Daily Mail Australia sports writer Mike Colman dies after health battle

Former Daily Mail Australia sport columnist Mike Colman has died after a long health battle.

Colman, 68, passed while surrounded by his wife, Linda, and three children in Brisbane at 9pm on Friday after he fought a rare lung disease.

Fellow sport columnist Robert Craddock took to X, formerly Twitter, to share a post in Colman's memory.

'A tribute to the late, great sporting columnist Mike Colman who has lost his brave, lengthy battle after a typically spirited fight,' Mr Craddock wrote. 

'Mike was truly one of a kind, the last of great larrikin columnists who could make readers laugh or cry in the same week.'

Broadcaster and journalist Neil Breen said: 'I was so sad to learn our great mate had passed. It was a real battle for him and my thoughts are with Linda and the family.' 

Peter FitzSimons, an outspoken journalist and partner of former The Project host Lisa Wilkinson, also shared a tribute to Colman, writing: 'RIP Mike Colman. 

'Veteran sportswriter, lovely bloke, great family man. Kicked around with him many times over the decades. Gone, way too soon.'

London-based sports journalist, Ian McCullough, said: 'Sad to hear of Mike Colman's passing, very funny man and proud Queenslander. 

'Never forget in the 2019 Ashes on a slow day and he leaned over saying, "Macca, mate, covering cricket in the UK is just an orgy of eating while waiting for something to bloody happen". RIP mate.'

Code Sports editor, Todd Balym, wrote: 'Sharing a room with Mike Colman at the 2016 Rio Olympics, listening to his stories at 2am as we shared two-minute noodles and a beer after a night at the swimming is one of my greatest Olympic memories. 

'He was the best. Hilarious. Genuine. He will be missed.'

Colman, a Walkley Award-winning journalist of 47 years, was best known for his coverage of the Olympics and witty takes on Australian sport - a talent he shared with the Daily Mail between 2021 and 2023.

He also spent 23 years working at The Courier Mail and Sunday Mail in Brisbane, following stints at the Sunday Telegraph and Sun Herald in Sydney.

In one Mail piece Colman reflected on meeting Prince Philip at Sydney's at Admiralty House in 1992.

After being 'sworn to secrecy' for almost 30 years, Colman recalled how jokes fell flat on the stern Duke of Edinburgh - who seemed anything but excited to be in Australia.

'A man of action, he had given up everything he had achieved and wanted to achieve, to support his wife and the monarchy,' Colman wrote.

'If that meant spending an afternoon with a bunch of colonial journalists asking inane questions, he would do it - but he drew the line at pretending he was enjoying it.'

Colman's death comes 12 years after the tragic passing of his 17-year-old daughter, Isabelle.

Isabelle's death shook the 2012 Schoolies celebration on the Gold Coast.

The young girl fell 26 floors from a balcony at the Chevron Renaissance and was unable to be revived by paramedics. 

Colman told the Herald Sun at the time: 'We're a very close and loving family. And we're not a broken family.

'We just want to be close with each other at this time.'