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{{short description|Australian rules football player}}
{{distinguish|Sam Newman (footballer, born 1901)}}
{{BLP sources|date=June 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2012}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Sam Newman
| image = Sam_Newman.jpg
| fullname = John Noel William Newman
| nickname = Sam, Fossil, Foss, Sammy
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|12|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Geelong]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| originalteam = [[Geelong Grammar School]]
| height = 189 cm<ref name="hw">[http://australianfootball.com/players/player/Sam%2BNewman/9616 Australian Football – Sam Newman]</ref><ref>[http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/S/Sam_Newman1.html AFL Tables – Sam Newman – Stats – Statistics]</ref><ref>[http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/the-modern-ruckman-must-be-over-200cm-tall-to-compete-in-land-of-the-giants/story-fni5ezdm-1226873971735 Herald Sun – The modern ruckman must be over 200cm tall to compete in Land of the Giants]</ref>
| weight = 94 kg<ref name="hw" />
| position = Ruck, forward
| statsend = 1980
| years1 = 1964–1980
| club1 = {{AFL Gee}}
| games_goals1 = 300 (110)
| sooteam1 = [[Victoria Australian rules football team|Victoria]]
| soogames_goals1 = 8 (?)
| careerhighlights =
'''Club'''
* 2× [[Carji Greeves Medal]]: (1968, 1975)
* [[List of Geelong Football Club captains|Geelong captain]]: (1974–1975)
* [[List of Geelong Football Club individual awards and records#Geelong's Team of the Century|Geelong Team of the Century]]
* [[List of Geelong Football Club individual awards and records#Geelong Hall of Fame|Geelong Hall of Fame]]
'''Representative'''
* 2× [[Interstate matches in Australian rules football#Australian National Football Carnival|National Football Carnival]] Championship: [[1969 Adelaide Carnival|1969]], [[1975 Knockout Carnival|1975]]
* [[All-Australian team]]: (1969)
'''Overall'''
* [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]], inducted 2002
}}
A talented and athletic player who served his apprenticeship under [[Polly Farmer|Graham "Polly" Farmer]], Newman became Geelong's main [[Ruck (Australian rules football)|ruckman]] after Farmer departed at the end of 1967. He overcame a number of serious injuries during his career to become the first Geelong player to reach 300 senior VFL games.
After retiring in 1980, Newman served as a specialist ruck coach at various AFL clubs and had a notable media career, particularly with Melbourne-based radio station [[3AW]] and the [[Nine Network]] as a panel member of ''[[The Footy Show (AFL)|The Footy Show]]'', one of the network's most popular and often controversial programs.
==Early life==
Newman attended [[Geelong Grammar School]], where his father was a teacher.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2005/s1413742.htm Geelong Grammar teacher reflects on career | ABC 7:30 Report Transcript]</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Newman Club|url=http://www.ggs.vic.edu.au/school/support-groups/sport-support-groups/football--newman-club/welcome|publisher=Geelong Grammar School|access-date=2014-09-26}}</ref>
He made his debut for Geelong in 1964 when he was 18 years old.<ref>[http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-04-02/its-50-years-of-footy-with-john-sam-newman- AFL – It's 50 years of footy with Geelong great and TV personality John 'Sam' Newman]</ref> Early in his time at Geelong he acquired the nickname "Sam", by which he is now usually known.<ref name=ABC>{{cite web|title=The Trouble With Sam|url=https://www.abc.net.au/austory/the-trouble-with-sam-july-6,-2000/10511946|website=Australian Story|date=19 November 2018|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=2019-01-16}}</ref>
==Football career==
After playing five reserves games for {{AFL Gee}} at the end of [[1963 VFL season|1963]], Newman was selected for his senior debut in Round 3 of the [[1964 VFL season]] against {{AFL Fit}} at [[Brunswick Street Oval]]. During the first semi-final against [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]] in 1967, Newman suffered a serious injury which forced surgeons to remove part of his kidney. He was also selected as an [[All-Australian team|All-Australian]] player in 1969. He played for the Victorian state team eight times.
