Latest news with #Geelong
Daily Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Telegraph
The big problem with F1: The Movie
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. Formula 1 fans have so much access to the sport that a fictional production can't match the real highs of racing. The real thing feels far less predictable than Hollywood's drive to milk corporate sponsors and cash in on F1's popularity. All the parts were in place to make F1: The Movie unforgettable. MORE: The Aussie driving rite of passage dying out Damson Idris as Joshua Pearce, left, and Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in a scene from "F1 The Movie." Picture: Apple TV+ via AP There were superstar actors in Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem, ably supported by Kerry Condon and Damson Idris. A blockbuster director in Joseph Kosinski, fresh from the success of Top Gun: Maverick. Guidance from racing legend Lewis Hamilton and F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali to make sure it didn't run off course. And unprecedented access to the drivers, cars, circuits and trackside action that make Formula 1 the pinnacle of motorsport. The last bit is where F1 fans might feel short-changed. F1 used to be elusive and exclusive. MORE: Australia in fight to beat Chinese batteries Damson Idris stars in F1: The Movie. Picture: Supplied Former boss Bernie Ecclestone was a magician who wowed onlookers without revealing his tricks, putting on a show while keeping the audience at a distance. But the sport has thrown open its doors to live broadcasts, social media, Netflix, podcasts and more that take us deep into the world of Grand Prix racing. We've gone from a couple of hours of racing every other week to an unprecedented level of access to racing's cast and crew. Racing fans can consume countless hours of content each week. MORE: Insane features in 'preposterous' new EV The Top Gun: Maverick treatment did not translate to F1. Picture: Paramount That's where F1: The Movie differs from Top Gun: Maverick. There's a lot of mystery surrounding fighter pilots, their jets and missions. Top Gun pulls viewers into a world off-limits to civilians. But F1 offers a fictionalised spin on a world its fans are intimately familiar with. Racing fans are spoiled. It's everywhere you look. And its real stories are better than what Hollywood scripted. Brad Pitt, right, plays an ageing racer called into action by Javier Bardem. Picture: Apple TV+ via AP F1: The Movie is about a struggling team owner (Ruben Cervantes, played by Javier Bardem) who turns to a retired racing star of the 1990s (Sonny Hayes, played by Brad Pitt) in a desperate ploy to win a race. There's friction from young teammate Joshua (played by Damson Idris) and team technical director Kate (played by Kerry Condon), before everyone works together to get their trophy. MORE: How Netflix changed F1 forever Damson Idris as Joshua Pearce, left, and Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in a scene from "F1 The Movie." Picture: Apple TV+ via AP It's a poor substitute for the real drama of F1. Fans will never forget the career-defining battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, culminating in the controversy of Abu Dhabi's season finale in 2021. Look at that pair. There's rich material in Verstappen's well-documented struggle with an abusive father, or the way Hamilton's raw talent drove him through adversity. There's Michael Schumacher's tragic skiing accident and his son Mick's ultimately futile drive to follow his path. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton clashed at Monza in 2021. Photo: PeterOr Jack Doohan striving for F1 for his entire life only to be thrown on the scrap heap after half a dozen races. Robert Kubica last week completed a fairytale story by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans – arguably the world's biggest race – in a Ferrari, years after a near-fatal rally crash prevented him from driving for Ferrari in Formula 1. Hours later, the battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris boiled over in Canada. Piastri, ice-cold, unflappable and inscrutable, went wheel to wheel with a Norris plagued by a lack of confidence in his clearly immense ability. The Mercedes-AMG GT stars in F1: The Movie. Picture: Supplied My invitation to the Australian premiere of F1: The Movie included a drive of a $400,000 Mercedes-AMG sports car that features in the film, the opportunity to wear the same $45,000 IWC watch shown on screen, and all the alcohol-free Heineken I could drink. Which isn't much. The best racing movies are underpinned by real stories. Rush (2013) faithfully tells the gripping story of James Hunt and Niki Lauda, pitched in a do-or-die battle with brutal consequences. Ford v Ferrari (2019) has Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles beating the odds to win Le Mans, and the biographical Senna (2010) is told with more care than Kosinski managed. Matt Damon and Christian Bale in a scene from the movie Ford V Ferrari. I'd even argue Will Ferrell's silly NASCAR flick Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) has more heart, humour and audience appeal than a none-too-convincing Brad Pitt trying to climb onto the podium. Sure, the film might give F1 a further bump in popularity. But fans won't find much beyond what they already see on Grand Prix Sundays. F1: The Movie reaches Australian screens on June 26. Originally published as Is F1: The Movie any good?
