Sam Newman, Australian footballer and sportscaster

John Noel William "Sam" Newman (born 22 December 1945), also nicknamed "Fossil", is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

A talented and athletic player who served a football apprenticeship under the legendary Graham "Polly" Farmer, Newman became the Cats' main ruckman after Farmer departed at the end of 1967, overcoming a number of serious injuries throughout his career to become the first Geelong player to reach 300 senior VFL games.

After retiring in 1980, Newman served as a specialist ruck coach at various AFL clubs and forged a notable career in the media, particularly with Melbourne-based radio station 3AW and the Nine Network as a panel member of one of the TV station's most popular and often controversial programs The Footy Show.