Former rugby player LOU RICHARDS was praised by Australian Football League Commission Chair MIKE FITZPATRICK after "becoming the inaugural recipient" of the JOHN KENNEDY Lifetime Achievement Award. Kennedy, a triple-premiership coach at Hawthorn and former AFL Commission chairman, "presented Richards with the award." Richards played 250 games for the Magpies including captaining the '53 premiership side (AAP, 4/17). ... NBA Brooklyn Nets Owner MIKHAIL PROKHOROV has lost $2.1B in the last year and "dropped out of Russia’s top 10 richest people" (R-SPORT, 4/17). ... Dutch Eredivisie side Utrecht coach JAN WOUTERS "will step down" at the end "of a disappointing season." The former Netherlands midfielder will leave the club after two-and-a-half years in charge (REUTERS, 4/17). ... Australia's national women's football team coach HESTERINE DE REUS "has been sacked," less than a month out from the team's Asian Football Conderation Women's Asian Cup title defense. Football Federation Australia announced the decision on Thursday "following an internal review into de Reus's coaching methods" (REUTERS, 4/17). ... A-League side Adelaide United has extended coach JOSEP GOMBAU's contract by two seasons. The Spanish coach "has signed a new deal to remain with the Reds until the 2016-17 A-League season" (AAP, 4/17).