[[1980 VFL season|1980]] was Newman's last season as a VFL footballer. In Round 4 against {{AFL NM}} at [[Arden Street Oval]], he kicked five goals playing as centre half-forward, four of those in the last quarter, in a 37-point win. Geelong coach [[Bill Goggin]] praised his former teammate after the match: "He is such an inspiration to the players. They have told me that just having him out there with them gives everyone a lift".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110591810 |title=Newman boots five for Geelong over North |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=54 |issue=16,278 |___location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=20 April 1980 |accessdate=29 July 2021 |page=26 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Newman reached his 300th senior VFL game in Round 20 against Collingwood at [[Kardinia Park]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/127113|date=16 August 1980|title=MILESTONES : ONE GOAL LEFT FOR CATS' 'SAM'|magazine=[[AFL Record|The Football Record]]|page=7}}</ref> Although he had a quiet game, the Cats achieved an 18-point win. NOTE: Some time after the end of Newman's playing career, certain games were not recognised as official VFL/AFL matches and hence were removed from players' game tallies.
In 2002, he was inducted into the [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]].<ref name="wham">[http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/wham-bam-thankyou-sam/story-e6frebt3-1225700697010?nk=8385e2d165996bde6852510e8e918fca Wham, bam, thank you Sam!, The Advertiser, 20 March 2009]</ref>
In December 2005, Newman was appointed as [[Ruck (Australian rules football)|ruck]] coach for the [[Melbourne Football Club]] to mentor players such as [[Jeff White (Australian footballer)|Jeff White]], [[Mark Jamar]] and [[Paul Johnson (Australian footballer, born 1984)|Paul Johnson]].
On 6 July 2010, Newman played in a charity match playing for Victoria in the annual [[E. J. Whitten Legends Game]]. He kicked four goals from four kicks and three [[Mark (Australian rules football)|marks]] to be named [[Player of the match|best on ground]], despite his team losing to the All Stars by seven points.
==Media career==
Newman joined radio station [[3AW]] as a football commentator in 1981 and continued with the station until the end of the 1999 season. He also appeared on ''[[World of Sport (Australian TV program)|World of Sport]]'' on [[HSV (TV station)|Channel 7]] for seven years from 1981 to 1987 and had a column in ''[[The Sun News-Pictorial]]'' newspaper during the late 1980s.
Newman joined the [[Nine Network]] in 1989, appearing on a sports segment on ''In Melbourne Today'' with [[Ernie Sigley]] and [[Denise Drysdale]]. In 1992 he was a reporter on ''Melbourne Extra'', a short-lived local current affairs show.<ref>{{cite news | last = Perkin | first = Corrie | date = 7 June 1999 | title = Melbourne would be boring without him | work = The Age | url = https://www.theage.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/from-the-archives-1999-melbourne-would-be-boring-without-him-20200619-p554g8.html | access-date = 7 December 2020}}</ref> He was a panel member of ''[[The Sunday Footy Show (AFL)|The Sunday Footy Show]]'' from 1993 to 1998.
Newman was on ''[[The AFL Footy Show|The Footy Show]]'' ([[Australian Football League|AFL]]) from when it first aired in 1994 until 2018 on the Nine Network.<ref name="atozofaustralianradioandtv">{{cite book|last1=Moran|first1=A|last2=Keating|first2=C|title=The A to Z of Australian Radio and Television|publisher=Scarecrow Press|pages=168}}</ref> He also appeared on the Sunday sports show ''[[Any Given Sunday (TV series)|Any Given Sunday]]'' in 2005, and co-hosted the short lived ''[[Sam and The Fatman]]'' with [[Paul Vautin]]. On the radio station [[Triple M]], Newman previewed Friday night and Saturday afternoon matches. He formerly provided special comments during AFL games on Triple M, as well as 3AW. From April 2010, he was part of the [[Melbourne Talk Radio]] lineup, providing opinion and participating in talkback between 9.00 am and 9.30 am, during the Steve Price breakfast program. Newman quit the station in January 2012, after the breakfast producer censored Newman's profanity.<ref>{{cite news | last = Drill | first = Stephen | date = 25 January 2012 | title = Sam Newman quits troubled station MTR overuse of F-word on air | work = Herald Sun | url = http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/confidential/sam-newman-quits-over-f-bomb-on-mtr-radio/story-e6freq7o-1226253612447 | access-date = 25 January 2012 }}</ref>
