Virgin Mobile launches Surprise Gig Tour with Wolfmother, MGMT and others

To celebrate its Surprise Gig bonus data offer, Virgin Mobile has announced the Surprise Gig Tour - a series of free, last-minute music gigs around Australia to be announced via its Members' Lounge Facebook page.

Pies at $1.22 for the eight €” it's better than bank interest

AFTER a $100,000 bet was wagered on Collingwood to make the top eight at odds of $1.22 during the week, it is apparent that punters are waking from their summery hibernation with dreams of easy money fresh in their consciousness and a bad case of trigger fingers.

Gambling Denial And Addiction Are A Dangerous Mix

Poker machines are at the heart of the state's gambling problem.

Afl's Tougher Anti-drug Rule Won't Derail Cousin's Comeback Plans

BEN Cousins' manager has welcomed the AFL's assertion that players who test positive for drugs on game day could cost their team premiership points and said his client will do whatever it takes to return to football next year.

Selwood Puts Eagles On Notice

WEST Coast midfielder Adam Selwood has put his club on notice by demanding that he be released from his new contract and traded to a club of his choice if the Eagles are punished again by the AFL for bringing the game into disrepute.

Cousins Admits He May Never Play Again

BEN Cousins believes he's fit enough to play again, but says his highly publicised drug addiction could stop him returning to the game that made him a star.

One-armed Bandits Steal Game's Soul

IF YOU want to know why Russell Crowe's most heroic role is as a crusader against sport's insidious addiction to poker machines you don't need to enter one of those depressing, soulless dives where bright lights, gold trimmings and cheap drinks camouflage the operators' - often our beloved football clubs' - ruthless intent.

Switched On, Strung Out

Has our love for electronic gadgets turned into a fully fledged addiction? Benjamin Preiss reports.

Victory Midfielder Says Bosnich Is Preparing For A Comeback

MARK Bosnich might not seem like the most likely mentor for a young player trying to make his way in the game, but the former Socceroo shot stopper has made a big impression on Melbourne Victory's new midfielder Nick Ward.

The Afl Has Cut Cousins Adrift When It Should Be Throwing Him A Lifeline

WHEN Ben Cousins sat before the media on Monday, the backdrop featuring the AFL logo was swiftly removed. It seemed an extraordinary snubbing of the 2005 Brownlow medallist who had earlier been found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute.

Cousins: Rehabilitation Is The Only Cure

BEN COUSINS did not have to make a public statement after Monday's eight-hour AFL Commission hearing that suspended him for 12 months for bringing the game into disrepute. That he chose to do so should be seen not merely as a way of confirming what was already widely known, but as a beginning of a long period of atonement for the sacked West Coast player. "I would like to stress the fact that I am overcoming drug addiction, which is an ongoing process," Cousins said. "Contrary to media reports, I ...

Frankness, Apology Fail To Save Cousins From Ban

FALLEN Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins finally offered the AFL world the apology it had waited eight months to hear last night, but the former West Coast skipper said he was "bitterly disappointed" to be suspended from the game for 12 months.

Judging The Fallen Eagle Is A Minefield For The Afl

SINCE the AFL Commission summoned West Coast midfielder Ben Cousins to determine if he had brought the game into disrepute, opinions about how the commission should deal with this sensitive case have been divided sharply.

The Ball's In Cousins' Court

SINCE the AFL Commission summoned former West Coast midfielder Ben Cousins to determine if he had brought the game into disrepute, opinions about how the commission should deal with this troublesome and sensitive case have been sharply divided.

Pokie Access Cards To Track Problem Gamblers: Minister

ELECTRONIC access cards to track the movements of poker machine players could be introduced as part of a radical approach to tackle the state's gambling addiction problem.

Forever Trying To Reach The Next Level

"I BECAME aware of computers [when I was] aged around 10," Kasper Ketelaar, now 19, says. "It was really, really fun, but the addiction was not immediate. When we went on holiday my parents would say, 'Look out of the window and see how beautiful it is,' and I'd go, 'Oh, yeah, great', and continue to play my game."

Afl Set To Announce Decision On Cousins' Future

BEN Cousins now looks certain to spend 2008 outside the AFL system with the league determined the player will be punished for bringing the game into disrepute.

Afl Set To Block Moves For Cousins' Early Return

BEN Cousins now looks certain to spend 2008 outside the AFL system with the league determined the player will be punished for bringing the game into disrepute.

Afl Shuts Out Cousins

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has virtually shut the door on former Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins ever returning to the game, urging the sacked Eagle to concentrate on beating his drug addiction and regaining his health.

And Stay Out: Demetriou Says Cousins Highly Unlikely To Be Allowed To Return

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has shut the door on Ben Cousins ever returning to the game, urging the sacked Eagle to concentrate on beating his drug addiction and regaining his health.