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.
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.
Football
Oh brother, a family's dilemma
Martin Blake For the Reid family of Bright, it will inevitably be a bitter-sweet preliminary final day.
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.
Schoe and tell: Hawks' most relieved man
Martin Blake Arguably the most relieved man at Hawthorn today was Ryan Schoenmakers, the Hawks' centre half-back whose brain-fade late in the final quarter gifted a goal to Adelaide's Jason Porplyzia and almost...
Football
Hawk puts brain fade behind him
Martin Blake Arguably the most relieved man at Hawthorn yesterday was Ryan Schoenmakers, whose brain fade late in the final quarter almost cost his team a spot in the grand final.
Football
Hawks haunted by grand Swan
Martin Blake Next Saturday, former Hawk Josh Kennedy presents arguably the biggest single threat to Hawthorn's quest for an 11th premiership.
Hawk Smith is an up-and-comer
Martin Blake Isaac Smith is determined to go with the flow in his first experience of grand final week.
No place to run, or hide
Martin Blake Ted Richards is the modern backman personified; adaptable, competitive and strong.
Brownlow quirks and oddities
Emma Quayle and Martin Blake Some of the more notable anomalies arising from the AFL's biggest award.
Sewell to keep Hawkeye on Swan
Martin Blake Brad Sewell is the most likely marker for Josh Kennedy on Saturday.
AFL
AFL moves to allay fears weather will stop grand final parade
Martin Blake and Daniel Mackney Tomorrow's grand final parade will be cancelled if Melbourne's forecast bad weather is too inclement, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has admitted.
AFL moving on grand final twilight game
Martin Blake The AFL continues to warm to the idea of a twilight grand final.
Football
Malceski's snap is one for the ages
Martin Blake Sydney half-back Nick Malceski took centre stage in the final act of the classic.
Collingwood won't be playing tag with Hawk midfield aces
Martin Blake Magpies star says winning the contested ball will be the key to the qualifying final.
Stevie J pays a high price
Martin Blake Surely the Steve Johnson bump on Dan Hannebery does not constitute a reportable offence?
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.
AFL
Clash of the big birds guaranteed titanic
Martin Blake For reasons that are not all that clear, Sydney has a problem with the Adelaide Crows.
Shock as All-Australian squad named
Martin Blake Hawthorn defender Josh Gibson and Western Bulldogs skipper Matthew Boyd are among the unlucky players who missed out on All-Australian squad selection yesterday.
