Julia Caroline Wilson (born 7 June 1960) is an Australian sports journalist. She is a football columnist for
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
's ''
The Age
''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' newspaper, and she also appears on 3AW's pre-match AFL discussion. She was previously a panellist on
Nine Network
Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...
's '' Footy Classified'', from 2007–2024, and is an occasional panellist on the ABC program '' Offsiders''. As of 2025, she works on
Seven Network
Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...
as an AFL commentator as well as being a panellist on ''The Agenda Setters''.
Career
Wilson began covering football in 1982. She has covered numerous sports, but specialises in the AFL (Australian Football League), and was chief football writer for ''The Age'' from 1999 to 2017. Wilson was the first woman to cover Australian Rules football full-time."Top 50 Sports People – Caroline Wilson" ''The Australian'', 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2013."Age Profile – Caroline Wilson" ''The Age'', 5 October 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
Wilson had five years with the '' Sunday Age'' between 1989 and 1994. She has also worked in radio as the host of the afternoon program for 3AW between 1994 and 1996. Wilson was also a regular panelist on 7s '' Talking Footy'' in the late 1990s early 2000. Wilson appeared every Wednesday night on '' White Line Fever'' on
Fox Footy
Fox Footy (stylised as FOX FOOTY) is an Australian rules football subscription television channel dedicated to screening Australian rules football matches and related programming. It is owned by Fox Sports Australia operated out of its Melbou ...
, until the show was cancelled in 2006 following the dissolution of the Fox Footy Channel.
From 2007 until 2024, Wilson was a panellist on
Nine Network
Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...
Seven Network
Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...
as an AFL commentator. She also appears on ''The Agenda Setters''.
Media awards
In 1989, Wilson became the first woman to win the AFL's gold media award. She was the winner of the ''Sunday Age'' journalist of the year award in 1993. In 1995 shen was the winner of a national RAWARD (now known as the Australian Commercial Radio Awards – ACRA) as best radio current affairs commentator. Wilson was voted the AFL Players' Association's football writer of the year in 1999. She is a multiple winner of AFL Media Association awards, including most outstanding football writer and most outstanding feature writer (2000, 2003, 2005).
In 2010, Wilson was presented with an Australian Sports Commission Media Awards for Lifetime Achievement for her contribution to sports journalism.
In 2013, Wilson won her first Walkley Awards, sharing the 2013 All Media Coverage of a Major News Event or Issue award and winning outright the 2013 All Media Commentary, Analysis, Opinion and Critique award. Both awards related to ''The Age'' newspaper coverage of the 2013 Essendon Football Club supplements controversy.
In March 2014, Wilson received the Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year Award at the
Melbourne Press Club
The Melbourne Press Club (MPC), is a not-for-profit association of journalists in the city of Melbourne, Australia. It runs the annual Quill Awards for Excellence in Victorian Journalism.
Governance
MPC is a not-for-profit association of journal ...
's annual Quill awards. The award was presented to Wilson for her coverage of the
Essendon Football Club supplements saga
The Essendon Football Club supplements saga was a sports drug doping controversy that occurred during the early- and mid-2010s (decade), 2010s. It centred around the Essendon Football Club, nicknamed the Bombers, a professional Australian rules ...
.
Personal life
Born and raised in Melbourne, Wilson is the daughter of Ian Wilson, who was president of
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers or colloquially the Tiges, is a professional Australian rules football team competing in the Australian Football League (AFL). Founded in 1885 in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, Victoria, Ric ...
from 1974 to 1985. She is married to former ''
Seven News
Seven News (stylised 7NEWS) is the television news service of the Seven Network and, as of 2021, the highest-rating in Australia.
National bulletins are presented from Seven's high definition studios in South Eveleigh, Sydney, while its flags ...
'' reporter and the current head of the Victorian Premier's media unit, Brendan Donohoe, and they have three children.