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.
AFL
Happy Roughead extends contract
Jake Niall EXCLUSIVE Hawthorn's versatile forward/utility becomes latest Hawk to commit for the long-term.
AFL
Is the game running away from Hawthorn?
Jake Niall Hawks' failure to beat Cats continues distinct pattern from 2012 preliminary and grand finals.
AFL
Mitchell wanted two-year deal
Jake Niall SAM MITCHELL has admitted he would have liked to sign on with the Hawks for two seasons, rather than the one year that he accepted when he signed his latest contract.
AFL
Proving a legend's worth
Jake Niall David Parkin had blundered, by his own typically candid admission, when he dumped a short kid he considered too fat, slow and 'not good enough' from Carlton in the early '80s.
AFL
Best in the nest
Jake Niall Fans may fancy the Hawks, Pies, Swans and Crows, but it's the Eagles who could take flight this season.
Officer class, but Riewoldt needs captain in waiting
Jake Niall Modern-day AFL dictates clubs need captains with high credentials, writes Jake Niall.
AFL
Spoiling the spoiler: The Swans' big task
Jake Niall Josh Gibson is always a fistful, and Sydney needs a plan.
Jake Niall
Clarko's life on the edge
Jake Niall Coaching at Hawthorn under Jeff Kennett wasn't always easy for Alastair Clarkson.
Featherweights?
Jake Niall As the season has progressed, the Hawks have moved ahead of the Magpies. Here's why.
Hawks three times better
Jake Niall On the ladder, Hawthorn and Collingwood were only one game apart. In reality, the distance was several goals.
Hawk predators given hope
Jake Niall A Sunday twilight match between the premiership favourite and a barely competitive expansion team would appear to be the very definition of a game not worth watching.
Hawks in pole position
Jake Niall For the Hawks, their final home-and-away game of 2012 delivered what they wanted.
Sam I can
Jake Niall He's an enigma in the AFL - too small, too slow they said. So why is Hawk Sam Mitchell so good?
Cats win No. 9 after bell
Jake Niall GEELONG and Hawthorn's rivalry has been the game's most compelling for some years, but this latest instalment has taken not only their competition but AFL football to unprecedented heights.
Cats win no.9 after the bell
Jake Niall Geelong and Hawthorn’s rivalry has been the game’s most compelling for some years, but this latest installment has taken not only their competition, but AFL football to unprecedented heights.
Marathon turns into a sprint
Jake Niall Hawthorn is kicking its way to another premiership - unless someone finds a way to stem the advance.
Hawks stitch up top guns
Jake Niall Not worried about losing important players to rival clubs in first year of free agency system.
AFL
Premierships now a long time coming
Jake Niall Ron Barassi was mocked when he unveiled a five-year plan for Melbourne in the early '80s.
The missing Ling
Jake Niall He was admired for his onfield leadership, but is former Cat Cameron Ling a coach in waiting?
Jake Niall
Burgoyne yet to pass price test
Jake Niall In 2009, the Hawks acquired two mature players in order to return to the premiership mix.
