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‘Whatever you paid, it was worth it’: The agony and the ecstasy of the game of the season

‘Whatever you paid, it was worth it’: The agony and the ecstasy of the game of the season

For just under three hours on a balmy Melbourne September evening, a mammoth partisan crowd of 97,835 were treated to a game that had absolutely...

20.09.2026 1

The Age

Andrew Wu

It was another night of finals misery for Nicho Hynes. This time it was different

It was another night of finals misery for Nicho Hynes. This time it was different

Nicho Hynes found a new way to suffer a brutal finals exit on Saturday, copping a head knock inside the opening two minutes. It was a cruel blow for...

latest 10

The Age

Tom Decent

Hawthorn v Brisbane Lions player ratings: The four players who score a perfect 10 in a September classic

Hawthorn v Brisbane Lions player ratings: The four players who score a perfect 10 in a September classic

It’s so often said that September is the time the biggest and best step up most, and Saturday’s thriller at the MCG in front of a shade under...

latest 10

The Age

Libby Birch

What will happen to your most cherished possessions when you die? You don’t want to know

What will happen to your most cherished possessions when you die? You don’t want to know

It turns out our offspring don’t want our old stuff.

latest 10

The Age

Richard Glover

Forget the romance. Rugby Australia and NZ Rugby are locked in a marriage of necessity

Forget the romance. Rugby Australia and NZ Rugby are locked in a marriage of necessity

Behind the recent rapprochement between the trans-Tasman rivals lie huge financial challenges for the game on either side of the ditch that are better...

latest 10

The Age

Paul Cully

What will happen to your most cherished possessions when you die? You don’t want to know

What will happen to your most cherished possessions when you die? You don’t want to know

It turns out our offspring don’t want our old stuff.

latest 10

The Age

Richard Glover

That NFL match actually cost double previous estimates. But the jubilation made it worth it

That NFL match actually cost double previous estimates. But the jubilation made it worth it

A visiting circus of 49ers executives, star players, and enthusiastic American reporters gave a jaded city a fresh look at itself.

latest 10

The Age

Stephen Brook

My journey to a reef on the abyss (if gas drillers get their way), by Tim Winton

My journey to a reef on the abyss (if gas drillers get their way), by Tim Winton

Scott Reef is the sentinel of Australia’s coral wonderlands. If Woodside’s ambitions are realised, we may seal the fate of all our coral reefs.

latest 10

The Age

Tim Winton

Has the AFL’s era of the big-name saviour coach officially come to an end?

Has the AFL’s era of the big-name saviour coach officially come to an end?

Alastair Clarkson was not the first premiership coach to arrive at a new club as a messiah and leave as a cautionary tale. But there is every...

latest 10

The Age

Caroline Wilson

Want to learn how to invest? Here are three expert tricks and the rule of 72

Want to learn how to invest? Here are three expert tricks and the rule of 72

The last federal budget is tilting Aussies en masse out of property investing and towards the sharemarket. So, are there shortcuts when it comes to...

latest 10

The Age

Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon

Athletes soiling themselves still more palatable than Sydney Sweeney ad

Athletes soiling themselves still more palatable than Sydney Sweeney ad

We should celebrate the effort, grit and commitment of women’s sport in all its forms. No matter how ugly.

latest 10

The Age

Peter Fitzsimons

There’s one sure way to bring down abortion rates, and it’s not up to women

There’s one sure way to bring down abortion rates, and it’s not up to women

Abortion bans don’t work. But every pregnancy starts with one act, by a male.

latest 10

The Age

Julia Baird

The real Hanson shock: She’s Labor’s enemy... with benefits

The real Hanson shock: She’s Labor’s enemy... with benefits

Under pressure from One Nation, Labor is working hard, but missing one crucial element.

latest 10

The Age

Peter Hartcher

The best retirement advice you can give your friends

The best retirement advice you can give your friends

The trouble with barbecue advice is that a useful conversation can quickly morph into one-upmanship.

latest 10

The Age

Bec Wilson

More at stake as government tries to wrest back immigration conversation

More at stake as government tries to wrest back immigration conversation

Tightening borders should not come at the expense of key industries, our long-term economic prosperity or our national character.

latest 10

The Age

The Age's View

Sydney v Fremantle player ratings: Brightest stars and stunning moments on a night of agony and ecstasy

Sydney v Fremantle player ratings: Brightest stars and stunning moments on a night of agony and ecstasy

The Swans were left heartbroken after giving up a 28-point lead to lose in incredible scenes at the SCG. We ran our eye over every player from a...

yesterday 10

The Age

Marc McGowan

Swans’ roller coaster month ends with heartbreak after Fremantle fightback

Swans’ roller coaster month ends with heartbreak after Fremantle fightback

The Sydney Swans have put their supporters through a vast range of emotions within the past month. On Friday night, they served up a new one:...

