Sam Landsberger: Football world in mourning after shocking death of journalist at age 35

Football journalist Sam Landsberger has died at the age of 35 after a traffic accident with a truck in Richmond.

Police were called to a collision in Richmond at the intersection of Bridge Road and Church Street around 10:20 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Landsberger was taken to Alfred Hospital with life-threatening injuries. He died a short time later.

The driver of the truck was a 45-year-old man who was not injured. He has been released pending further investigation.

The sports reporter joined the Herald Sun in 2010 as an AFL and cricket reporter and quickly became one of the most popular journalists in sport.

He later landed a weekly spot on Fox Footy and was beloved by his peers in the industry.

“Sam Landsberger had a huge future in journalism and made great strides early on,” said Mark Robinson, chief football writer at the Herald Sun.

‘He loved the game and understood it, and he respected his craft. He was such a valuable member of Melbourne’s sports journalism community, someone who could cover all aspects of football. And people trusted him.’

Football journalist Sam Landsberger has tragically passed away at the age of 35

The Herald Sun reporter was involved in a traffic accident in Richmond on Tuesday

Former Australia captain Aaron Finch said in X: ‘He was a great journalist and someone everyone had a lot of respect for.’

Landsberger appeared on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle this season, alongside presenter Jay Clark, who recalled the first day he joined News Corp.

“I enjoyed working with Sam and I admire him as a person,” he said.

‘I can still remember him walking into the Herald Sun office one day and how effortlessly and beautifully he covered the match from the start.’

“He was a great writer, a joy to read, a fearless journalist and an energetic ball on television with Fox Footy. He was the star of our Midweek Tackle and an incredible friend who always made you laugh. I will miss him so much and our phone calls that always went on for too long.”

Sam Weir, editor-in-chief of the Herald Sun, said Landsberger “set the newsroom alight” in a heartfelt tribute.

“This tragedy is a huge loss to Sam’s family, friends and colleagues at the Herald Sun and the sporting world he wrote about with such passion,” he said.

“He was an energetic and talented football and cricket journalist who brightened up the newsroom. Sam excelled in everything he did, from breaking the big stories to providing expert analysis on Fox Footy. He was loved and respected and had an incredible career ahead of him. Our thoughts are with his family. Sam will be greatly missed.”

Jon Ralph said: ‘Sammy was an incredible journalist. He had all the best qualities of an old-fashioned journalist with rock-solid sources – who he protected at all costs – a tremendous work ethic and stubborn as hell when he picked up a story.

‘And he did it with a modern sensibility, with his fingers flicking and texting his sources constantly to gather the latest news that he could crunch into columns of news chunks.’

Landsberger was educated at Melbourne High School and attended Monash University from 2007 to 2010. He received his bachelor’s degree in journalism.

In 2013 he won the Australian Football Media Association Award, an award for the most outstanding young media reporter of the year.

That same year he also won the Walkley Young Journalist of the Year award and won three consecutive Twenty20 media awards.

Landsberger was a lifelong supporter of the Western Bulldogs. He was the son of Dr Jake Landsberger, who served as the AFL club’s team doctor.

AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon said: “Sam was separated from his family and friends today in a terrible tragedy. All our love and care goes out to them at this time of great need.

‘Sam had built a distinguished career in journalism over more than a decade and was respected for both his tenacity in pursuing 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 on his many friends in the football and media industries.

‘We extend our sincere condolences to Sam’s family and his colleagues, but our thoughts also go out to everyone in the football industry and the football media for whom Sam was both a colleague and a friend.

‘The AFL will formally acknowledge Sam’s passing tonight at the start of the AFLW season in Melbourne and extend our sincere condolences to his many friends.’

Officers from the Melbourne Highway Patrol are continuing their investigation into the collision. The exact details surrounding the crash are not yet known.

Any witnesses or drivers with dashcam footage of the incident are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.