Tony Armstrong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tony Armstrong |
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Armstrong in 2022
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Tony Patrick Armstrong | ||
| Date of birth | 29 September 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Albury, New South Wales | ||
| Original team | Brocklesby-Burrumbuttock (Hume Football League) Calder Cannons (TAC Cup), Assumption College Kilmore |
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| Draft | No. 58, 2007 National Draft, Adelaide | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
Tony Patrick Armstrong (born 29 September 1989) is an Australian TV presenter and a former professional Australian rules football player. He played for three different teams in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Today, Tony is a well-known presenter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). He presents sports news on News Breakfast and has hosted other ABC shows like A Dog's World and Tony Armstrong's Extra-Ordinary Things. He has won two big awards for his TV work: the Graham Kennedy Award in 2022 and the Bert Newton Award in 2023.
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Tony's Football Journey
Tony Armstrong grew up in Burrumbuttock, New South Wales. He was first interested in rugby league, but then he started playing Australian rules football. He loved the Sydney Swans team.
Starting in the AFL
Tony was chosen by the Adelaide Crows in the 2007 AFL Draft. He was pick number 58. Before joining the AFL, he played for Assumption College, Kilmore and also for junior teams like the TAC Cup sides NSW/ACT Rams and Calder Cannons.
After being drafted, Tony played for the SANFL club North Adelaide. He played so well that he was often chosen as a backup player for the Crows.
Tony made his first AFL game appearance in Round 1, 2010. He played against the Fremantle Dockers.
Moving to the Swans
In 2011, Tony decided he wanted to play for the Sydney Swans, the team he cheered for as a kid. He was traded to the Swans in exchange for another player, Lewis Johnston.
In April 2012, Tony played his first game for the Swans. He filled in for the team captain, Adam Goodes, who was one of Tony's childhood heroes.
Playing for Collingwood
After the 2013 AFL season, Tony left the Sydney Swans. He then joined the Collingwood Magpies. He played his first game for Collingwood in 2014.
Tony was later taken off the Collingwood team list but was chosen again in a special draft. After playing only one senior game in 2015, he left Collingwood for good.
Tony's Media Career
After his football career, Tony Armstrong started working in media. He quickly became a popular TV presenter.
Early Media Work
In March 2020, Tony began hosting a show called Yokayi Footy. This show was a team-up between NITV and the AFL.
In June 2020, Tony joined the ABC. He worked as a producer and presenter for sports news. He presented sports on ABC News and also commented on games for Grandstand AFL on ABC Sport. He also hosted a summer series called Offsiders.
News Breakfast and Other Shows
In March 2021, Tony started filling in as the sports presenter on ABC TV's News Breakfast. He did this for three months. In July 2021, he became the full-time sports presenter for the show.
In November 2021, the ABC announced that Tony would host A Dog's World. This was a three-part TV series that explored how people and dogs connect.
In 2024, the ABC announced another show hosted by Tony, called Tony Armstrong's Extra-Ordinary Things. In this five-part series, Tony searched for special objects to create an exhibition at the National Museum of Australia. The objects from the show were displayed at the museum in June 2024.
Tony also appears on other TV shows, like Network 10's The Project and Fox Footy.
Awards and Recognition
Tony has won important awards for his TV work:
- In June 2022, he won the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent at the 2022 Logie Awards.
- The next year, in 2023, he won the Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter at the 2023 Logies.
In September 2024, Tony announced that he would be leaving News Breakfast. His last day on the show was October 4.
Tony also hosted a six-part series called Eat the Invaders. This show explored eating Australia's invasive species and started on ABC in January 2025.