yesterday 10

The Age

Vince Rugari

The four horsemen of the apocalypse are coming for the global economy

The four horsemen of the apocalypse are coming for the global economy

A perfect storm has formed as four powerful threats escalate and feed on each other. We seem to be in no fit state to handle the challenge.

yesterday 10

The Age

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

Anaesthetics over aesthetics: welcome to rugby league’s painkiller knockouts

Anaesthetics over aesthetics: welcome to rugby league’s painkiller knockouts

An athlete who can run, pass and kick only with the help of painkillers is enjoying a more enhanced performance than if he was lying on his couch...

yesterday 10

The Age

Malcolm Knox

Did these players really need HIAs? The NRL is watching

Did these players really need HIAs? The NRL is watching

The NRL hit two clubs with “please explain” notices last weekend seeking clarification on their handling of HIAs, as rivals grow increasingly...

yesterday 10

The Age

Christian Nicolussi

Why I hate ‘top 100’ book lists (and can’t stop reading them)

Why I hate ‘top 100’ book lists (and can’t stop reading them)

Literary rankings are absurd, fashion-driven, and completely miss the point of art – so why can’t we look away?

yesterday 10

The Age

Jane Sullivan

Why I hate ‘top 100’ book lists (and can’t stop reading them)

Why I hate ‘top 100’ book lists (and can’t stop reading them)

Literary rankings are absurd, fashion-driven, and completely miss the point of art – so why can’t we look away?

yesterday 10

The Age

Jane Sullivan

Signing secrets of the Wahs: From $1200 deals to rival rejects and bargain buys

Signing secrets of the Wahs: From $1200 deals to rival rejects and bargain buys

From pig hunting playmakers to backpacking prodigies, fitness freaks and thuggish rival enforcers, this is how the Kiwi club built their NRL roster.

yesterday 10

The Age

Dan Walsh

Here’s some free advice for Karl: Don’t mix business with pleasure

Here’s some free advice for Karl: Don’t mix business with pleasure

If Karl Stefanovic had consulted my fictional company, Cabo Communications, he wouldn’t have started a podcast with his wife’s bestie.

yesterday 10

The Age

Kate Halfpenny

I had an image of what I looked like as I slept, until my partner shattered it

I had an image of what I looked like as I slept, until my partner shattered it

I’m pretty comfortable with my looks, but this photo shocked me.

yesterday 10

The Age

Kerri Sackville

Worried about losing creativity and other skills to AI? You’re not alone

Worried about losing creativity and other skills to AI? You’re not alone

Many of us fear AI weakens independent thought, creativity and learning, especially among young people who may rely on it to think for them.

yesterday 20

The Age

Emily Chantiri

I had an image of what I looked like as I slept, until my partner shattered it

I had an image of what I looked like as I slept, until my partner shattered it

I’m pretty comfortable with my looks, but this photo shocked me.

yesterday 10

The Age

Kerri Sackville

Barnaby Joyce is indeed not Jesus Christ. He doesn’t need to be

Barnaby Joyce is indeed not Jesus Christ. He doesn’t need to be

It’s becoming clear that raw political expediency trumps economic wisdom when people feel this angry.

yesterday 10

The Age

Waleed Aly

Why your closest friends probably won’t help you find a job

Why your closest friends probably won’t help you find a job

The surprising reality is that your next career move will probably emerge from the very edge of your orbit.

yesterday 10

The Age

Tim Duggan

Albanese isn’t just betraying authors like me. He’s selling out Australia to AI colonists

Albanese isn’t just betraying authors like me. He’s selling out Australia to AI colonists

Like standover goons, America’s AI giants are threatening our government – and it is rolling over to their demands like no other nation.

yesterday 20

The Age

Richard Flanagan

My accent is unremarkable. But it has almost certainly helped me

My accent is unremarkable. But it has almost certainly helped me

There’s a type of bias holding us back, economically and socially. Here’s how the way we speak might be shaping how people perceive us.

yesterday 10

The Age

Millie Muroi

‘Hard to say there won’t be job cuts’, freshly arrived ABC news chief declares

‘Hard to say there won’t be job cuts’, freshly arrived ABC news chief declares

In his first big day greeting staff, Simon Robinson did not confirm there would be job cuts, but pointedly avoided ruling out redundancies.

yesterday 10

The Age

Calum Jaspan

Burke’s immigration plans are solid, but they’re not the antidote to Hansonism that Labor needs

Burke’s immigration plans are solid, but they’re not the antidote to Hansonism that Labor needs

Tony Burke ticked all the right boxes and made all the right noises at the National Press Club, yet his plans won’t win over many voters tempted by...

