Michael Gleeson of The Age won the 2018 Sports Feature Quill for 'Long May He Lead'. The judges noted that the quality of this year's entries were "exceptionally high and judges found it difficult to separate the finalists". 

Judges' citation

The quality of entries in this category was exceptionally high and judges found it difficult to separate the finalists. But they were particularly impressed with Michael Gleeson's feature on Gold Coast Sun Steven May. This was a sensitively told story about the challenges faced by a young Indigenous man finding his voice in AFL football, highlighting the complexities and realities of practical reconciliation. Gleeson's relationship with May reflected an element of trust between the athlete and the writer.

The winning entry

'Long may he lead', The Age, 24 February 2018

Other finalists

Konrad Marshall of Good Weekend magazine for 'Don’t Box Me In'

Konrad Marshall of Good Weekend magazine for 'Maxed Out'

John Stensholt & Max Mason of TheAustralian Financial Review for 'The Cricket Broadcast Wars – What Really Happened?'