploding pagers used by the group left almost 3,000 people injured and a dozen dead, including civilians and children.

Lebanese media has also reported that home solar energy systems have blown up in several areas of Beirut.

Some people, concerned at the prospect of worldwide warfare, are keen to know where the safest countries across the globe would be should war break out. 

So, what are the safest countries to be in if World War III does take place? 

Read on below for the full list to see where you would be safest in the event of another World War. 

This map shows some of the safest countries that you could be in were World War III to potentially break out

Antarctica 

View of an iceberg at the Gerlache Strait, which separates the Palmer Archipelago from the Antarctic Peninsula, in Antarctica on January 16, 2024

The list kicks off with a location that is not a country, but a large continent. 

While Antarctica may be famed for its extreme tourism, beautiful landscapes and icy terrain, it is unlikely to be frequented by many people in the possible event of World War Three due to its location as the most southerly point on the planet.

Argentina 

Tourists at Iguazu Falls, one of the world’s great natural wonders, on the border of Brazil and Argentina

Although Argentina has had a history of engaging in conflict, notably clashing with the United Kingdom over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands in 1982, the South American country has been found to be the most likely places to survive famine after a nuclear war.

Studies have found that the release of 100 nuclear bombs could release so much smoke that the sun may became blocked, which would result in famine and crop failure. 

As a result, Argentina would be a good place to be thanks to its abundance of resistant crops, such as wheat.

Bhutan

In this photograph taken on January 10, 2024, a traffic policeman directs traffic in Bhutan’s capital Thimphu

After joining the United Nations on September 21 1971, Bhutan declared itself to be neutral in regards to any conflict. 

This stance means it often ranks highly on the Global Peace Index. 

Combining the fact that it is landlocked with its plethora of mountainous regions means Bhutan would be particularly safe should World War III ever break out.

Chile 

View of the Paine Massif at Torres del Paine National Park in Chile’s Magallanes Region in southern Chile, 400km northwest of Punta Arenas, on January 7, 2024

Next on the list is the country with the world’s longest coastline, which runs for 4,000 miles (6,435 km) in total, meaning it would span the distance between Moscow and Madrid.

Like its neighbour Argentina, Chile is blessed with a variety of different crops and natural resources. 

Its level of development is also arguably the most advanced in South America. So, although you might feel isolated, its level of infrastructure and access to modern technology means it could be the ideal spot if World War III were to occur. 

Fiji

Empty hammock in the shade of palm trees on the tropical island paradise of Fiji

For anyone who would want to be in a remote country at the outbreak of war, Fiji might be for you. The island nation – located in the southwest of the Pacific Ocean – is some 2,700 miles away from its closest country, which is Australia. 

This, along with a potential lack of military strategy as its army has just 6,000 men, means it also ranks highly in the Global Peace Index.

With much of the land made up of dense forests, as well as a plentiful supply of minerals and fish, Fiji might be the perfect place to be in during World War III.

Greenland 

This photograph taken on August 16, 2023, shows an iceberg, approximately a few hundred metres long, drifting along the Scoresby Sound Fjord, in Eastern Greenland

The island of Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, is the world’s largest island.

Greenland is notoriously remote, mountainous and politically neutral, making it an ideal refuge point in an emergency. 

It also has an estimated popular of 56,000 people, meaning it is unlikely to be targeted by any global superpower.  

Iceland 

A woman with closed eyes relaxes and enjoys of spa in hot spring Blue Lagoon in Iceland

Iceland has consistently topped the Global Peace Index consistently, earning it a reputation as one of the most peaceful country in the world. 

As well as being particularly remote, Iceland would not need to fret over its reliance on other countries for resources, thanks to the presence of fresh water reserves, marine resources, and renewable energy sources. 

Indonesia

Pictured: Rice Terraces at sunrise in Lombok, Indonesia. In 1948, the country’s first president, Achmed Sukarno, coined the ‘free and active’ term to refer to their foreign policy.

Like others on the list, Indonesia is included thanks to its typically neutral stance on political issues across the globe. 

In 1948, the country’s first president, Achmed Sukarno, coined the ‘free and active’ term to refer to their foreign policy. 

This referred to the fact they act independently in international affairs, and are most concerned with the creation of world peace. 

New Zealand 

Pictured: The Hobbiton movie set, North Island, New Zealand. The country ranks second in the Global Peace Index and has long been marvelled at for its non-partisan stance on conflicts.

New Zealand ranks second in the Global Peace Index and has long been marvelled at for its non-partisan stance on conflicts. If it were to be attacked, the country’s  mountainous terrain offers its citizens the perfect protection.

South Africa

An aerial view of Cape Town, South Africa, with the world-famous Table Mountain in the background

South Africa earns a spot thanks to it being the home of multiple sources of foods, along with plentiful quantities of fertile land and fresh water. 