In February 2018, he started a [[podcast]] with former ''Herald Sun'' chief football writer [[Mike Sheahan]] and former St Kilda coach [[Grant Thomas (footballer)|Grant Thomas]], entitled ''Sam, Mike and Thomo''. The podcast aired once weekly and covered all trending topics, with some AFL commentary. In March 2019 it was announced by Newman on social media that the podcast would be discontinued as he was perceived to make fun of transgender people on a prior episode of the podcast. However, in August he revived the podcast, starring Sheahan and former VFL footballer [[Don Scott (footballer, born 1947)|Don Scott]], entitled ''Sam, Mike & Don, You Cannot Be Serious''.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heraldsun.com.au%2Fentertainment%2Fconfidential%2Fsam-newman-launches-new-podcast-with-mike-sheahan-don-scott%2Fnews-story%2F2dccab7677015d5ed4fcc5e13591f34b&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&nk=10052d9e5b1e2ceee69eeb2a53fdf8f2-1591905464| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200611200041/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/confidential/sam-newman-launches-new-podcast-with-mike-sheahan-don-scott/news-story/2dccab7677015d5ed4fcc5e13591f34b&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&nk=10052d9e5b1e2ceee69eeb2a53fdf8f2-1591905464| archive-date = 2020-06-11| title = Heraldsun.com.au {{!}} Subscribe to the Herald Sun for exclusive stories}}</ref> It aired with this name until June 2020, when Sheahan quit for a second time due to the fallout of comments made by Scott about former AFL footballer [[Nicky Winmar]]. It was then renamed to ''You Cannot Be Serious''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2020-mike-sheahan-you-cannot-be-serious-podcast-sam-newman-nicky-winmar-racism-controversy-latest-news/news-story/5fb2eb83261faa5fbf0943d4a38bb6d0|title=Mike Sheahan quits his podcast with Sam Newman and apologises after Nicky Winmar racism furore|date=30 June 2020}}</ref>
In December 2018, [[Eddie McGuire]] announced that Newman had signed a new multi-year deal with Nine; however, ''The Footy Show'', of which Newman had been a part of with McGuire since the show started in March 1994, was replaced by a football show in a new format in 2019. Newman and McGuire were meant to host four ''Footy Show'' "specials" in 2019, but upon it being announced in May 2019 that ''The Footy Show'' would no longer be aired, this was cancelled.
In June 2020, Newman announced that he would no longer appear on the Nine Network.
In March 2023, Sam Newman announced on the ''You Cannot Be Serious'' podcast with Don Scott that their podcast had reached 10 million downloads on Podbean.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-19|title=Sam Newman and Channel 9 part ways following recent backlash|url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/sam-newman-and-channel-9-part-ways-following-recent-backlash/news-story/77a65e640a441ded425b7bd8a157aeb1|access-date=2020-06-19|publisher=News.com.au|language=en}}</ref>
==Controversies==
Newman has regularly been a controversial figure during his media career, with some of his most controversial incidents on ''The Footy Show'' including:
* Wearing [[blackface]] to impersonate legendary Indigenous AFL footballer [[Nicky Winmar]] in 1999, after Winmar did not attend a scheduled appearance on the program<ref>{{cite web|url=https://iview.abc.net.au/show/australian-dream|title=Australian-dream|date=21 September 2018|access-date=2020-07-04}}</ref>
* Having his trousers pulled down by [[Shane Crawford]] live on-air in 2001<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/shane-crawford-sam-newman-eddie-mcguire-relive-infamous-dacking-footy-show-incident/38da9c48-44b1-49dd-b760-e5d460f90205|title=Shane Crawford feared losing captaincy after infamous Sam Newman dacking incident|publisher=Wide World of Sports|date=29 April 2020|access-date=2020-07-04}}</ref>
* Hitting an unsuspecting [[David Schwarz (footballer)|David Schwarz]] with a pie in the face during an appearance on ''The Footy Show'', with Schwarz responding by shoving Newman to the ground
* Manhandling and groping a lingerie-clad mannequin with journalist [[Caroline Wilson (journalist)|Caroline Wilson]]'s face attached to it in 2008, in response to the way Wilson was dressed on ''Footy Classified''. Newman was suspended by the Nine Network after the incident
* Describing five female directors of AFL clubs as "liars and hypocrites" after they complained about Newman's mannequin skit, leading one of those directors, [[Susan Alberti]], to sue the Nine Network for $220,000
