Debbie Spillane

Debbie Spillane has been a trailblazer for women in the field of sports reporting and was a fixture on ABC television and radio programs for more than three decades.

The first woman to be hired as a full-time sports broadcaster by the ABC in 1984 she made an impact when there were few women on the sports reporting landscape.

She initially came to prominence as sideline reporter on the ABC-TV’s rugby league coverage.

Debbie’s achievements include hosting ABC’s iconic radio sports show, Grandstand, being the first woman to call cricket on ABC radio, working on commentary teams at Olympic and Commonwealth Games, being media manager for Canterbury Bulldogs rugby league club and the Sydney Kings National Basketball League team and being the first woman to call A-League football (soccer). She also spent more than a decade as ABC NewsRadio’s voice of sport.

Debbie has a sharp wit and a sense of fun that contributed to her success as a regular on Andrew Denton’s Live & Sweaty on ABC-TV and, away from sport, on Triple J where she co-hosted Hard Coffee. The national drive-time show she presented with Ian “Danno” Rogerson in the 90s remains one of the networks highest-ever rating programs.

Debbie Spillane’s autobiography Where Do You Think You’re Going Lady was published by Allen & Unwin in 2007.

Shortly before retiring from the ABC in 2016 she was awarded the Australia Medal for services to sports journalism and for being a role model for women in broadcasting.

While always at home with sport topics Debbie’s keen interest in music and politics and her ability to think on her feet makes her a versatile and entertaining MC, speaker or panelist.