The AFL Footy Show
Encyclopedia
The Footy Show is a Logie Award
winning Australia
n sports television program
, shown on the Nine Network
and its affiliates.
This show, which is dedicated to the AFL
and Australian rules football
, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL
and rugby league
. Although both programs are generally broadcast in the same time slot, as both programs are shown in distinct geographical regions according to areas where one or the other sport predominates, there is little room for confusion.
version of the show airs twice each week:
, Tasmania
, South Australia
and Western Australia
, the AFL version of The Footy Show is aired on Thursday nights during the AFL season, usually after 9:30pm, followed by the NRL version of The Footy Show later that night.
From 2008, the AFL version of The Footy Show could be seen live into most New South Wales
and Queensland
TV markets via the Nine HD
channel. However, this was discontinued before the launch of GO!
when Nine HD ceased breakaway programming. Since then, the AFL version airs straight after the NRL version of the show.
. The program was then extended and started as a regular program in 1994, and was hosted by former Network Ten
reporter Eddie McGuire
, and joined by former Geelong
champion John "Sam" Newman
and comedian Trevor Marmalade
. They are usually joined by three current and former football players in a panel format.
The show is broadcast live from Melbourne with a large studio audience "warmed-up" each week by popular actor/comedian Jeremy Kewley
. From 1994 to 2010 (Seasons 1 to 17) the show was broadcast from Studio 9 at GTV 9 in Richmond. Following GTV 9's relocation to Docklands at the start of 2001, from Season 18, the show was produced from Sound Stage 4 at Docklands Film Studios.
Over the years the show has also broadcast special live episode from locations including Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, London (in 2001 and again in 2004) and from Munich (in 2005).
In 2006, after Eddie McGuire
's appointment as CEO of the Nine Network
, he stepped down as host of the program and was replaced by former Melbourne
star Garry Lyon
and the North Melbourne Football Club
Chairman James Brayshaw
as co-hosts. In a bid to resurge the show in 2009, Trevor Marmalade was cut from the program to make way for former footballers Shane Crawford
and Billy Brownless
.
The panelists discuss any news stories that arise during the week, review the last round of matches, and preview each match for the coming week including showing the lineups. Before 2000 no footage of any AFL games could be aired by the show as the rival Seven Network
held the broadcast rights and refused to allow the show to air footage, in an attempt to stall the program's success. From 2001 until 2006, Nine had the rights to AFL broadcasts and footage was used liberally during the show. From 2007, they reverted to not using footage, due to Nine having lost the rights to AFL broadcasting to the Seven Network and Network Ten until the end of the 2011 football season, however some footage of matches has been used briefly since 2006.
annually on the Thursday night before the AFL Grand Final
, in front of a crowd of 15,000. The show includes the AFL Players Revue, where players dress up and dance to themes. It has included performances and cameos from players such as Shane Crawford
, Brodie Holland
, Brendan Fevola
, Aaron Davey
and most of The Footy Show family, except for Eddie McGuire.
jokes.
Newman has also had a number of well-publicised off-screen incidents that are often brought up during the show.
with his accompanying panel consisting of Damian Barrett, Nathan Brown, Dermott Brereton
, Shane Crawford
and Billy Brownless
.
Melbourne sports presenter Tony Jones formerly hosted the Sunday version from 2002 until the end of the 2008 season when he was replaced by Brayshaw. Mark Bickley and Danny Frawley also left the show at the end of the 2008 season to take up roles in the AFL, being replaced by the recently retired Crawford and Thompson. In 2010, Brian Taylor and long-standing Doctor Peter Larkins
left the show to make room for Barrett and Brown. In November 2011, Nine announced that Brayshaw would be stepping down as host due to having many commitments commentating footy games, Olympic coverage and Triple M
Melbourne's Rush Hour, Simon O'Donnell
was announced has his replacement.
