Samantha Lane
Samantha Lane is a sports writer with The Age's sports section. She joined The Sunday Age's sports team in 2005, where she specialised in the coverage of Australian Rules football, before joining the daily Age in 2007. She has a wealth of multi-media broadcasting experience since starting her journalism career in 2002 at www.afl.com.au. She is also a panellist on Network Ten's Before the Game. Samantha covered the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, the 2008 Beijing Olympics and will be reporting extensively on the 2012 London Olympics.
Nick Minchin pushes for international rules Test in New York
Samantha Lane Australia's consul-general in New York, Nick Minchin, is behind a push for an international rules Test, between Ireland's top Gaelic footballers and the AFL's best players, and to be held in the Big...
AFL Victoria launches female academy
Samantha Lane AFL Victoria has created, and is funding, a female football academy to identify and develop players for the national league that's set to launch in 2017.
Western Bulldogs lobby AFL as only one women's game makes fixture
Samantha Lane The Western Bulldogs have asked the AFL to find a home for a second women's game against Melbourne next season, after the clubs leading the code-transforming push were drawn to meet just once.
WADA said to be 'nervous' about Essendon case
Samantha Lane In an extraordinary retaliation in the countdown to a Court of Arbitration in Sport panel judging the most high-profile drugs case in Australian sports history, the secretary general of CAS has...
Why did ASADA drop AOD-9604? WADA boss wants review
Samantha Lane The World Anti-Doping Agency's boss has admitted he does not know why use of AOD-9604 – prohibited since 2011 according to the global authority – was not pursued in the ongoing cases...
Agency 'not the villain' in Essendon drugs case
Samantha Lane AFL chief Gillon McLachlan has met the most powerful figure in sports anti-doping in the countdown to Essendon's drugs case reaching the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Prison would deter cheats, says WADA boss
Samantha Lane World Anti-Doping Agency boss, David Howman, says imprisonment could be the most effective way to get rid of doping in sport.
AFL boss sticks up for his grand final over NRL
Samantha Lane AFL Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick has jested about his code's rivalry with the NRL which, by any critic's measure, had a more gripping season finale and boasted a larger television audience.
Twice weekly physical assessments a secret of Hawks' success
Samantha Lane Even in premiership afterglow, Hawthorn's fanatical pursuit of sustained success has been non-stop.
Goodes' decision not to accept player award 'a sad one': AFLPA
Samantha Lane Adam Goodes' request to be excluded from consideration for a retiring footballers' award has been described as "sad" yet fully understandable by AFL Players Association boss Paul Marsh.
AFL grand final 2015: Brett Ratten sheds tears of joy and sadness
Samantha Lane In the euphoric Hawthorn dressing rooms after a mighty triple premiership run was sealed, Brett Ratten cut a figure of pain surrounded by pleasure.
AFL needs the voices of many women
Samantha Lane There was surprise, and some dismay, when word broke in August that the AFL's lone female executive had resigned.
AFL grand final 2015: Three-peat or not, Hawks no match for 80s heroes, says Jeff Kennett
Samantha Lane Even a third successive premiership from Hawthorn's current crop will not match the club's 1980s dynasty, former president Jeff Kennett has said.
Meet Jan Cooper, the woman driving footy's gender revolution
Samantha Lane Haven't heard of Jan Cooper? That won't bother her in the least.
Essendon denies John Worsfold has been appointed as coach
Samantha Lane Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell has categorically denied that John Worsfold has been appointed as the club's coach.
Western Bulldogs' Luke Beveridge is AFL coach of the year
Samantha Lane Luke Beveridge has been voted AFL coach of the year by his peers after guiding the Western Bulldogs to the finals in one of the season's unforeseen highlights.
AFL finals 2015: Sharrod Wellingham's journey from humbled Pie to soaring Eagle
Samantha Lane Sharrod Wellingham was on the verge of quitting football last year before blossoming to meet the Eagles' high expectations.
AFL finals 2015: Nic Naitanui still a long way from his peak, says Sharrod Wellingham
Samantha Lane Nic Naitanui may have been overlooked by All-Australian selectors this year but is still a considerable way off peaking, according to teammate Sharrod Wellingham who has described the rare...
AFL finals 2015: Sharrod Wellingham has one regret over time with Pies
Samantha Lane Sharrod Wellingham has no regrets about leaving Collingwood, or the fun he had with fellow premiership teammates while there, but one high-profile episode that pre-dated his AFL debut still makes him...
AFL finals 2015: Sydney believe crowd would be bigger at SCG
Samantha Lane The Sydney Swans believe the crowd for their cut-throat final against North Melbourne could have been boosted by around 10,000 if it had been played at the SCG.
