{{Short description|Australian sports journalist and commentator}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2016}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = Debbie Spillane | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AM}} | image = <!-- just the name, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing brackets --> | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Deborah Elizabeth Spillane | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1955|12|25|df=yes}} | birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | death_date = | education = Bethlehem College, Ashfield | alma_mater = University of Sydney | occupation = Sports journalist | years_active = 1984–present | relatives = Frank Spillane (grandfather) }}
'''Deborah Elizabeth Spillane''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (born 25 December 1955) is an Australian sports journalist and commentator.
==Early life and education== Spillane was born in Sydney, and was educated at Bethlehem College, Ashfield and received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney.<ref name="whoswho">''Who's Who in Australia 2016'', ConnectWeb.</ref>
==Media career== In 1984, she joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as a sports commentator and reporter, and was the first full-time female broadcaster hired by ABC Sport.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article201164196|title=ABC: Another Budget Cut|date=9 January 2004|work=Chaser (Glebe, NSW : 1999 - 2005)|access-date=17 August 2018|pages=16|via=Trove}}</ref> In the same year was sent as a reporter to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and two years later to the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. She was a sideline reporter for ABC's rugby league coverage, and was the first woman to commentate cricket on ABC Radio.<ref name="abcgs">[http://www.abc.net.au/news/debbie-spillane/3820910 Debbie Spillane], ''ABC Grandstand''.</ref> In 1987 she was a judge on ABC's ''Theatre Sports''.<ref>{{Citation | last= Anderson | first= Doug | title= Theatre Sports | url= | periodical= The Sydney Morning Herald | date= 2 February 1987}}</ref>
From 1990 to 1995, Spillane co-hosted the drive time program ''Hard Coffee'' with Ian Rogerson for Triple J. Around the same time, she was a regular panelist on Andrew Denton's ''Live and Sweaty'' program from 1991 to 1994.<ref name="whoswho" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127201973|title=BEST BET|date=15 March 1993|work=Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995)|access-date=17 August 2018|pages=8}}</ref>
In 1995, Spillane left the ABC and became the media manager of the Bulldogs national rugby league team. She continued in several sports/media-related endeavours including as media manager of the West Sydney Razorbacks basketball team; as a sports columnist for ''The Sun-Herald'' and ''The Australian''; and on the radio stations 2GB, 2Day FM, New FM, KICK AM and 2BL.<ref name="whoswho" />
In 2002, she returned to the ABC as part of the broadcasting team for ABC NewsRadio, and in 2012 became the host of ABC Radio's ''Grandstand'' program.<ref name="abcgs" />
She was awarded 2017 Australian Sports Commission Media Award for Lifetime Achievement.<ref>{{cite web|title=Spillane honoured with ASC's Lifetime Achievement Award|url=https://www.ausport.gov.au/news/asc_news/story_667579_spillane_honoured_with_ascs_lifetime_achievement_award|website=Australian Sports Commission|access-date=6 February 2018}}</ref>
On 12 December 2021, Spillane was inducted to the Sydney Cricket Ground Media Hall of Honour, alongside 11 others added to the inaugural 15 media personalities who were celebrated in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 December 2021 |title=Second induction to SCG Media Hall of Honour |url=https://www.sydneycricketground.com.au/articles/second_induction_to_scg_media_hall_of_honour |access-date=4 August 2023 |website=Sydney Cricket Ground}}</ref>
==Bibliography== In 2007, Allen & Unwin published Spillane's autobiography, titled ''Where Do You Think You're Goin', Lady?: Adventures of a Sports-mad Redhead''.<ref name="wdytygl">[https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/general-books/biography-autobiography/Where-do-you-think-youre-goin-lady-Debbie-Spillane-9781741146622 Where do you think you're goin', lady?], Allen & Unwin, 2007.</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Spillane, Debbie}} Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:Australian sports journalists Category:20th-century Australian women journalists Category:Australian women radio presenters Category:Australian sports commentators Category:Triple J announcers Category:Members of the Order of Australia Category:University of Sydney alumni Category:20th-century Australian journalists Category:Journalists from Sydney Category:Australian Broadcasting Corporation people Category:Australian women sports journalists