Caroline Wilson

Caroline Wilson was The Age’s chief football writer for 20 years, stepping down in 2017. A trailblazer and fearless journalist, she held the AFL and clubs to account – notably on behalf of Adam Goodes over 2012 and 2013. She also revealed numerous coach sackings, gained the first exclusive interviews with key AFL players suffering serious mental health issues at a time when depression was stigmatised and has been a passionate advocate for First Nations people and women across all levels of the game. Her exclusive interview with Cyril and Shannon Ah Sam Rioli in 2022 revealed systemic failings in the Hawthorn Football Club's treatment of its Indigenous players over two decades and led to the 2022 Hawthorn Racism Review. She has campaigned since the 1990s for Tasmania's entry into the AFL.

The first woman to cover Australian Rules football full-time, she began at the Melbourne Herald in 1978. She has won three Walkley Awards (including a lifetime achievement Walkley in 2023), the Graham Perkin Award and holds lifetime honours from the Australian Sports Commission. She is in both the Victorian Media and Melbourne Cricket Club Halls of Fame.

Caroline is married to political journalist Brendan Donohoe. They have three children and two grandchildren.