Seven AFL Coverage

He revealed that 2 years ago! Sad to see him go. :frowning:

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A true legend of the game for the last 30 years and some

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Very sad! Such a great caller…

Although, I guess that means no more Fremantle/WA bias commentary :wink:

The Age reports Seven has snatched the broadcast rights to E.J. Whitten Legends Game from Nine. The match has been held in late June or early July since it began in 1996 (the year after Ted Whitten, the Aussie Rules legend the match is named after, died from prostate cancer), but this year it will be played on Friday September 2, during the gap week between the regular season and the finals.
It is a significant win for Seven because it has been wanting to show the match since 1996. The ratings success of the charity match in its early years set the foundation for Nine getting a share of the 2002-2006 AFL broadcast rights in December 2000.

That’s good to hear, makes sense that Seven have got the rights to the EJ Whitten Legends game, after all they are the official AFL Free to air broadcaster.

Hopefully it means we’ll get the game live this year.

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Given it is on a Friday night it will be shown live, and on a multichannel if you live in NSW, ACT and QLD.

Channel nine’s great week continues. :laughing:

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Actually it may get worse if Zempilas gets the co-caller’s gig…

It won’t be.

If they don’t get a new caller or give more to BT, it’ll go to Hamish McLachlan.

Basil’s always been at the bottom. Because Seven know he isn’t the most popular commentator going around :wink:

was thinking who will fill in during the Olympics? would they use Jason Bennett or maybe John Casey or even the guy that calls the SANFL with John Casey? or maybe Breton Yates(he has done a few SANFL games before) or Mark Readings?

Jason Bennett has stepped in before when Bruce was ill and is a far better caller than most on sevens books.

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Hamish will be at the Games. BT to call Friday nights together with Jason Bennett.

Hamish will be in a Melbourne studio hosting the games from here. They won’t be sending their hosts to Rio. Only a few main callers will go over it seems…eg. Bruce for the Athletics, Basil for the swimming etc. My guess is they will also call some of the events off a TV in Australia.

I doubt that,Dennis cometti will call Friday night games surely

in that case i could see Hamish calling matches as well as hosting the Olympics

I doubt that. They’ll want to give the impression to viewers all their team is in Rio, having someone call AFL while they are on Games duty would shatter the ‘illusion’

that’s why i think they will use some of their other guys like Jason Bennett and maybe John Casey for AFL. Both have the experience to do it(both have called matches for FOX in the past

In a media briefing yesterday (read here and here), AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said that he had not ruled a twilight Grand Final for this year, and a Thursday night elimination final. He also said Seven would show several women’s AFL exhibition matches this year, including Melbourne v Queensland on May 22 and Western Bulldogs v Melbourne on September 3 (during the bye round before the AFL finals). There could also be a Monday night match on the final round of the AFL home and away season on August 29, but it’s not known if it will be simulcast on Seven and Fox Footy or shown on Fox Footy exclusively.

Well I am under the impression Seven is sending a massive team to Rio. From impressions I’ve got I know Joh Griggs is going over and there will be a heap of others too. They won’t be keeping people in studios. I know people like Hamish might be staying here but from what I’ve heard, the majority of commentators and hosts will be going to Rio. It won’t be Athens all over again.