The show discusses the weekend's matches so far, showing scores and highlights, and interviews players from the sides that have played that round. Before the Nine Network
obtained the TV rights to AFL
matches, it was a lighter look at AFL, with a panel featuring the likes of Max Walker
, Ted Whitten
and Lou Richards
.
Lou Richards was part of the Sunday Footy Show until the end of 2008, where he left due to illness. However, they continue to pay tribute with "Lou's Handball", a segment where players from opposing teams are pitted against each other in a handball target practice, and "Lou's Showcase", which is a showcase of prizes given to special guests.
The Sunday Footy Show was the original Footy Show, and following its success in 1993, it was decided to present a special Grand Final
edition from the Rod Laver Arena
. The success of this special meant that the Thursday night show was to be instilled as a permanent fixture in the Nine schedule. The Sunday Footy show has had numerous formats over the years, but is currently back to a traditional panel feel.
There was controversy on the Sunday edition of the Footy Show on 12 August 2007, when AFL legend and former North Melbourne Football Club
captain and Premiership player Wayne Carey
responded to criticisms from Nathan Thompson
by mocking Thompson's well-publicised bout with depression. In addition, on returning from a commercial break, he was heard to make references to "necking himself", to the apparent delight of other members of the Footy Show panel. Carey and the Nine Network were quick to issue an apology over the incident, although no mention was officially made of the "necking himself" comment.
In 2009, Brian Taylor made rare appearances, due to his commentary work on Fox Sports, with a guest AFL panelist taking his spot when Taylor was not present.
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
winning Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n sports television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, shown on the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
and its affiliates.
This show, which is dedicated to the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
and Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
and rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
. Although both programs are generally broadcast in the same time slot, as both programs are shown in distinct geographical regions according to areas where one or the other sport predominates, there is little room for confusion.
Presenters
- Sam NewmanSam NewmanJohn Noel William "Sam" Newman is a retired Australian rules football player and current television personality. He is a featured presenter on the AFL version of The Footy Show.-VFL career:...
(1994–present) - Garry LyonGarry LyonGarry Peter Lyon is a former professional Australian rules football player and was captain of the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League. Since his retirement from football, he has been mainly an Australian rules football media personality, featuring on television, radio and in...
(2006–present) - James BrayshawJames BrayshawJames Antony Brayshaw is a former state cricketer and now Australian television and radio personality. As a cricketer he was known as Jamie Brayshaw. He is the son of former Western Australian cricketer and Australian rules footballer Ian Brayshaw, and the brother of Mark Brayshaw, a former...
(2006–present)
Supporting Presenters
- Shane CrawfordShane CrawfordShane Barry Crawford is a former Australian rules footballer, having played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
(2009–present) (as a permanent presenter (alternates weekly with Brownless and Lloyd) - Billy BrownlessBilly BrownlessAnthony William "Billy" Brownless is a former Australian rules footballer with the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League and media personality.- Football career :...
(2009–present) (as a permanent presenter (alternates weekly with Crawford and Lloyd) - Matthew LloydMatthew LloydMatthew James Lloyd is a former Australian rules footballer who played for and was the captain of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League...
(2012-present) (as a permanent presenter (alternates weekly with Crawford and Brownless) - Craig Hutchison (2007–present) (head football reporter)
- Damian Barrett (2010–present) (football reporter)
Scheduling
The AFLAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
version of the show airs twice each week:
- Thursday night program, shown at 9.30 PM. AEST,
- Sunday morning program, shown at 11:00 AM. AEST
Thursdays
In VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, the AFL version of The Footy Show is aired on Thursday nights during the AFL season, usually after 9:30pm, followed by the NRL version of The Footy Show later that night.
From 2008, the AFL version of The Footy Show could be seen live into most New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
TV markets via the Nine HD
Nine HD
Nine HD was an Australian television channel, owned by Nine Entertainment Co., that launched on 17 March 2008. The channel was available to high definition digital television viewers in metropolitan and regional areas through a number of owned-and-operated and affiliate stations...
channel. However, this was discontinued before the launch of GO!