The country’s modern infrastructure could also increase your chances of survival should World War III happen.

Switzerland 

Panorama of Lauterbrunnen valley located in the Swiss Alps near Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, also known as the Valley of Waterfalls

Of all the countries around the world, Switzerland may be the country that is singularly and most readily associated with political neutrality. 

The country has been famed for its staunch position – or lack thereof – on matters concerning international politics for close to 200 years, and is well protected by its mountainous terrain, landlocked geography and numerous nuclear shelters. 

Tuvalu 

Formerly known as the Ellice Islands, Tuvalu is located in the Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia. Pictured: A view out to sea from Funafuti

Formerly known as the Ellice Islands, Tuvalu is located in the Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia. 

An extremely low population of just 11,000 inhabitants means infrastructure is in thin supply compared to leading Western nations. 

With natural resources also low in Tuvalu, it would appear to be  an undesirable target in the potential event of World War III. 

Phoebe Litchfield has blasted her highest Twenty20 international score to steer Australia to a five-wicket victory against New Zealand in the series opener in Mackay.

The talented left-hander crafted an unbeaten 64 from 43 balls, saving Australia from trouble when she arrived at the crease with the hosts reeling at 3-44.

Litchfield, 21, batted flawlessly for the second T20I half-century of her career to help inflict New Zealand with a record-equalling eighth straight defeat in the game’s shortest international format.

Australia went past the White Ferns’ 7-143 with eight balls to spare to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

It was not a perfect night for Australia, however, with the home side losing star allrounder Ash Gardner to a bizarre injury in the warm-up.

The reigning Belinda Clark award winner was ruled out of Thursday night’s match after colliding with teammate Georgia Wareham when throwing around a vortex.

Gardner copped a hit to the jaw during the warm-up game and was placed in concussion protocols given she has a history of head knocks.

Fellow allrounder Heather Graham received the late call-up to replace Gardner, with Australia coach Shelley Nitschke calling the incident “hectic”.

“We walked out and there’s something happening in warm-up and and then Ash was on the ground, and unfortunately she was ruled out of the game,” Nitschke told the Seven Network.

“She’s good. It’s just a precaution.

“She’s in concussion protocols at the moment and given we’ve got a fair bit of cricket ahead of us we ruled her out of the game.

“She’s had a test and she passed, but you’ve got to stay in those protocols for a certain amount of time.”

New Zealand also suffered a blow of its own with captain Sophie Devine unavailable due to an ankle injury.

Suzie Bates was named skipper in Devine’s absence.

The White Ferns struggled to get going after electing to bat first, as number five Maddy Green top-scored with 35.

All six of Australia’s bowlers — Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Heather Graham, Megan Schutt and Tayla Vlaeminck — took a wicket each.

Meanwhile, powerful Australian batter Grace Harris has been ruled out of the series after straining her right calf at training this week.

Australia expects her to be fit and available for next month’s T20 World Cup in the UAE.

AAP

Champion Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa is confident the one-day format will remain relevant despite the explosion in domestic T20 domestic competitions around the world as he prepares for a milestone match on Thursday in England.

The 32-year-old is coming off a successful summer in The Hundred in England with The Oval Invincibles and is a superstar in short-form form cricket domestically and internationally.

The abundance of T20 cricket being played and the shorter-time frame has raised concerns about the long-term future of ODIs and Zampa acknowledges he is not sure what the landscape will look like for the longer white-ball game in the future.

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The dual-World Cup winner, who is Australia’s leading wicket taker in T20 cricket, has represented more than a dozen different franchises, across a spread of eight countries, in the shortest form of the game outside his international and state duties.

But a key member of Australia’s stunning triumph in the ODI World Cup in India last year, Zampa said nothing matches the thrill of representing his nation in international fixtures such as the five-match ODI series against England beginning Thursday.

“There have been a lot of questions about the ODI format and what that looks like going forward,” he said.

“But in terms of playing for Australia and that drive, I think every young guy coming through still thinks that is the be all and end all. There are obviously those other opportunities in terms of franchise cricket and that is good.

“There’s been a lot said about how it’s a saturated market, but all these different competitions give other guys opportunities, whether it’s guys who have just played a little bit of BBL or a bit of Blast, or whatever, there’s opportunities to go and improve yourself at different franchise levels, even if they are going on at the same time, which seems to be the case at the moment.

“But it feels like playing for your country is still the priority. I agree that … I don’t know what it’s going to look like in the next few years, particularly with this format, but I feel like ODI cricket’s still a really good format. I still enjoy playing it and I think a lot of young guys coming through still see it as a good opportunity to play for your country.”

Zampa will join Shane Warne and Brad Hogg as Australian spinners to have played 100 ODI when the five-match ODI series begins at Trent Bridge on Thursday night AEST.

