The son of many years of Western Bulldogs medical officer Dr Jake Landsberger, Samuel Brice “Sam” Landsberger was born on 30 December 1988 in Melbourne. He was brought up in the footy culture, in a family where footy was the flavour of the day. The Bulldogs were not only a favourite team, but it was like a family institution. Sam has attended Melbourne High School (2003 to 2006) and did his Bachelor of Journalism at Monash University (2007-10). His early desire was evident; he aimed to narrate stories that would touch the core of sport in Australia.
He was an amateur footy match reporter at the Bayside Leader, which started in 2008 when he was still at Monash. He was willing to work on a volunteer basis, and all he wanted was feedback and a first byline. It did not take long until his editors and fellow students knew that he was different because of his raw talent, energy and his nose to detail.
Rising Through the Ranks at News Corp
Landsberger became one of the most gifted talents at the Herald Sun after joining the company in March 2010, covering AFL and cricket. As a young man, he had already established a reputation as a diligent, prolific reporter who had his phone latched to his ear and talked to his sources all day and night.
In 2012, his big breakthrough was the Pick Me AFL draft preview series of features, where he profiles up-and-coming young players in the AFL each day. When he broke a story on VFL star Wade Lee, who had been banned as a doper, his journalistic prowess and his guts also shone through.
Competent in both spheres of life, media judges focused attention on Sam as he was rising through the stars. He was a finalist in the Walkley Awards in the category and received the Australian Football Media Association, Clinton Grybas Rising Star Award (2013). He won a Quill Award in digital media work as well with the AFL digital team of News Corp.
A Competent Multiplatform Voice
In the next ten years, Sam made himself ubiquitous in print, online and television media. He has both provided breaking news and provided in-depth analysis through columns, behind-the-scenes pieces and a weekly segment on Fox Footy during Midweek Tackle. His former BBC colleague, Jay Clark, described him as a superb writer, it is a pleasure to read, a fearless journo and a ball of energy in front of the cameras.
Mark Robinson, Herald Sun chief football writer, hailed him as a man who was caring and inquisitive about people, and AFL CEO Andrew Dillon pointed to his input as professional and at a personal level too, more so to the fact that Sam has a strong personal connection with the Western Bulldogs through his father.
Sam had an old-fashioned way of approaching the job–rock-solid sources, a never-quit approach to follow-ups–and a high-tech sense of what was new. In the words of colleague journalist Jon Ralph, Sammy was an amazing journalist with excellent sources, who worked ridiculously hard, stubborn as all get up when there was a whiff of a story.
Tragedy Strikes: 20 August, 2024
Sam was hit by a truck at 8.40 am, Tuesday, 20 August 2024, intersection Bridge-road/church-street in Richmond, whilst walking to work. He was conversing with his mom, Anne, at that moment. He died of his injuries at the young age of 35, even though he was rushed to The Alfred Hospital.
The 45-year-old truck driver who was based at Seaford was subsequently charged with a refusal to provide a blood sample under the Road Safety Act, and a court hearing was scheduled later that year.
Outpouring of Tributes and Legacy
The waves of shock were felt in sporting, media and AFL circles in Melbourne. People came to his funeral service at Temple Beth Israel, St Kilda, in their hundreds: AFL legends and journalists, Collingwood and Bulldogs staff. They were honoured by former players, cricketers such as Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, and even Premier Jacinta Allan.
During the eulogies, Sam was taken to be more than a talented journalist: he made our lives (his father stated). His nicknames such as his cheeky one and how he would use Cheezels as a kid—as well as how he was devoted to his family, stories upon stories of personal experiences, such as drawing tears of joy as the Western Bulldogs won the 2016 flag and was delighted like that, when telling his dad about the flag, just made the reports.
Co-workers referred to a reporter who could not be reached on many occasions (absent without leave to get a story first-hand) but would come back with a fantastic piece. Editor Nick Smart remembered imposing a 1,500-word limit on him, and he turned up with 3,500 and charmed everyone with a smile. He affirmed that Sam would make a chief footy writer in the Herald Sun.
Glenn McFarlane said: Sam was one of the brilliant young stars… He took his artistry seriously, and so did we.” Michael Warner went on: “He had a nose for news… yelled out the word ‘bullshit! At it when he saw it… and could play with quality copy under deadline pressure with honesty and integrity.”
What He Left Behind
- 14-year career; starting in Leader Community Newspapers and making it to the Herald Sun, sports desk.
- Wins such as the AFL Media Rising Star award, the Walkley Young Journalist of the Year award, a variety of Twenty20 media awards and a Sports News Quill Award in 2022.
- A presence on television, particularly on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, where he became a popular and incisive voice.
Conclusion: A Life Too Short, But Not Forgotten
The path of Sam Landsberger, who was a match scorer in Bayside to a respected digital journalist and television personality, was characterised by curiosity, endless motivation to work, and sincere friendliness. His colleagues used to say he possessed a heart as large as his talent, and did not fall short of journalistic integrity either.
Sam died tragically at the age of 57. Still, his legacy lives on and has been an inspiration to us all, a generation of sportswriters who grew up reading what Sam had to say because of his reporting, the editors who got to edit him were lucky, and the readers who were confident in his byline. And not just a journalist–he was a great son, a brother and a friend–and he really brightened up any room where he arrived.
Sam Landsberger was quite a fixture, a harbour of reason and light and compassion in the hectic world of sports media. The work that he has done with AFL and cricket journalism, on the screen as well as his indefatigable commitment, is all the talk of the town, giving us sweet memories of him, whom we know or read.
