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The Age’s Caroline Wilson steps down as chief football writer

The Age’s long-standing chief football writer Caroline Wilson has left the role after almost two decades.

Wilson will be replaced by former The Age sports writer Jake Niall, and she will continue as a regular AFL columnist and panellist on the Real Footy podcast.

Wilson: ‘I’m so proud to be handing over the baton’

Niall has been working for the last two years at Fox Sports as chief AFL reporter.

The Age reports Wilson felt the time was right to “reduce her workload”.

“It’s been a great privilege to have spent the past two decades covering the greatest sport in the world at one of the world’s best newspapers,” Wilson said.

“Although this is a melancholy day for me I’m so happy to be continuing as a contributor to The Age. Writing a weekly column during the football season and being involved with the podcast is the ideal transition for me to do other things and I’m so proud to be handing over the baton to my great friend and long-time colleague Jake Niall.”

In her time with the publication, she has won two Walkleys, the Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year award and the Harry Gordon prize as the Australian Sports Journalist of the Year.

But her time with the paper hasn’t always been easy in the male-dominated sport. In July this year Wilson came said she was bullied by the AFL management after naming women involved in a sex scandal.

And in June last year, Triple M breakfast host Eddie McGuire was forced to apologise for comments he made on-air about drowning Wilson.

In 2009, Nine’s The Footy Show was found to have breached TV’s code after co-host Sam Newman groped a mannequin with Wilson’s face on it.

The Age editor Alex Lavelle said he was looking forward to continuing to work wit her, and to welcome Niall back to the newspaper.

“Caro is undoubtedly one of the top reporters in Australia,” said Lavelle.

“She would excel in any area of journalism, anywhere in the world. Fortunately for us, and our readers, she has been The Age’s chief football writer for close to two decades. Her work ethic, energy and professionalism has never wavered. I look forward to continue working with her at The Age, and welcome Jake Niall back to be our chief football writer.”

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