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Buyer's first step on property ladder offers chance to add value
A young buyer's nerves at bidding at auction soon passed after he secured a three-bedroom home on a sizeable Geelong West property. The 549sq m property at 8 Hodgson St, Geelong West, sold for $857,500 after two contested the three-bedroom weatherboard house. Jellis Craig Geelong agent Jeff Begg said the local first-home buyer had made a great step on to the property ladder. Who wins from Queens Park suburb swap 'His family put their hand in the air for him and got him across the line,' Mr Begg said. 'He was nervous but he really did well.' Mr Begg said the land size was a key attraction for buyers, along with the comfortably presented house that offered scope to add future value. 'The house presented neatly, but it needed a little bit of elbow grease to sharpen it up,' Mr Begg said. 'But nothing that was urgent and demanded to be done straight away. 'To find a home like that was in that nick on that land size, still with the Geelong West address, was a pretty good buy.' The underbidder was a buyer from Melbourne, Mr Begg said. A charming facade and a spacious and stylish interior offer the best of both words in a prime position. The ideal opportunity for families, downsizers or investors provides the benefits of updated spaces, such as the kitchen and living room and bathrooms, along with open-plan living and outdoor entertaining on the 549sq m property. Hodgson St is near the northern end of Pakington St. The location was close to West Oval and Geelong Golf Club, and close to schools such as Ashby and St Patricks's Primary Schools and Clonard College.
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Award-winning Leopold home on Lake Connewarre notches big sale
An award-winning lakefront home that's played host to a string of well-known Aussie musicians has notched up one of Leopold's biggest sales. A buyer already living on the Bellarine Peninsula has bought the secluded four-bedroom house, designed by acclaimed architect Kerstin Thompson, after a seven-month campaign. Bellarine Property, Barwon Heads agent Levi Turner said he was unable to disclose the sale price of the 4.86ha property at 15 Maloneys Rd, Leopold. It was originally listed with a $5.75m price guide, which was slashed to $4.75m to $4.95m in February. At this price, it would be Leopold's most expensive home. Megan Washington, Vance Joy, Tim Rogers and the late Kinky Friedman are among musicians who have played in the home's on-site recording studio. The property on the shores of Lake Connewarre also features a pool, a sports oval/heli pad, an olive grove, fruit trees and three outdoor baths on a raised deck. Mr Turner said it ranked among the top 10 homes he had sold on the Bellarine Peninsula in 12 years of real estate. 'It was a couple of things – the views are amazing and the privacy. It's so tucked away but you are 15 minutes to get into Geelong,' he said. 'And the house won architectural awards. 'The buyers are going to do some internal cosmetic renovations to make it their own but from the outside, from an architectural point of view, you could still build it today. It was really cool.' The 22-year-old home received both the 2005 Victorian Coastal Award for Building and Building Design and the 2003 Australian Institute of Architects' Victorian Chapter Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award, which recognises each year's best residential project. Its long, black structure is designed to blend into the environment and features a folded roof that mimics the shape of an origami black swan. The residence is divided into three pavilions, including the main three-bedroom house, a guest apartment with recording studio and a garage/carport for five vehicles. Mr Turner said there was a solid response from the market throughout the campaign. 'You get these amazing properties on the Bellarine and the Surf Coast and Geelong and you think 'everyone is going to love it' and people do but to actually buy it, one, they've got to have the money and two, be in a position to buy and they are few and far between,' he said. The vendor was a self-confessed cricket tragic who incorporated an oval into extensive gardens by landscape architect Tim Nicholas. Paths wind through the property to Lake Connewarre where a raised deck provides storage for watercraft.
