Martin Blake on Injuries - Real Footy

Martin Blake

Martin Blake has been a senior writer for The Age since 1986 and has covered numerous AFL seasons, three cricket World Cups and various Australian cricket tours overseas, two Olympic Games, three Commonwealth Games, and a plethora of other major sports events including the British Open Championship and the US Masters. He covers all sports with an emphasis on Australian football and golf.

Runaway winner .... Jobe Watson started strongly to poll 30 votes and win the Brownlow.

AFL

Reward at last for Dons' skipper

Martin Blake Jobe Watson caps off his third consecutive outstanding year with the game's most prestigious and famous individual honour.

Martin Blake

Preliminary discussions: Part three

Martin Blake Travis Cloke is the one. He has a history of troubling Sydney and is key to the Pie's chances.

Bloodlines run deep: Bolton set for his 300th game

Martin Blake I GUESS Jude was always going to be tough. He had to be. Growing up with two sporty elder brothers, their grand finals and Test matches in the Ballarat backyard were brutal.

Dawes finds an opening as Magpies bolster ruck

Martin Blake Collingwood has made a last-ditch punt on Chris Dawes for the qualifying final against Hawthorn at the MCG tonight after the out-of-form ruck-forward was dropped for the last round of the...

AFL

Dawes finds an opening as Pies bolster ruck

Martin Blake Collingwood has made a last-ditch punt on Chris Dawes for the qualifying final.

Lyon gets quick results with Freo

Martin Blake Ross Lyon and Fremantle are working well together, writes Martin Blake.

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Franklin back as Hawthorn ups the ante

Martin Blake LANCE Franklin's long-awaited return from a hamstring injury and illness, along with the inclusion of former captain Sam Mitchell and Josh Gibson, gives Hawthorn an imposing look for the...

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Freo may face probe

Martin Blake Two players put back on field after suffering heavy knocks and possible concussion.

No regrets as Bombers veteran McVeigh calls it a day

Martin Blake Essendon's 232-game veteran Mark McVeigh has retired with no regrets. McVeigh, 31, told his teammates this morning at Windy Hill that he would not go on in 2013.

Lawmakers look again at interchanges

Martin Blake The AFL's war on congestion in the game is to be ramped up in October when the laws committee decides whether to alter the interchange rules again.

McVeigh hangs up boots

Martin Blake For the best part of a decade, Mark ''Spike'' McVeigh and James Hird had a ritual as players. Before each game, they paired off and hammered footballs at each other to spark up.

Blues battlers to the end

Martin Blake Brett Ratten's last game for Carlton ends in more heartache, with St Kilda winning by 15 points.

AFL

Swans keep rolling along

Martin Blake For Carlton, the Waite-ing was over. Jarrad Waite made his return to a navy blue guernsey. But the waiting for a finals berth and a recovering from this cursed season is effectively over, and that...