* Smoking a [[bong]] on-air in 2012 after the AFL banned marijuana as a game-day substance; the substance in the bong was later revealed to be tea leaves
* In 2013, following the [[Adam Goodes]] [[Adam Goodes#Booing saga|booing saga]] involving him asking for a girl to be ejected for racial abuse for calling him an [[List of ethnic slurs|ape]] and his traditional spear-throwing celebration later on in response to crowd hostility, Newman defended the rights of fans to continue booing as a show of disapproval for Goodes' actions, including a perception that his approach in dealing with the Collingwood fan who called him an ape was heavy-handed.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sheehan |first=Paul |date=30 July 2015 |title=The Adam Goodes fire was lit by his conduct, not his race |url=http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-adam-goodes-fire-was-lit-by-his-conduct-not-his-race-20150729-gimxzy.html |access-date=1 August 2015 |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |publication-place=Sydney, NSW}}</ref><ref name="gillon">{{cite news |date=31 July 2015 |title=Adam Goodes booing: Gillon McLachlan calls for footy to get its respect back as captains of all 18 AFL clubs make plea to fans |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/captains-of-all-18-afl-clubs-make-a-plea-to-stop-the-booing-of-adam-goodes/news-story/44d912cda37554bbf31acf6fc2735967 |access-date=1 August 2015 |newspaper=Herald Sun |publication-place=Melbourne, VIC}}</ref> Newman, after the subsequent spear-throwing celebration, said on ''The Footy Show'': {{block quote|From one Australian to another Australian – I’m an Australian so is Adam Goodes – Adam you’re not important as you think you are and you take yourself far too seriously.{{pb}}If you’re going to provoke people by the gesture of spear-throwing at a crowd, you better not be surprised if you get what you wish for and that’s a reaction.{{pb}}Unfortunately you’re not well-enough equipped to deal with fracas and the saga that you’ve caused. You’re just not capable of dealing with it, hence the fact you’ve gone into hiding, you’re not playing anymore.{{pb}}It is on you as an [[Australian of the Year]] to unite and placate people, not to divide and be a provocateur.{{pb}}How about the condescending nature of people who say if you’re an AFL fan and you go to the football and you boo Adam Goodes you’re a racist. How gratuitously stupid is that? I would suggest that the people boo Adam Goodes because he has turned their game into a political forum and people go to the football to get away from everything as a release, as an outlet and they don’t want to have to put up with a political statement.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-10 |title=Sam Newman goes whack on 'groveling' Adam Goodes documentary {{!}} Sporting News Australia |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/australian-rules-football/news/sam-newman-afl-adam-goodes-documentary-sydney-swans/syxqwupw0yw61ud8oxwwkp81v |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=www.sportingnews.com |language=en-au}}</ref>}}
In 2019, Newman tweeted, "Criticizing someone from another race - doesn’t make you a racist. The groveling doco by Sharkshit{{Sic}} Productions ‘''[[The Final Quarter]]''’, should be ‘The Last Straw’. Adam Goodes initially was booed for taunting Carlton fans. Racist? So be it. #racism #fakenews"<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://twitter.com/Origsmartassam/status/1137851988194910208}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-17 |title=Sam Newman's furious phone call to filmmakers over Adam Goodes documentary {{!}} Sporting News Australia |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/australian-rules-football/news/sam-newman-afl-adam-goodes-sydney-swans-documentary/7hdv4zdjldzc1j2vb6t0x70tz |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=www.sportingnews.com |language=en-au}}</ref> In 2023, Newman also commented regarding the historical booing of [[Adam Goodes]] from a decade prior, saying: "Adam Goodes was booed because he pretended to throw a spear at the Carlton cheer squad after the Swans were beating them by 10 goals at half-time and wondered why people, people get booed on the football field, not because of their skin colour, but because of things they do."<ref>{{Cite web |last1=readSeptember 21 |first1=Jack MahonySports Reporter3 min |last2=2023 - 2:55pm |date=2023-09-21 |title=Newman claims booing of Goodes was 'not because of skin colour' |url=https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/sport/sam-newman-claims-booing-of-adam-goodes-was-not-because-of-skin-colour-as-he-doubles-down-on-welcome-to-country/news-story/ef1ca908d23c60d008144b1d5f6bd25d |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=skynews |language=en}}</ref>
