Sam Lane is a pioneering broadcast journalist and author. Her award-winning work spans print, television, radio and podcast.
The new co-host of ABC radio’s flagship national sports program, ‘Summer Grandstand’, Sam also hosts the ABC podcast, ‘The W – with Sam Lane’.
A trailblazer in Australian sports media, Sam forged new ground in AFL men’s telecasts and coverage, was an inaugural member of Channel Seven's AFLW broadcast team, and a voice of authority since season one.
A sought-after specialist interviewer, Sam was engaged to lead an audience with Andre Agassi at a leadership summit in 2024, conducted powerful interviews with Jelena Dokic at the Australian premieres of her documentary ‘Unbreakable’, has worked closely with Australian of the Year Adam Goodes, and co-hosted the acclaimed national speaking tour of basketball legend Luc Longley in sold-out theatres.
In diverse settings, and for a broad range of clients, Sam is consistently praised for enhancing events through her research, delivery, engagement and warmth.
Sam’s first book, ROAR, is the definitive account of the birth of the Australian Football League’s elite competition for women. Published in 2018, ROAR was formally endorsed by Australia’s first woman Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. ROAR became part of the global movement for gender equity, diversity, and inclusion, with the AFLW catalysing profound change on and off-field. Sam’s keynote presentations on the topic include one at the Australian Embassy in Paris.
ROAR went into reprint in 2023.
Sam’s second book is the biography of sporting luminary, Erin Phillips, and is set for release in 2025.
Sam’s journalism awards include two Melbourne Press Club Quills, a Walkley, two VicHealth awards, the AFL Players’ Association and AFL Coaches’ Association media prizes, and an Australian Sports Commission media award.
In her distinguished journalism career, Sam wrote for Melbourne’s The Age and Sunday Age, and The Sydney Morning Herald newspapers for 13 years, reporting from Beijing, London, Rio and Delhi at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games.
She has reported from the men’s Tour de France three times, and the first women’s Tour de France in 2022 on ABC television, radio and podcast.
Sam covered men’s AFL on Channels Seven and Ten for more than 15 years. In 2013, she joined Channel Seven’s prime time Saturday night footy coverage and was part of Seven’s record-breaking broadcast of the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Sam was a panellist on Channel Ten’s Before the Game for 10 years, and also featured in the ABC’s Agony Aunts.
As a keynote speaker, event MC, conference host and panel moderator, Sam’s clients include QBE, Virgin Australia, Mercedes Benz Australia, National Australia Bank, Sport Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, CGU, Commonwealth Bank, REA and the Sydney Swans, Geelong and Richmond AFL football clubs.
Sam is an ambassador for Flourish Australia, sat on the Sydney Swans’ AFLW steering committee, and was a member of the Australian Institute of Sport’s Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement Advisory Committee, chaired by Olympic icon Ian Thorpe.
She was a member of the Board of Directors of The Chappell Foundation - raising funds for homeless youth - until 2024.
Sam wrote, produced, and hosted two series of the number one-rating ‘The Originals’ podcast for the Richmond Football Club in 2020-21, and hosted a podcast for the Sydney Swans.
Sam speaks French, studying at the Université Michel de Montaigne in Bordeaux to complete a Diploma of Modern Languages, and has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Melbourne.
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Introducing Sam Lane
Sam Lane is represented by HMMG (Harry M Miller Group) Contact Lauren Miller for more information [email protected]Sam Lane | Multi Award-winning Journalist, Author, Keynote Speaker & Host Saxton Speakers
The Front Bar | Sam Lane
Sam was FABULOUS! She is media trained, young, enthusiastic and excellent to work with. Sam was extremely professional and sensitive to the nature of the evening. Sam provided flawless MC du ... keep reading Red Letter Management
Your energy and authenticity added so much warmth and personality to the day sessions and completely made the evening session. Everyone in the Party and production team loved working with you and having you on board. The only negative feedback so far is that we should have included you more in the day sessions! We hope to work with you again in the future.
Sam was an extremely personable presenter who engaged the audience very well.
Samantha shared her personal experiences with the audience whilst showing that one can achieve their dreams with persistence and taking a gamble. She was very well received by all at the event.
Sam was lovely to work with. She is very professional and well researched. She was very knowledgeable of the speakers she was interviewing and willing to adapt to different situations including time constraints, restless crowd etc.
Sam was amazingly gracious, professional, friendly, accommodating and lovely. WE loved working with her and I would recommend her as an MC and host for any event!
