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.
The big issue: who can back up Jolly?
Jake Niall It will become the selection question of preliminary final week should Chris Dawes lose his battle of wounded knee: Who replaces him and supports Darren Jolly?
AFL
Plan B for the Pies if Dawes is out
Jake Niall In the event that Chris Dawes is unable play on Friday night, replacing him will be the Collingwood match committee's most vexing question.
AFL
Cats set to pounce on Demon, Roo
Michael Gleeson, Jake Niall Geelong has emerged as a major off-season player, it's eye on Rivers and McIntosh.
Hitouts to the Max
Jake Niall Since Leigh Brown retired, Collingwood has struggled with second ruck/forward role.
Hawks three times better
Jake Niall On the ladder, Hawthorn and Collingwood were only one game apart. In reality, the distance was several goals.
Swan, Buckley men on different paths
Jake Niall It is clear that Collingwood's past two Brownlow medallists diverge in their approaches to football.
Beams to stay with Pies
Jake Niall Collingwood midfielder has all but agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension.
Pies survive fright from plucky Eagles
Jake Niall Collingwood has the great racehorse's knack for finding the a way to win.
Football
Cats throw debutants into the fire
Jake Niall There's a sense that tomorrow's Geelong-Collingwood clash is no grand final rematch.
AFL
Pies maul Cats as Suns shine
Jake Niall Often this season the AFL has seemed to be a two-tiered competition.
Pies back Krakouer as injured stars improve
Jake Niall, Wangaratta Collingwood will continue to treat forward Andrew Krakouer with caution, saying the priority remains for him to deal with his off-field issues.
Why brown and gold is the new black
Jake Niall Hawthorn has players coming back from injury and is well placed to be the 2012 premier.
AFL
It's tough at the top
Jake Niall Injury concerns are dogging the leading premiership contenders. Hawthorn has joined the club with Max Bailey's wrist problem.
Buckley and the search for footy utopia
Jake Niall How Collingwood's new coach will differ from the old is one of the most compelling questions of the new AFL season.
AFL
Tarrant injury sours Pies win
Jake Niall Collingwood's opening victory of 2012 has been soured by a calf injury to veteran Chris Tarrant, whom coach Nathan Buckley conceded had virtually no chance of playing in Friday night's clash with...
Football
BIG JAM for Bucks
Jake Niall Nathan Buckley looks to have inherited a tough job, he'll need all his renowned self-belief.
Harry O, the lone ranger
Jake Niall Seemingly innocuous game against Port a significant challenge for Collingwood.