* Describing [[National Football League|NFL]] draftee [[Michael Sam]] as "annoyingly gratuitous" in 2014 after the openly homosexual player kissed his boyfriend on live television on being drafted to the NFL<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/nfl-draftee-michael-sams-kiss-annoyingly-gratuitous-sam-newman-20140515-zrd41.html|title=NFL draftee Michael Sam's kiss 'annoyingly gratuitous': Sam Newman|publisher=The Age|date=15 May 2014|access-date=2020-07-04}}</ref>
*Making remarks about [[Mitch Clark (Australian footballer)|Mitch Clark]]'s depression issues in 2015
* Referring to transgender celebrity [[Caitlyn Jenner]] as "he" and "it" in 2017<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Blair|first=Alex|date=2018-09-21|title=Sam's most 'disgusting' moment|publisher=News.com.au |url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/sam-newmans-most-controversial-footy-show-moments/news-story/e18d158fbe746125bcbc7397cddd9e61|access-date=2021-09-27}}</ref>
* Staging a silent protest and refusing to speak throughout an episode in 2017 after producers refused to allow him to dress up as a woman in response to two senior AFL executives being exposed as having had affairs with junior staffers; the Nine Network responded by taking ''The Footy Show'' off air for four weeks, sacking [[Craig Hutchison (broadcaster)|Craig Hutchison]] as host, and replacing him with [[Eddie McGuire]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/eddie-mcguire-opens-up-on-his-return-to-the-footy-show-sam-newman-addresses-bizarre-performance/news-story/b2b603fb01055daf8b59891ebd7cb852|title=Eddie McGuire opens upon his return to The Footy Show; Sam Newman addresses bizarre performance|publisher=News.com.au|date=23 July 2017|access-date=2020-07-04}}</ref>
*Ranting about the [[AFL Commission]]'s decision to publicly support the "yes vote" in the [[Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey]], which would pave the way for legalising same-sex marriage<ref name=":0" />
In June 2020, Newman arrived at a mutual agreement with the Nine Network to resign from the network after he stated in a podcast that while [[George Floyd]] died as a consequence of police brutality, Floyd's extensive criminal record meant he was a "piece of shit".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-20/sam-newman-resigns-from-channel-nine-after-george-floyd-comments/12376340|title=Sam Newman leaves Channel Nine after George Floyd comments|publisher=ABC|date=20 June 2020|access-date=2020-07-04}}</ref>
The following week, Newman engaged in a conversation with [[Don Scott (footballer, born 1947)|Don Scott]] and [[Mike Sheahan]] on the podcast in which they cast doubt that Nicky Winmar's famous jumper raise in 1993 was about Winmar responding to racism, with Scott and Sheahan instead suggesting that they believed it was to signify a "gutsy" effort. Winmar and photographer Wayne Ludbey took legal action against Newman, Scott and Sheahan, alleging defamation, with the parties reaching an agreement during mediation involving a formal apology and an undisclosed donation to an Indigenous charity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2020-nicky-winmar-racism-sam-newman-don-scott-mike-sheahan-protest-vs-collingwood-mediation-hearing-podcast/news-story/c8decdcec0f151c89bec30da3da21566|title=Apologetic Newman, co-hosts made to pay a six-figure settlement ends Winmar fight|work=Fox Sports|date=3 July 2020|access-date=2020-07-04}}</ref> Newman later said in an interview with sports journalist [[Tony Jones (sports journalist)|Tony Jones]] that the fine/donation amounted to $100,000, which had previously been reported by ''[[Guardian Australia|The Guardian]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wahlquist |first=Calla |date=2020-07-04 |title=Nicky Winmar accepts apology and $100,000 settlement over racist comments in podcast |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jul/04/nicky-winmar-accepts-apology-and-six-figure-settlement-over-racist-comments-in-podcast |access-date=2024-05-06 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjKJ95l7o3I |title=Tony Jones And Sam Newman Get Heated On Radio Welcome To Country |language=en |access-date=2024-05-06 |via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>
Newman's controversies continued even after being sacked from the Nine Network.