Go! (Australian TV channel)
GO! is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel launched by the Nine Network on Sunday 9 August 2009.-Origins:...
when Nine HD ceased breakaway programming. Since then, the AFL version airs straight after the NRL version of the show.
Sundays
A related program, The Sunday Footy Show, airs during the middle of the day on Sunday. No NRL version of this program is shown in the AFL regions.Origins and Format
The Footy Show had its origins in 1993 when a special Grand Final Edition of The Sunday Footy Show aired on the Thursday night before the AFL Grand FinalAFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
. The program was then extended and started as a regular program in 1994, and was hosted by former Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
reporter Eddie McGuire
Eddie McGuire
Edward Joseph "Eddie" McGuire AM is an Australian television presenter and businessman known for his long association with Australian rules football and the Channel 9 television network....
, and joined by former Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
champion John "Sam" Newman
Sam Newman
John Noel William "Sam" Newman is a retired Australian rules football player and current television personality. He is a featured presenter on the AFL version of The Footy Show.-VFL career:...
and comedian Trevor Marmalade
Trevor Marmalade
Trevor Marmalade is the stage name of a comedian from Melbourne, Australia of Dutch descent. Jason grew up in Surrey Hills in Melbourne....
. They are usually joined by three current and former football players in a panel format.
The show is broadcast live from Melbourne with a large studio audience "warmed-up" each week by popular actor/comedian Jeremy Kewley
Jeremy Kewley
Jeremy Leo Kewley is an Australian actor, based in Melbourne, who made his professional acting debut at the age of 14 in the feature film The Devil's Playground .-Early life:...
. From 1994 to 2010 (Seasons 1 to 17) the show was broadcast from Studio 9 at GTV 9 in Richmond. Following GTV 9's relocation to Docklands at the start of 2001, from Season 18, the show was produced from Sound Stage 4 at Docklands Film Studios.
Over the years the show has also broadcast special live episode from locations including Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, London (in 2001 and again in 2004) and from Munich (in 2005).
In 2006, after Eddie McGuire
Eddie McGuire
Edward Joseph "Eddie" McGuire AM is an Australian television presenter and businessman known for his long association with Australian rules football and the Channel 9 television network....
's appointment as CEO of the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, he stepped down as host of the program and was replaced by former Melbourne
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
star Garry Lyon
Garry Lyon
Garry Peter Lyon is a former professional Australian rules football player and was captain of the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League. Since his retirement from football, he has been mainly an Australian rules football media personality, featuring on television, radio and in...
and the North Melbourne Football Club
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
Chairman James Brayshaw
James Brayshaw
James Antony Brayshaw is a former state cricketer and now Australian television and radio personality. As a cricketer he was known as Jamie Brayshaw. He is the son of former Western Australian cricketer and Australian rules footballer Ian Brayshaw, and the brother of Mark Brayshaw, a former...
as co-hosts. In a bid to resurge the show in 2009, Trevor Marmalade was cut from the program to make way for former footballers Shane Crawford
Shane Crawford
Shane Barry Crawford is a former Australian rules footballer, having played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
and Billy Brownless
Billy Brownless
Anthony William "Billy" Brownless is a former Australian rules footballer with the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League and media personality.- Football career :...
.
The panelists discuss any news stories that arise during the week, review the last round of matches, and preview each match for the coming week including showing the lineups. Before 2000 no footage of any AFL games could be aired by the show as the rival Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
held the broadcast rights and refused to allow the show to air footage, in an attempt to stall the program's success. From 2001 until 2006, Nine had the rights to AFL broadcasts and footage was used liberally during the show. From 2007, they reverted to not using footage, due to Nine having lost the rights to AFL broadcasting to the Seven Network and Network Ten until the end of the 2011 football season, however some footage of matches has been used briefly since 2006.