His extended family is in England for the milestone, with the New South Welshman saying he “never thought he’d play this much for Australia”.

He has taken 169 wickets in 99 ODI matches for Australia at an average of 28.05 and an economy rate of 5.47. In T20s, he has taken 11 wickets in 92 matches at an average of 21.77, with his economy rate in the shorter form 7.24.

The leg-spinner identified a key reason why the one-day format will continue to hold sway for cricketers when saying he is keen to continue on for as long as he is able to succeed at international level.

“The feeling of playing for your country and winning for your country beats franchise cricket and winning in franchise cricket,” he said.

“I experienced The Hundred. It was great. I loved playing in it and winning at the end is a bonus, but it hits different when you play for your country and win World Cups and I still have that drive to win many more.

“While I’m enjoying playing for Australia, I feel like I’m bowling good enough and want to improve. I’ll just continue to roll through. I really love playing for this group, under this coaching staff. While I’m enjoying it, there’s no reason to think about an end date.”

Zampa toured England during the pandemic but said that experience pales in comparison to the current trip abroad.

After sweeping Scotland 3-0 in a T20 series in Edinburgh, Australia and England squared a similar length series in the shortest format, with rain washing out the decider in Manchester.

He is looking forward to the next five matches, with Australia expected to tinker with its squad and offer a number of opportunities to players.

“We’ve got a fairly new, young crew that you saw in the T20s (with) a couple of older faces back (and there’s) another opportunity in the next five games to go home with a trophy,” he said.

“This is my first proper tour of England where you are going from a stadium, travelling on the bus or the train and then playing the next day, so it is going to be a bit of a grind the next 10 days. It is going to be tough for the body and the mind, but that is good.”

This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.

AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)

By Jimmy Briggs For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 06:17 EDT, 14 September 2024 | Updated: 08:52 EDT, 14 September 2024

Beloved Australian actor Alexander ‘Lex’ Marinos died on Friday at age 75, after a twenty year battle with cancer.

The NSW-born thespian, who had Greek heritage, had a fifty year career across Australia’s entertainment sector as an actor, writer and TV director.

Many Australian’s would remember him in the supporting role of Bruno ‘The Wog’ Bertolucci in the legendary sitcom Kingswood Country, which he appeared in from 1980 – 1984.

He was first diagnosed with leukemia in 2005 and after years of successfully managing it, finally succumbed to his illness.

Lex was a long-running advocate for diversity across Australian entertainment, and was proud for being one of the first non-Anglo actors on Aussie TV.

His role as the cheeky Italian son-in-law of the conservative white Anglo main character Ted Bullpitt, played by Ross Higgins, led to many hilarious confrontations on the show.

Lex often spoke proudly of his time on the show, and was delighted to play such a non-conventional character at a time when Aussie TV was filled with stereotypical white characters.

‘It’s very gratifying… It did provide a focal point for kids who were “other”. To see someone representing them on TV became a responsibility of sorts, I became aware of it,’ Lex told Greek-Australian newspaper Neos Kosmos in 2021.

Beloved Australian actor Alexander ‘Lex’ Marinos died on Friday at age 75, after a twenty year battle with cancer. Pictured on Kingswood Country in 1981

Throughout his long career, he worked with many world famous actors, including Melissa George, Richard Roxburgh and Jonathan LaPaglia. 

His death was announced on social media by his family, in a heartbreaking post which revealed the details of his passing.

‘To our dear friends, colleagues and favourite people. It is with heavy hearts we let you know that Lex passed away peacefully on Friday morning,’ the post began.

‘He died at home, at a moment of his choosing, surrounded by family and the sounds of Bob Dylan accompanying our vigil. There was so much love in the room.’

The iconic actor continued to work right up until his death, and most recently appeared in a 2023 episode of NCIS: Sydney, alongside Olivia Swann and Todd Lasance. 

The NSW-born thespian, who had Greek heritage, had a fifty year career across Australia’s entertainment sector as an actor, writer and TV director

Marinos was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 1994 for his long-standing services to the preforming arts industry. 

In recognition of his incredible career, Wagga Wagga’s Museum of the Riverina will hold an exhibition on his later this year, called The Lex Factor: From Wagga to the World Stage.

Lex is survived by his wife Anne and several children. 

His role as the hilarious Italian son-in-law of the conservative white Anglo main character Ted Bullpitt, played by Ross Higgins (right), led to many hilarious confrontations on the show

Lex often spoke proudly of his time on the show, and was delighted to play such a non-conventional character at a time when Aussie TV was filled with stereotypical white characters

The Australian government has advised its citizens not to travel to Hong Kong, and to reconsider their need to remain in Hong Kong, due to uncertainties surrounding the new national security law there. CNBC’s Will Koulouris reports.