* In November 2020, Newman described the newly elected [[2020 United States presidential election|U.S. President]] [[Joe Biden]] as "mentally retarded and has special needs" on [[Twitter]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-11-08 |title=Sam Newman slammed over 'vile' tweet about Joe Biden |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/sam-newman-slammed-over-vile-tweet-about-joe-biden/news-story/8d0b61312259f88fe4f03e811a3f2dcc |access-date=2021-09-27 |work=Fox Sports |language=en}}</ref>
* On a podcast episode from 27 July 2023, Newman stated that anyone voting for the "Yes" vote regarding [[Indigenous Voice to Parliament|The Indigenous Voice to Parliament]] should be embarrassed. He commented, "I don't think there's a hell of a lot of Indigenous history to learn... They don't have a history."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-28 |title='Disgrace': Newman grilled over 'beyond disgusting' 10-minute rant about Aboriginal history |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/disgrace-sam-newman-grilled-over-disgusting-10minute-rant-about-aboriginal-history/news-story/659130a6caed7384f89f1dbb8f2218d3 |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=Fox Sports |language=en}}</ref>
* In September 2023, in the weeks leading up to the [[2023 AFL season|2023 AFL Grand Final]], Newman encouraged his podcast listeners to [[Booing|boo]] or sarcastically slow-clap in response to the "[[Welcome to Country]]", a ceremony usually undertaken by Indigenous representatives during significant public occasions, calling it "irrelevant" and "unnecessary". Newman's comments were widely condemned by the broader community, including AFL CEO [[Gillon McLachlan]] and Victorian Premier [[Daniel Andrews|Dan Andrews]],<ref>{{Citation |title=Sam Newman Faces Backlash For Telling Fans To Boo Welcome To Country | date=21 September 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJtf27QtGSY |access-date=2023-09-22 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-21 |title='Not going to dignify it': AFL boss condemns Sam Newman's Welcome to Country call |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/not-going-to-dignify-it-afl-boss-condemns-sam-newmans-welcome-to-country-call/news-story/7bb592e8393952b84bc6cad33dfc70d1 |access-date=2023-09-22 |website=Fox Sports |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Daniel Andrews fires back at Sam Newman's call for Aussies to boo Welcome to Country |url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/daniel-andrews-fires-back-at-sam-newmans-call-for-aussies-to-boo-welcome-to-country/news-story/a4113d509f7a506f4008bd06859d122f}}</ref> and the preliminary finals matches held in the immediate wake of Newman's comments saw the Welcome to Country ceremonies enthusiastically embraced by stadium audiences in a rebuke to Newman's plea.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sam Newman's plea to boo Welcome to Country rejected by heaving MCG crowd | date=23 September 2023 |url=https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/news-2023-collingwood-magpies-gws-giants-sam-newman-welcome-to-country/3655f48d-739c-4346-b6c7-3968f1836e2f?ocid=Social-9News&fbclid=IwAR1Jlcl5LY0sGBEu9ng-SdhZ8F_nyfFwpoPMMj5FNUokU6qMsw_qleRNUKI}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Brisbane crowd's epic response during Welcome to Country |url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/brisbane-crowds-epic-response-during-welcome-to-country/news-story/6c9d39be5e63f55ef202effbc1a0cf1f}}</ref> Newman would later claim in an interview that this call was "provocative" and "tongue-in-cheek" and, when pressed, implied that he himself would not boo the Welcome to Country.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-20 |title=Tony Jones questions Sam Newman over call to boo Welcome to Country |url=https://www.3aw.com.au/tony-jones-clashes-with-sam-newman-over-call-to-boo-welcome-to-country/ |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=3AW |language=en}}</ref>
* Newman's calls to action (such as calls to boo Welcome to Country and his fallacious comments on Winmar) have been considered as racist and a form of [[Dog whistle (politics)|dog-whistling]].
* In February 2025, Newman created a podcast episode with [[Blair Cottrell]] and [[Thomas Sewell (neo-Nazi)|Thomas Sewell]], two neo-Nazi figures in Australia.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 3, 2025|title=Sam Newman sparks backlash by hosting well-known 'neo-Nazis' on podcast|url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/sam-newman-sparks-backlash-by-hosting-wellknown-neonazis-on-podcast/news-story/00ef78c74f141b89f5458e72740a29e2|access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=}}</ref>
==Motorsport==
Newman had a brief career in motor racing. He began racing in [[1998 Australian GT Production Car Championship|1998]] in Class C of the [[Australian GT Production Car Championship]], where he finished in 10th place in a [[Ford EL Falcon XR8]]. In the [[1999 Australian GT Production Car Championship]] he raced a [[Opel Vectra|Holden Vectra GL]] to third place in Class D driving for [[Gibson Motorsport]]. He then went on to finish in fourth place in Class D at the [[1999 Poolrite GTP Bathurst Showroom Showdown]] driving with Melinda Price. He drove the Vectra to fifth place in Class E in the [[2000 Australian GT Production Car Championship]]. He also raced a [[Supercars Championship|V8 Supercar]] at the [[Supercars Challenge (event)|support races]] at the [[2000 Australian Grand Prix|Australian Grand Prix]] in the same year. Running a [[Gibson Motorsport]] prepared [[Holden Commodore (VS)|VS Commodore]], he finished 25th, 24th and 23rd in the three races across the weekend.
