Jake Niall
Jake Niall is a senior sports writer at The Age, specialising in AFL football. Jake joined The Age in 1998, having previously worked as a sports writer on The Sunday Age. He writes a blend of news, feature articles and a weekly column during the football season. Before joining The Sunday Age, Jake was a freelance reporter in the US and a regular contributor to The Sunday Age and The Age from Los Angeles, covering diverse areas like politics, earthquakes, celebrity trials and American sport. Jake ghost wrote the autobiography (‘Collingwood and Me’, 1991) of champion Collingwood footballer Peter Daicos. While he writes primarily about the AFL, he spends the month of January covering tennis, especially the Australian Open. In 2008, Jake won the Melbourne Press Club Quill Awards' Best Sports Story in any medium for his profile piece on David Schwarz.
Classy Cats leaders of pack
Jake Niall As of Friday evening, Geelong's claims to leadership of the competition cannot be disputed.
Blues find winning form
Jake Niall Carlton gets second win of the season, withstanding a belated challenge from Adelaide.
Catch-up Blues fall shy
Jake Niall Carlton fights hard, but it is Geelong that emerges with the points.
AFL
Unleash the mongrel
Jake Niall Mick Malthouse and his Blues need to be more ruthless if they are to mix it with the game's heavy hitters.
Hawks three times better
Jake Niall On the ladder, Hawthorn and Collingwood were only one game apart. In reality, the distance was several goals.
Daisy digs deep and comes up smelling of roses
Jake Niall Dale Thomas hasn't had a flash season. Not given to overstatement, Thomas called his mediocre qualifying final effort against Hawthorn a ''shocker'' and at half-time last night he was still stuck on...
Hawks in pole position
Jake Niall For the Hawks, their final home-and-away game of 2012 delivered what they wanted.
Jake Niall
Ablett's only win in 2012 may be a Brownlow
Jake Niall No footballer has ever won the Brownlow Medal in a team that hasn't won a single game.
Jake Niall
Greatest of all Tigers
Jake Niall Young Richmond star Trent Cotchin is the best of the modern breed.
AFL
Gritty Tigers hold off Saints
Jake Niall Not even the most sobering talk by Damien Hardwick will be able to contain the fervour at Punt Road now.
AFL
Loss shows Richmond has work to do
Jake Niall For Richmond, it was a day of reminders. The Tigers were reminded that, for all their progress, they sit at five wins, six losses and well outside the eight.
Pies survive fright from plucky Eagles
Jake Niall Collingwood has the great racehorse's knack for finding the a way to win.
The write stuff
Jake Niall So you want to be an AFL footballer? Perhaps there's a few things young men should be told first.
New Roos blast Blues
Jake Niall Kangaroos demolish Carlton in a manner redolent of what the club did in Wayne Carey’s prime.
Hungry Hawks bury Dons
Jake Niall After Richmond put them to the sword, questions were asked about the mettle of the Hawks.
Buckley, Neeld hoping practice makes perfect
Jake Niall Collingwood training more like match practice than a real practice match.
Harry O, the lone ranger
Jake Niall Seemingly innocuous game against Port a significant challenge for Collingwood.
Saints endure hellfire
Jake Niall Twice this season, Melbourne has been close at half-time, only to be blown to pieces in the third quarter..
Dees beaten, not bowed
Jake Niall Whenever Geelong meets Melbourne at ''the cricket ground'', there's an old world vibe.
Tigers up and running
Jake Niall Richmond's 2012 revival seems more authentic than its previous soufflé-like rises.
