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Jake Niall

Jake Niall

Jake Niall is a Walkley award-winning sports journalist and chief AFL writer for The Age.

Collingwood rolled out their biggest gun in their pitch for Port Adelaide superstar Zak Butters.

Dogs, Cats still the frontrunners, but Daicos joins Pies’ chase for Butters

The Magpies and Tigers – both viewed as trailing the Western Bulldogs and Geelong, in the race for Butters – have held face-to-face meetings with the Port Adelaide superstar.

  • Jake Niall

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Four inductees

‘Fletch’, ‘the Little Master’ and ‘Woosha’: The greats now recognised in the hall of fame

Geelong and Gold Coast champion Gary Ablett has been honoured for his glittering contribution to the game, joining his father and namesake in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

  • Scott Spits, Russell Bennett and Jake Niall
Gary Ablett jnr has been inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

The man behind the name: Gary Ablett jnr lived in the public eye and stayed private

Dustin Martin, not one for over-praise, called “Gaz” simply “the GOAT”. On Tuesday night, the two-time Brownlow medallist was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

  • Jake Niall
Kozzie Pickett celebrates the match winning goal.

Late theatrics as Pickett plays on to seal Melbourne win; Mihocek taken to hospital

Collingwood went into the final quarter with the lead, but it was the Demons who snatched a late victory in a classic King’s Birthday clash. Earlier, Andy Lee, Amy Shark and the Governor-General Sam Mostyn tackled the slide at the Big Freeze.

  • Hannah Kennelly and Jake Niall
Winning with feeling: Melbourne’s Harvey Langford.

Pickett’s goal sealed the game, but the symbolic moment was when a Demon swooped on Daicos

In a game of amazing feats and egregious mistakes, the signature moment belonged to a young Melbourne midfielder Harvey Langford.

  • Jake Niall
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Bailey, ‘Kozzy’ and ‘the Wizard’ have made it, but the strength of this side is in who misses out

“The Wizard” joins “the Lizard”, but only nine players from the 2025 All-Australian side have done enough to get into the 23 for this mid-year All-Australian team.

  • Jake Niall
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Joe Montana (left) is one of the biggest names in NFL history.

On one of the AFL’s biggest weekends, 10,000 US fans will paint Melbourne red

San Francisco’s legendary four-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Joe Montana, is coming to the September 11 game at the MCG. He could have two other all-time greats join him.

  • Jake Niall
Jan Daniher (right) and Bec Daniher addressed Melbourne and Collingwood players before this year’s Big Freeze game honouring the late Neale Daniher and his fight against MND.

What Neale Daniher told daughter Bec in their final conversation

On the day it was announced NRL star Jai Arrow will toss the coin in Monday’s game, the Magpies and Demons united to remember Neale Daniher’s extraordinary contribution as the figurehead of the battle against MND.

  • Jake Niall and Scott Spits
John Longmire is yet to be approached by either the Bombers or Blues for their coaching vacancies.

The Bombers and Blues are eyeing new coaches. Neither have yet spoken with John Longmire

Sydney’s 2012 premiership coach is expected to be on the radar of both Melbourne powerhouses in due course.

  • Jake Niall
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The what-ifs are plentiful for Essendon. But what if they’d hired Neale Daniher?

Much as the non-hiring of Damien Hardwick has become folkloric for frustrated Bomber fans, it is easily forgotten that another Essendon Person, or EP, was overlooked in the club’s coach search that settled on Matthew Knights.

  • Jake Niall