Sam Newman

46
Sam Newman bigraphy, stories - Australian rules footballer

Sam Newman : biography

22 December 1945 –

John Noel William "Sam" Newman (born 22 December 1945) is a retired Australian rules football player and current television personality. He is a featured presenter on the AFL version of The Footy Show.

Cancer diagnosis

On 5 March 2008 it was revealed that Newman was in hospital, undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. On 6 March he underwent a procedure at Epworth Hospital in Melbourne to have the cancerous prostate removed. Newman asked that television cameras from Channel Nine’s program 60 Minutes have full access to the procedure, as he believed it could help raise awareness of the issue among the greater public. Channel Nine personality and close friend Eddie McGuire covered the story for the program.

The program went to air on 9 March 2008. It contained footage filmed earlier that day in which Newman’s urologist, Laurence Harewood, told him that the operation had been a success and that he had been cleared of the cancer. Newman has since made a full recovery.

VFL career

Recruited straight from school, Newman made his debut for Geelong in 1964 and was fortunate to have Graham "Polly" Farmer in the side as a role model. During the first semi-final against Collingwood in 1967, Newman suffered a serious injury which forced surgeons to remove part of his kidney, but he bounced back to win his club’s "best and fairest" award in 1968 and 1975. He was also selected as an All-Australian player in 1969 and played for the Victorian State team eight times. Newman retired in 1980, having polled 100 Brownlow Medal votes throughout his career. In 2002, he was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Media career

Newman joined radio station 3AW as a football commentator in 1981 and appeared on World of Sport on Channel 7 for seven years.

Newman has been a regular on the AFL version of The Footy Show since it first aired in 1994 on the Australian Nine Network. He acts as sidekick and resident clown. He regularly hosts Street Talk, a vox populi segment in which he interviews people on the streets, usually for comedic effect in suburbs of topical interest, as well as Sam’s Mailbag, where he reads out correspondence purportedly from the public, shows funny footage and the occasional humorous look-alike of co-host Garry Lyon.

His other media appearances have included the Sunday sports show Any Given Sunday in 2005, World of Sport, The Sunday Footy Show and also co-hosting the short lived Sam and The Fatman with Paul "Fatty" Vautin. On radio station Triple M, Newman previews Friday night and Saturday afternoon matches. He formerly provided special comments during AFL games on Triple M, as well as 3AW previously.

From April 2010, he was a part of the MTR (Melbourne Talk Radio) lineup, providing opinion and participating in talkback between 9.00 am and 9.30 am, during the Steve Price breakfast programme. Newman quit the station in January 2012, after the breakfast producer censored Newman’s profanity.

Newman has also dabbled in singing, and in 2002 released a compilation album entitled I Do My Best Work After Midnight, consisting of 13 selections from other artists, as well as two songs sung by Newman himself – "Witchcraft" and "I’ve Got You Under My Skin".http://www.discogs.com/Various-Sam-Newman-I-Do-My-Best-Work-After-Midnight/release/737018

After retirement

In December 2005, Newman was appointed as ruck coach for the Melbourne Football Club to mentor players such as Jeff White, Mark Jamar and Paul Johnson.

On 6 July 2010, Newman made a comeback playing for Victoria in the annual EJ Whitten Legends Game. Newman kicked four goals from four kicks and three marks to be named best on ground, despite his team losing to the All Stars by seven points.

Motor sport

Newman took up motor racing in the GT Production Car class in the late 1990s and subsequently competed in the Australian Nations Cup Championship in Lamborghinis and Ferraris. He also competed in the Mini Challenge series at the 2010 Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park. This was a one off drive in the series.