Jake Niall
Jake Niall is a senior sports writer at 'The Age' specialising mainly in coverage of the AFL. He writes a weekly column for 'The Sunday Age' and has been on staff with 'The Age' or 'Sunday Age' since 1995. Jake, who combines original news with commentary, match-based writing, features and analysis, has won a number of awards, including the Alf Brown award for the best performer in AFL media in 2012, the Melbourne Press Club's 2007 Quill award for best sports story in any medium and a Walkley award, shared with colleagues Richard Baker, Nick McKenzie, Caroline Wilson and John Silvester, for best coverage of a major issue (Essendon scandal) in 2013.
Queries over sentencing discounts for Bombers
Jake Niall It has emerged that the chairman hearing the World Anti-Doping Agency appeal into the Essendon supplements scandal questioned lawyers on why players had been presumed to be entitled to a 'no...
Essendon supplements saga: mid-January decision looms
Jake Niall Court of Arbitration for Sport is set to hand down a judgment on the World Anti-Doping Agency appeal in mid-January.
No AFL control: the lessons of 2015
Jake Niall In 2015, the AFL couldn't stop fans from booing Adam Goodes, or from expressing varying forms of racial prejudice.
Saint and ex-Magpie Nathan Freeman hamstrung again
Jake Niall St Kilda recruit Nathan Freeman, the top 10 draft pick who was severely hamstrung in his brief career at Collingwood, has suffered another hamstring injury.
Why Luke Hodge kept the Hawthorn captaincy
Jake Niall and Ronny Lerner After weeks of uncertainty and speculation surrounding the captaincy at Hawthorn, the reigning triple premiers have decided to retain Luke Hodge as their skipper for season 2016.
Chop or stick? The Dustin Martin mess
Jake Niall The Dustin Martin case has turned into a nightmare on Punt Road and Harbour Boulevard because, for various reasons, the police were not involved from the outset.
Cats still trail the Hawks, WA clubs: Dangerfield
Jake Niall Patrick Dangerfield believes Geelong has a lot of work to do to be competitive next year.
Patrick Dangerfield never felt the need to meet Cats coach, players before signing
Jake Niall In normal circumstances, a recruit of Patrick Dangerfield's stature would meet both the coach and captain of the club he intended to join, long before he had signed.
Blues seeing red after drunken punch-up
Jake Niall Carlton forward Clem Smith suffered injuries in an altercation on Saturday night.
Geelong's Patrick Dangerfield wants marking forwards protected
Jake Niall Patrick Dangerfield wants help for marking forwards for the game's sake.
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire claims rift with Mick Malthouse healed
Jake Niall Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has indicated the once "grand canyon-sized" rift between him and his premiership coach Mick Malthouse has been repaired somewhat.
Carlton poach Hawthorn official for leadership
Jake Niall Carlton has hired a leadership specialist from Hawthorn to run the club's leadership program under new coach Brendon Bolton.
Damien Hardwick's new deal at Richmond: one year is enough
Jake Niall If Richmond intends to renew Damien Hardwick's contract soon, as the club president suggests is likely, then they should hand the coach only a one-year extension.
Tiger candidate: there won't be bloodshed
Jake Niall One of the candidates in the fierce Richmond election says he is not "challenging" the club board and wants "evolution rather than revolution" at Tigerland.
New AFL draft – too American and too slow
Jake Niall By the time Geelong had nominated Matthew Hayball, the last player selected in the 2015 national draft, the seats at the Adelaide Convention Centre were virtually empty.
Adelaide's Kyle Cheney warned, ex-Dog Talia cleared by AFL over leaking game information
Jake Niall An AFL investigation has cleared ex-Bulldog Michael Talia of any rule breaches for allegedly leaking game-sensitive information before a final but has issued a formal warning to Adelaide's Kyle...
How and why Essendon players were called up to hearing
Jake Niall A random selection of Essendon players who gave evidence at the Court of Arbitration for Sport appeal were called to the hearing by the CAS panel, not the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Essendon players give evidence at Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing
Jake Niall At least half a dozen Essendon players have given evidence in person at the Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing in Sydney into the Bombers drug scandal.
Bombers back in the dock for appeal hearing
Jake Niall Everything you need to know about the Essendon appeal hearing.
Channel Seven offered Jake Carlisle film nine days earlier
Jake Niall and Michael Gleeson Channel Seven was offered video footage purporting to show Jake Carlisle in a room with illicit drugs in Las Vegas nine days before Channel Nine broadcast damning footage that prompted the St Kilda...