In 2001, Newman raced a [[Ferrari 360|Ferrari 360 Challenge]] for Prancing Horse Racing as a teammate to multiple Australian champions (in various categories) and [[Bathurst 1000]] winner [[John Bowe (racing driver)|John Bowe]] in the [[2001 Australian Nations Cup Championship]], finishing in 14th place. In the [[2002 Australian Nations Cup Championship|2002 Championship]], Newman acquitted himself well and improved to finish 10th in the series
Newman's brightest moment in motor racing was when he put his Ferrari on pole position for the [[2002 Sandown 500]].<ref name="q2002">{{cite web | url=http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?08/09/2002.SAND.Q9 | title=Sandown 500 Sandown International Motor Raceway Sandown 500 Top Gun Challenge | publisher=National Software | date=7 September 2002 | access-date=2008-08-02 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040904212838/http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?08%2F09%2F2002.SAND.Q9 | archive-date=4 September 2004 }}</ref> Newman benefited in the Top 10 shootout for pole as he was the first driver on the track. Before the next driver went out, the rain came down and Newman ended up over 6 seconds faster than the 2nd placed [[Porsche 911 GT3|Porsche 996 GT3]] of racing legend [[Jim Richards (racing driver)|Jim Richards]]. Newman and co-driver Scott Shearman went on to finish the race 6th outright.<ref name="i2002">{{cite web | url=http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?08/09/2002.SAND.E12 | title=Sandown 500 Sandown International Motor Raceway 2002 Sandown 500 | publisher=National Software | date=8 September 2002 | access-date=2008-08-02 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070904145144/http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?08%2F09%2F2002.SAND.E12 | archive-date=4 September 2007 }}</ref>
With PHR Scuderia selling the 360 Challenge to [[Maranello Motorsport|Mark Coffey Racing]] at the end of 2002, Newman defected to Team Lamborghini for the [[2003 Australian Nations Cup Championship]] and, driving the [[Lamborghini V12 engine|V12]] [[Lamborghini Diablo SVR]] and [[Lamborghini Diablo GTR|GTR]] models. He started the season in the later model GTR in Nations Cup Group 1 as team mate to another multiple Australian racing champion [[Paul Stokell]] (who would win the 2002 NC title), but was bumped to the older Group 2 Diablo SVR when [[V8 Supercars]] driver [[Anthony Tratt]] re-joined the team from Round 3 at [[Wakefield Park]] and as a pro-driver was given the newer, faster car. Despite troubles, mostly in the SVR, Newman improved to finish 7th outright in the championship. He finished the series in 9th place in Group 1 and 3rd place in Group 2.<ref name=Outright>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040104230753/http://procar.com.au/genericpage.asp?page_id=4 2003 Australian Nations Cup Championship – Outright Points, www.procar.com.au via web.archive.org] Retrieved on 19 September 2010</ref> Although he drove a full season for Team Lamborghini in 2003 and that Tratt had left the team to concentrate on his other racing, Newman wasn't given a drive in the [[2003 Bathurst 24 Hour]] as the team only entered one car and signed race drivers [[Luke Youlden]], [[Peter Hackett (racing driver)|Peter Hackett]] and highly rated [[Danish people|Danish]] driver [[Allan Simonsen (racing driver)|Allan Simonsen]] to join Stokell for the race.
After leaving motor racing at the end of 2003, Newman would again race in the 2009 and 2010 Mini Challenge Australia championships, both times at the Albert Park round in the Uber Star Celebrity Car.
