Football media (press / radio / commentators et al)

[Presti35]

For those who have watched the full replay, did BT say that Krueger had not kicked a goal at AFL level before the KBH game?

[piffdog]

[Presti35]

Well that's embarrassing for him.

You shouldn't have commentators giving our false facts. We shouldnt have to listen to commentators getting names wrong, fair enough with one or two mistakes, but if its happening over and over, then its showing a lack of preperation and knowledge. And we shouldn't have to listen to bias opinions either.

The Friday night team have to go. Every platform you read is calling for it. Hodge, Richo, BT... Just get rid of them. And dont give someone a job just because they have a name.

The WA team is even worse. Will Schofield is a bloody disgraceful commentator. Even worse than when Ellis was working.

Everyone says it, why dont they clean it up? It's very stale.

[Damien]

^^

Because there is a dearth of better options. However, Alastair Nicholson (who sounds remarkably like Huddo), although a relative newcomer, is 7’s best atm I reckon. I’d give him the prime time gig over BT.

[Presti35]

What about Jason Bennett? Should he get a chance to call the Friday night games?

[Jezza]

^ He would be better than BT and JB.

[MGR]

Those commercial commentators(apart from Bennett and Nicholson) are terrible, it’s the ‘pats on the back’ to each other that are so not needed. Plus how boring and predictable is Hodge. Just a pity that the ABC has not got the TV coverage.

[warburton lad]

Just read the comments in this thread and agree with most of them.

English Premier League commentary and their Test Cricket broadcasts are in the stratosphere of commentary excellence whilst Australian commentators (in the majority) are fairly mediocre...

For all the bile tipped on Eddie Maguire, he was a) exciting, b) accurate and c)interesting. Compare that to the call from BT last week where he named Krueger as 'Frampton' on no less than six occasions...

I cannot have Hodge commentating on any Collingwood game- he claims not to be biased against the 'Pies, but his words betray his utter hatred for us.

I know Tim Lane wore his Carlton heart on his sleeve, but he remains the best caller. Gerard Whately is informed like McAvaney used to be, but he is great to listen to. Dwayne Russell often seems to 'barrack' against the 'Pies, but his enthusiasm for the way we play is evident in his calls.

As for 'Special Comments', Wayne Carey was excellent, but we will probably not hear him on air again. Brereton has great moments, but sometimes tries to be too left-field and confuses listeners with babble (or is it just me??)

I have very fond (Old) memories of the ABC commentary team when it was Tim Lane (Carlton) and Peter Booth (Collingwood) with Special Comments from 'Crackers' Keenan who played for North and Melbourne and Essendon back in the day, but he also loved the 'Pies because he was Monkey's Ruck Coach in the late 80's and early 90's.

The list I don't rate include: Kelly Underwood, Hodge, Quartermaine, and BT.

Add to that list any commentator who regales his or her audience with tales of their 'glorious' past as a player to 'fill-in-the-gaps' of time during a match.

[LaurieHolden]

And a very good morning to you Lad. May the chorales from madrigals of magpies fill your ears come final siren today.

We were indeed spoiled by having Bruce McAvaney and Denis Commetti for so long, who were the Torvill and Dean of the commentary box.

Those you mentioned in McGuire, Lane, Booth had what I would view as more traditionally trained apprenticeships, and when compared to the likes of BT, well its laid bare the gulf in their capabilities.
McGuire's first job in the media was an AFL statistician and cricket reporter for The Herald (1978–1982).
Tim Lane began calling a wide variety of sports with the ABC way back in 1972, including tennis, cricket, athletics and Australian rules football matches in the VFL and AFL before his stipulation he wouldn't call Pies games with McGuire saw him ousted from Ch9.
Ross Booth also began his, who began his media career in Bendigo, before commencing with 3AW as a news journalist.
This group are what I would consider as career media professionals, as opposed to retired footballer media personalities.

Much of the 'on-air' comradery comes down to the producers pulling together the talent mix provided within the commentary booth. Those producers are constantly in the ears of the panel announcers.
Look at the most successful on-air programs using examples like The Front Bar and The Old Ch9 Footy Show and Ch9 Sunday Footy Show.
What the producers instil is a so called on air 'balance', the equivalent of pantomime conventions of narrator, hero and villain. The trouble comes when those charged with responsibility to engage us in the spectacle forget their lines and overact (the inserter - read BT) or simply lack the energy required (Selwood and Cotchin), or inanely stating the obvious (Ling) who should take Richo's approach, less is more.
You mention Dermott, who's special comments insights are by and large engaging but as you point out, can often drift into babble.

So more of the likes of Matt Hill and Huddo to call the pace of games to elevate the overall quality of the call of the game, then blend insights to a match with special comments and statistics by former players. Surely, it's not that hard.

Finally, is it just me or has the underlying 'white noise' of the crowd been increased this year? You can tell during relatively flat moments in a match call, the equivalent of canned laughter is murmuring underneath the call. I get it that there providing atmosphere, but it seems to be noticeably louder this year.

[Said by Zed]

[Haff]

The barracking today was another level.
How flat were they when the pies won?
I hate Healy. Don’t respect his opinion at all. I don’t think he even watches games, just pops up with some bs opinion when his pay check clears.

[Piesnchess]

ABC radio were pretty flat too, ex Bluescum Captain Murphy, real disappointed, typical ex Scum, he can go %$^£$%^&%% himself now. LOL.

[KenH]

Honestly today they acted like supporters with their barracking it was embarrassing!

[DT]

Lou Richards was a very good tv commentator.

Commetti was next level.

There are a few good ones now, those who are focused on the game and informing the public instead of indulging in inane insider jokes which are unfunny.

[piedys]