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. 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. In 1987 she was a judge on ABC's
Theatre Sports. 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. 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. 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. ==Bibliography==