===Career results===
Results sources from:<ref>https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/sam-newman/ Sam Newman Career Motor Racing Highlights</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Season
! Series
! Position
! Car
! Team
|-
| [[1998 Australian GT Production Car Championship|1998]]
| [[Australian GT Production Car Championship]] Class C
|align=center| 10th
| [[Ford EL Falcon XR8]]
| Ross Palmer Motorsport
|-
| [[1999 Australian GT Production Car Championship|1999]]
| [[Australian GT Production Car Championship]] Class D
|align="center" style="background:#ffdf9f;" | 3rd
| [[Holden Vectra|Holden Vectra GL]]
| [[Gibson Motorsport]]
|-
| [[2000 Australian GT Production Car Championship|2000]]
| [[Australian GT Production Car Championship]] Class E
|align=center| 4th
| [[Holden Vectra|Holden Vectra GL]]
| [[Gibson Motorsport]]
|-
| [[2001 Australian Nations Cup Championship|2001]]
| [[Australian Nations Cup Championship]]
|align=center| 14th
| [[Ferrari 360|Ferrari 360 Challenge]]
| Prancing Horse Scuderia
|-
| [[2002 Australian Nations Cup Championship|2002]]
| [[Australian Nations Cup Championship]]
|align=center| 10th
| [[Ferrari 360|Ferrari 360 Challenge]]
| Prancing Horse Scuderia
|-
| 2002
| [[Australian Nations Cup Championship]] Group 2
|align="center" style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
| [[Ferrari 360|Ferrari 360 Challenge]]
| Prancing Horse Scuderia
|-
| [[2003 Australian Nations Cup Championship|2003]]
| [[Australian Nations Cup Championship]]
|align=center| 7th
| [[Lamborghini Diablo SVR]]<br />[[Lamborghini Diablo GTR]]
| Team Lamborghini Australia
|-
| 2003
| [[Australian Nations Cup Championship]] Group 1
|align=center| 9th
| [[Lamborghini Diablo GTR]]
| Team Lamborghini Australia
|-
| 2003
| [[Australian Nations Cup Championship]] Group 2
|align="center" style="background:#ffdf9f;" | 3rd
| [[Lamborghini Diablo SVR]]
| Team Lamborghini Australia
|-
| 2010
| Mini Challenge Australia
|align=center| 31st
| [[Mini Cooper S]]
| [[BMW|BMW Australia]]
|}
==Personal life==
Newman lives in [[Docklands, Victoria|Docklands]], [[Melbourne]].<ref name="wham"/> In 2002, he 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 himself: "[[Witchcraft (1957 song)|Witchcraft]]" and "[[I've Got You Under My Skin]]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Various-Sam-Newman-I-Do-My-Best-Work-After-Midnight/release/737018|title = Sam Newman – I do My Best Work After Midnight (2002, CD)| date=22 September 2023 |publisher = [[Discogs]]}}</ref> In 2008 he was treated for [[prostate cancer]],<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23324285-661,00.html | work=Herald Sun | title=Sam Newman has prostate cancer | first=Karen | last=Collier | date=5 March 2008}}</ref><ref>[http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=387962 Sam Newman diagnosed with cancer<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307003410/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=387962 |date=7 March 2008 }}</ref> and he allowed Channel Nine's program ''[[60 Minutes (Australian TV program)|60 Minutes]]'' to film the operation.<ref name="twoofus">{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/two-of-us-20140414-36m91.html#ixzz2zvWoOW4F | title=Two of us | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=19 April 2014}}</ref> Following the operation, he was cleared of the cancer.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?&docID=AGE0803109227A441K8A |title=Newman clear but urges cancer tests|first= Chris|last=Evans|date=10 March 2008|work=[[The Age]]|page=6}}</ref>
He has been married four times. His last wife, Amanda Brown, died aged 50 in May 2021 despite Newman trying to revive her using [[Cardiopulmonary resuscitation|CPR]] for 20–30 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sam Newman performed CPR on his beloved wife Amanda Brown for 20 minutes {{!}} {{!}} Express Digest|date=5 May 2021|url=https://expressdigest.com/sam-newman-performed-cpr-on-his-beloved-wife-amanda-brown-for-20-minutes/|access-date=2021-06-05|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Development">{{Cite web|last=Development|first=PodBean|title=Episode 94 – Part 1 – Amanda|url=https://smartassam.podbean.com/e/episode-94-part-1-amanda/|access-date=2021-06-05|website=smartassam.podbean.com|language=en}}</ref> The two had been together for 20 years, only marrying in late 2020, about six months before her death.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Estcourt|first=David|date=2021-05-05|title='Completely helpless': Sam Newman reveals trauma over wife Amanda Brown's death|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/completely-helpless-sam-newman-reveals-trauma-over-wife-amanda-brown-s-death-20210505-p57p6l.html|access-date=2021-06-05|website=The Age|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title='I knew she was dead': Star's desperate bid to save his wife|url=https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/newmans-desperate-final-act-to-save-wife/4251727/|access-date=2021-06-05|website=Sunshine Coast Daily|language=en}}</ref> Newman recorded an emotional tribute to his late wife on his podcast ''You Cannot Be Serious''.<ref name="Development"/>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{AFL Tables}}
* {{AustralianFootball}}
* {{IMDb name|1113177}}
* [http://footyshow.ninemsn.com.au/afl/ ''The Footy Show'' AFL official website]
{{Geelong Football Club captains}}
{{Carji Greeves Medal}}
{{Geelong Team of the Century}}
{{1969 All-Australian team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newman, Sam}}
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