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Brad Waters' best bets and value play for Geelong races on Friday, June 20, 2025
Form expert Brad Waters analyses Friday's Geelong meeting, presenting his best bets, value selection and jockey to follow. Form analyst Brad Waters looks at Friday's meeting at Geelong., presenting his best bets, value selection and jockey to follow. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! â– â– â– â– â– BEST BET KAZUNGULU (Race 1 No.2): Short odds but wasn't far from a subsequent city winner at Swan Hill. That's strong form for Friday's race. â– â– â– â– â– NEXT BEST YES I KNOW (Race 4 No.16): The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained 3YO ran on strongly at Sale and natural improvement should allow him to go close at Geelong. ANGEL OF THE SEA (Race 6 No.9): The filly improved with a slight rise in trip at Pakenham second-up. Expecting her to be harder to hold out with added fitness. â– â– â– â– â– VALUE BET VORES (Race 7 No.12): Has performed well in harder races at her last two runs. Dropping back to BM58 level will be perfect at Geelong. â– â– â– â– â–
The Age
a day ago
- Sport
- The Age
‘Geelong had my back': Stengle on how the Cats wrapped their arms around him when trouble hit
At that stage, he figured he'd be happy returning to play alongside mates in the SANFL at Woodville-West Torrens and help them chase the 2021 premiership. But, when he reflects now, there was something sitting in his belly that would not be denied. 'I trained on my own for a couple of months and got fitter than I had ever been before. I guess there [was] a little bit of fire there from just being on your own,' Stengle said. His talent was evident as he helped the Eagles win the South Australian flag, kicking 44 goals in 19 games as he shared the premiership dais with former Cat Daniel Menzel. By season's end, the Cats earned Stengle's signature as they tried to find the elusive spark to push them from preliminary final exits and a grand final loss to a flag. Their skipper at the time, Joel Selwood, remembers the players instantly taking a liking to Stengle as a person and then being spellbound as he showed his talent around goal. 'He was just that potent,' Selwood said. Stengle had enjoyed his time at Richmond and Adelaide and learned lessons at both clubs that would stand him in good stead when he arrived at the Cats, ready to prove his doubters wrong. 'Geelong understood from the moment I walked in the door I am a quieter bloke,' Stengle said. 'Then they respected me as a person and the way I liked to go about my life and go about my footy, which is not putting too much pressure on me to do this and do that. They do that with everyone at the club.' He worked hard on understanding his role and was encouraged to let his strengths shine, which was his clean hands and ability to get busy under the feet of key forwards Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron. And he began to realise what the club valued most was a good teammate who was willing to learn as they matured. He still doesn't take the opportunity for granted. 'I am grateful for what they have done for me and how much they have trusted me and respected me as a player to play me every week for three or four years,' Stengle said. 'I love going out there and playing with my teammates and getting my teammates involved, and doing the little things on defence and doing the little things in offence, even if it is a tap-on to a teammate or a score assist, or just getting involved in the scoring chain to help the team out. I get a lot of excitement out of that.' The Cats have played him virtually every week, even refusing to yield to media pressure when Stengle created a minor storm in 2024 when he went from a Geelong nightclub to hospital in the back of an ambulance after their round 21 match. They made sure he was OK, offered him any support he might need and then picked him and played him the next week against Adelaide. Loading Coach Chris Scott and captain Patrick Dangerfield were strong in their public support of Stengle as any conversations required occurred behind doors. During that period, the forward turned off his phone, listened to those who mattered to him, accepted the hugs of his teammates and his blip remained just that. 'The most important part was that Geelong had my back the whole way through,' Stengle said. 'They supported me, and they put everything around me, and they wanted to help me … that is why I am so grateful to this footy club. They always have their players' back no matter what. They never judge you. They are always trying to find a way to support you.' That support has led him to this milestone, friends and family driving and flying in from Ceduna and Adelaide to help the Wirangu and Ngarrindjeri man celebrate the occasion. They know best what a mighty effort it is for Stengle to reach his 100th game. Stengle appreciates their help, putting his performance down to those around him. 'I've had a lot of good players around me which made me a much better player, [and] that helped me perform as I did [in 2022]. Ever since then the players and the coaches around me have helped me to improve a lot,' he said. His premiership skipper's respect for his resilience and skill has not diminished as Stengle backed up his first season to become a regular for the Cats. Loading 'Only certain players can play like him. He is light on his feet and can move laterally and sideways. He is that dynamic,' Selwood said. Contracted until 2029, Stengle will share his milestone match with Dangerfield who will play his 350th AFL game. 'It means a lot. Obviously, I really didn't think I would get to this position,' Stengle said.
