By Cassandra Morgan
A Melbourne football journalist is being remembered for his passion, energy and talent after he was hit and killed by a truck.
AFL reporter Sam Landsberger, 35, died in hospital after the incident at the busy intersection of Bridge Road and Church Street in Richmond about 10.20am on Tuesday.
Landsberger was an AFL and cricket writer for the Herald Sun, where he had worked for 14 years, as well as a Fox Footy contributor, appearing on the Midweek Tackle program.
Herald Sun editor Sam Weir said Landsberger’s death was a devastating loss for his family, friends, colleagues and the sporting codes he “covered with such passion”.
“He was an energetic and talented football and cricket journalist who lit up the newsroom. Sam excelled in everything he did, from breaking the big stories to expert analysis on Fox Footy,” Weir said in a statement.
“He was well loved and well respected and had an incredible career ahead of him. Our thoughts go out to his family. Sam will be deeply missed.”
Landsberger won a sports news Quill in 2023 for revealing Essendon CEO Andrew Thorburn’s links to the controversial church City on a Hill. Thorburn stood down the following day.
A decade earlier, he was named the AFL’s rising star of the media. Landsberger worked with Leader Community Newspapers before joining the Herald Sun.
News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller said Landsberger’s loss had been felt profoundly across the entire organisation.
“Sam was not only a talented, sports-loving professional, but also a cherished friend to many, especially his colleagues at the Herald Sun and Fox Sports,” Miller said.
Police at the scene of the crash at the corner of Bridge Road and Church Street on Tuesday afternoon.Credit: Nine News
“He started his career in the communities at Leader, and spent his professional life with the Herald and Weekly Times and News Corp Australia.
“Sam was an incredibly diligent reporter, always in the office with his phone to his ear talking to his valued football contacts. His passion for chasing the big story set him apart from so many.
“That passion and an unwavering commitment to excellence led to him being Young Journalist of the Year at the News Awards in 2013, and he was also a finalist for the Sports Journalist of the Year in 2023.
“Sam will be greatly missed.”
Sam Landsberger was an AFL and cricket writer for the Herald Sun.Credit: Source: X
Fox Footy paid tribute to Landsberger on Tuesday evening, with AFL 360 host Gerard Whateley saying he was a trusted and valuable member of Melbourne’s sports journalist community.
Whateley said Landsberger had only just covered the Olympic Games in France, including a daily emoji-laden outline of the Australian competitors’ schedules.
“Sam won his reputation through his tireless reporting across more than a decade now, footy and cricket alike ... the quality of it emphasised by the numerous industry awards that he’s accumulated,” he said.
“[The death is] the most awful reminder of how precious life can be.”
The Landsberger family is well known in AFL circles. Sam is the son of Dr Jacob Landsberger, a GP who worked for the Western Bulldogs, including during their drought-breaking premiership in 2016.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said on Tuesday evening that the football world was deeply shocked and distressed by Landsberger’s death.
The league’s thoughts were with his loved ones, friends and colleagues, he said, and with the Western Bulldogs, with whom Landsberger’s family had a long association.
“Sam has been taken from his family and friends in a terrible tragedy today and all our love and care go out to them in this time of greatest need,” Dillon said in a statement.
“Across more than a decade, Sam has been building his impressive journalistic career and was respected for both his tenacity for chasing a story and his incredible passion for the game. We know his death has had a devastating impact on those who worked with Sam at News and Foxtel, and his many friends across the football and media industries.”
The scene of the crash at the corner of Bridge Road and Church Street on Tuesday afternoon.Credit: Nine News
The AFL would formally acknowledge Landsberger’s death at Tuesday night’s launch of the AFLW season in Melbourne, Dillon said.
The Western Bulldogs described Landsberger as a talented and respected journalist, as well as an ardent Bulldogs fan with close family ties to the club through his father.
“His enthusiasm for the game and passion for his work was always evident and his positive approach and friendly nature will be fondly recalled by all who knew and worked with him,” the club said in a statement.
“Our sincere sympathies to Jake, Anne, Jess, Sarah and all of his extended family, friends and colleagues.”
A tram stop at the corner of Bridge Road and Church Street is taped off on Tuesday.Credit: Nine News
Australian Football Media Association committee member Glenn McFarlane, also a colleague of Landsberger’s at the Herald Sun, said the 35-year-old was “one of the brightest young stars in Australian sports journalism”.
He cared deeply about his craft, and his colleagues cared deeply about him, McFarlane said.
“He shone through with his exceptional work ethic, his prodigious talent and his eagerness to chase the yarn without fear but always with compassion,” he said.
Landsberger graduated from Melbourne High School in 2006 and studied at Monash University, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2010.
Police are investigating the road tragedy. The truck driver, a 45-year-old Seaford man who was alone and not injured, stopped to assist police.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has CCTV, dashcam footage or any other information that could assist police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
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