previous day 20

The Age

James Massola

Trump wanted Canada as the 51st state. He ended up pushing it towards the EU

Trump wanted Canada as the 51st state. He ended up pushing it towards the EU

The invitation by the EU for Canada to become an “associate member” is a sign of the effects of Donald Trump’s brand of diplomacy, which often...

previous day 20

The Age

Luke Broadwater

The world needs AI guardrails. Trump and Xi must now deliver them

The world needs AI guardrails. Trump and Xi must now deliver them

Their meeting in Washington is a golden opportunity for the two leaders to make real progress towards an AI risk reduction framework.

previous day 20

The Age

The Herald's View

Why AI hasn’t taken your job yet

Why AI hasn’t taken your job yet

The predicted AI job apocalypse hasn’t landed yet. But the industry is more concerned about the bigger problem of human extinction.

previous day 20

The Age

Kishor Napier-Raman

Burke says the quiet part out loud: immigration and housing are linked

Burke says the quiet part out loud: immigration and housing are linked

The sands have shifted rapidly in Australia’s migration debate and Labor has sniffed the wind.

previous day 20

The Age

Paul Sakkal

Why you should be wary when your boss asks for feedback

Why you should be wary when your boss asks for feedback

The idea of the “360-degree feedback” has always struck me as worthy in theory but highly dubious in practice.

previous day 10

The Age

Jonathan Rivett

The big intrigue that’s looming for Brownlow night

The big intrigue that’s looming for Brownlow night

There’s an almost certain winner for this year’s count. But there’s a secondary question that is very much up in the air.

previous day 20

The Age

Scott Spits

Trump has lost control as his ‘little war’ gets a lot bigger

Trump has lost control as his ‘little war’ gets a lot bigger

Trump is flailing in the Middle East and he may pay a heavy price for declining to help Saudi Arabia.

previous day 20

The Age

Marc Champion

How 12 people you probably don’t know knocked down Donald Trump

How 12 people you probably don’t know knocked down Donald Trump

The US president complained loudly about the Federal Reserve’s decision to lift interest rates. But in the end, he couldn’t stop it.

previous day 10

The Age

Shane Wright

Friends my age are being cut out of the workplace even though they’re brilliant at avoiding brain rot

Friends my age are being cut out of the workplace even though they’re brilliant at avoiding brain rot

We are experts at office banter, one-on-one communication and talking to actual humans on the phone. And we can do our jobs using a fraction of the...

previous day 7

The Age

Annie Lawson

Can the world’s two most powerful leaders find common ground on AI?

Can the world’s two most powerful leaders find common ground on AI?

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping will meet next week against a backdrop of warnings about the existential risks of AI, with plenty at stake for both.

previous day 20

The Age

Lisa Visentin

As the immigration debate rages, the people who will really pay are Victorians

As the immigration debate rages, the people who will really pay are Victorians

We saw during the pandemic what Melbourne was like without international students. One Nation’s immigration policies would take us back to that...

previous day 20

The Age

Chip le Grand

The radical is becoming normal under Hanson. If you’re not worried, you should be

The radical is becoming normal under Hanson. If you’re not worried, you should be

Anthony Albanese’s hare-and-the-tortoise political strategy, built on policy incrementalism, is now on life support. Angus Taylor is a store-bought...

previous day 20

The Age

Shaun Carney

Last year, I was scathing about my own club. But this dressing room photo sums up Knights revival

Last year, I was scathing about my own club. But this dressing room photo sums up Knights revival

Twelve months ago, I was writing cranky columns about two decades of systemic failure at Newcastle. But I think this resurgence is built to last.

previous day 20

The Age

Andrew Johns

The private credit cockroaches eating our rich-listers

The private credit cockroaches eating our rich-listers

Some of Australia’s rich-listers are getting burnt as private creditors get roasted by the failures of publicans and property developers. But that...

previous day 20

The Age

Colin Kruger

We have lost the art of the pop-in. I petition we revive it

We have lost the art of the pop-in. I petition we revive it

Spontaneous visits are the secret to maintaining adult friendships.

wednesday 10

The Age

Abby Seaman

The rise of the One Nation-curious CEO

The rise of the One Nation-curious CEO

ANZ Chief Executive Nuno Matos’ comments on migration reflect a change in the mood among Australia’s business leaders.

wednesday 20

The Age

Kishor Napier-Raman

In a crowded lift, I was asked if I’d considered Botox. Bosses keep backing the wrong horse

In a crowded lift, I was asked if I’d considered Botox. Bosses keep backing the wrong horse

We are experts at office banter, one-on-one communication and talking to actual humans on the phone. And we can do our jobs using a fraction of the...

wednesday 10

The Age

Annie Lawson