Martin Blake

Author, Sports writer

Martin Blake has worked in mainstream media for almost 40 years covering various sports.

Currently freelancing, he is the senior writer for Golf Australia, an editor at The Age newspaper in Melbourne, and a popular author of sports books.

He has written various books in recent years. ‘The Rise of the Sydney Swans’, a chronicle of the best 10 years in that club’s history, was published by Penguin Australia in 2013, as well as a 2015 book on the Alastair Clarkson years at Hawthorn, ‘Mighty Fighting Hawks’, which was updated in 2016.

He ‘ghost’ wrote Allan Border’s ‘Cricket As I See It’ in 2014, is co-author of Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson’s autobiography, ‘Bomber: The Whole Story’, published in 2016, and Dane Swan’s My Story in 2017. Most recently he co-authored the posthumous autobiography of the golfer Jarrod Lyle.

Blake covered cricket, football, golf and basketball for ‘The Age’ in Melbourne for more than 25 years from 1986 until 2012 before going freelance, then returned to the newspaper in 2018. He is a past sports editor of The Age, was inducted to the MCG Media Hall of Fame in 2006, and has won numerous awards from the AFL, in cricket, golf and basketball.

He has covered two Olympic Games, two Commonwealth Games, three cricket World Cups including Australia’s triumph in England in 1999 and on the Indian subcontinent in 1987, four Masters golf tournaments at Augusta National and three Open Championships in the UK.

Dean Jones Cricket Tips (2016)

I collaborated with two old friends, Dean Jones, former Test batsman, and cartoonist John Spooner for this simple book of cricket tips.

The subheading: ‘The things they don’t teach you at the Academy’ says it all.

It’s about the one-percenters that make you better. It covers all areas of the game and includes tips garnered from Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid, Ian Healy, Wasim Akram and others.

We hope to sell it through the subcontinent, where Deano is coaching and commentating, as well as in Australia.

Mighty Fighting Hawks (UPDATED 2015)

My update of Mighty Fighting Hawks, the Threepeat edition if you like, is in shops from the end of March.

It’s the previous illustrated edition slimmed down (and cheaper) with a chapter thrown in on 2015.

Bomber: The Whole Story (2016)

This book, co-authored between myself and Bomber Thompson and released earlier in 2016, has been a big-seller, in the top two sports books of the year so far.

Bomber did everything in footy and his stories of his time as a player at Essendon in the Kevin Sheedy era, to his own coaching rollercoaster at Geelong, to the dreadful peptides saga at Essendon make it a must-read not just for fans of his clubs.

Mighty Fighting Hawks (2014)

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At the end of the 2004 season Hawthorn was an unholy mess, with no coach, no chief executive and no captain. Enter Clarkson, who established a club culture based on endurance, courage, mateship and sacrifice and in 2008, won the first of his three premierships. It was an unlikely win since Geelong was clearly the best team of the year.

All premierships are different, and if the 2013 flag was about redemption – following the 2012 loss to the Sydney Swans – the 2014 flag was about resilience. After a season where injuries, illness and the absence of Lance Franklin dominated the headlines, the Hawks shook off their arch rival Sydney in a stunning victory against the odds. Under Clarkson, there is always a way to win.

From Jeff Kennett’s reign to the defection of Franklin; from Sam Mitchell standing down as captain to make way for Luke Hodge to the key roles of Jarryd Roughead and Cyril Rioli, this is the story of the team that Alastair Clarkson built, in a decade of success.

‘This club is here to stay and we plan to be a juggernaut of the AFL.’

—Andrew Newbold, president of Hawthorn Football Club, 28 September 2014

Dane Swan: My Story (2016)

I co-authored this autobiography with Dane Swan, the Collingwood legend, in 2016 to coincide with his retirement from the game. Swanny is upfront and honest as always about his trials and tribulations over 15 years with the Magpies, including a Brownlow Medal and a premiership. There are some cracking tales in here!

It reached the top 10 nationally (up against ALL books including novels and kids’ books) and has been a big success.

The Rise of the Swans: A decade of success: 2003 to 2012 (2013)

At the start of 2005, the Swans had not won a premiership for 72 years. Now, in the Paul Roos-John Longmire era, they have become an understated, efficient footballing machine with two more flags.

This is the story of how the Swans changed the direction of their club, establishing their own blueprint for winning: spirited team performance, a never-say-die attitude and a refusal to deviate from the plan. This is the culture people speak about.

But success is not easily won at this level. Smart drafting and trading – turning so-called strays into role-playing premiership players – and incredible injury management have been critical to the story. Names such as Richard Colless, Andrew Ireland, Paul Roos and John Longmire sit alongside Adam Goodes, Brett Kirk, Jarrad McVeigh, Jude Bolton, Ryan O’Keefe, Barry Hall, Leo Barry, Nick Malceski and Dan Hannebery. The legend of the Bloods has been passed on.

No longer merely a bunch of blue-collar workers who pinched a premiership in 2005, the Sydney Swans who hoisted the cup again in 2012 are a fine tribute to their South Melbourne forebears. Hard. Disciplined, Relentless.

‘It’s not just about the premiership. It’s the way we’re respected in the football world. We never, ever had that before.’ Bob Skilton

My Story - Jarrod Lyle

Jarrod Lyle was a professional golfer, but this is not only a golf book. It is the tale of a fighter. A husband and father of two children who survived two bouts of a life-threatening illness before finally succumbing to it in his third battle with the disease. From his upbringing in the Victorian provincial city of Shepparton through to the highs of his professional golfing career and on to his final days, My Story is his tribute to the people and organisations who supported him. It’s a story of courage and inspiration.

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Contact me

Twitter: @martinj_blake
E-mail: martinjblake61@gmail.com