Regular Segments
- Almost Football Legends (by Shane Crawford/Billy Brownless)—Showcases local footy highlights (such as big marks, great goals, and unusual occurrences) Originally started so that some football footage could be shown. It has become a talent quest with the winner receiving a prize.
- Sam's Mailbag (by Sam Newman) or Shane's Mailbag (by Shane Crawford)—Sam or Shane read and answer letters from the show's fans, often including at least one video email, though the vast majority of letters have little to nothing to do actually do with football. Shane's segment is only occasional & a simple mock of Sam's segment (Shane placing a sign in front of himself with the segment's name, whilst wearing a wide-brimmed hat & blowing a whistle).
- Street Talk (by Sam Newman)—A satirical take on the vox pop by interviewing and making fun of various characters on the streets of cities around Australia. Billy Brownless, Shane Crawford or Brendan FevolaBrendan FevolaBrendan Fevola is a professional Australian rules footballer. He played with the Carlton and Brisbane Lions football clubs in the Australian Football League....
fill in as host of this segment when Sam is unable to fulfill his position. - That's What I'm Talkin' About (by Shane Crawford & Chris Sheedy)—Shane Crawford attempts to beat a Guiness World Record. Records that have been broken include kissing 96 people in 60 seconds and having 153 spiders crawl on his body for 30 seconds
- Charlie SheenCharlie SheenCarlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
Medal (by Shane Crawford/Billy Brownless)—A faux medal awarded to the AFL personality who lost their temper in the most major way in the previous week. Footage of other sport flare ups are also shown as 'nominations'. This replaced the Gary ColemanGary ColemanGary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, known for his childhood role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as "one of television's most promising stars". After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman...
"Memorial" Medal. - Pardon my Puzzle—introduced in 2011, this competition involves Garry Lyon and James Brayshaw displaying a sequence of images from which Sam and the panel must guess the answer. Usually (but not always) they are the names of AFL players and coaches, and the images are deliberately amusing.
Former Segments
- Fyfe's Footy Flicks—Cartoonist Andrew FyfeAndrew FyfeAndrew Fyfe is an Australian cartoonist and satirist.He is perhaps best known for his role as the cartoonist on Australia's longest running variety show, Hey Hey It's Saturday, where he would instantly satirize situations that occurred live on air with lightning quick cartoons drawn with his "pen...
produced a weekly satiric animation sending up the weekly events in football. - Bill's Wheel—Billy BrownlessBilly BrownlessAnthony William "Billy" Brownless is a former Australian rules footballer with the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League and media personality.- Football career :...
went around to local footy clubs to have a competition where they won what would come up on the wheel. - House of Bulger—5-minute parody of daytime soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s featuring AFL stars such as Shane CrawfordShane CrawfordShane Barry Crawford is a former Australian rules footballer, having played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
(as Hank Bulger) and other guest appearances. - Bulger, MD—The sequel to House of Bulger, ending with Hank being shot dead by Dr. Pink (Nathan Brown) on the Grand Final show.
- Hatchet Jobs—Featured during 2006 towards the end of the show. Footage from coach interviews is chopped up and edited resulting in facetious one-liners.
- Marstermind—Each week Eddie McGuire would quiz someone.
- Pillow Talk—James Brayshaw or Garry Lyon interviews wives or girlfriends of AFL footballers.
- Under the pump—A member of the panel would be asked poignant questions by the cast, with a bike pump lowered above them.
Grand Final Spectacular
The Grand Final edition of the show is broadcast live from the Rod Laver ArenaRod Laver Arena
Rod Laver Arena is a tennis stadium that is part of the Melbourne Park complex located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and has been the main venue for the Australian Open in tennis since 1988, replacing the ageing Kooyong Stadium...
annually on the Thursday night before the AFL Grand Final
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
, in front of a crowd of 15,000. The show includes the AFL Players Revue, where players dress up and dance to themes. It has included performances and cameos from players such as Shane Crawford
Shane Crawford
Shane Barry Crawford is a former Australian rules footballer, having played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
, Brodie Holland
Brodie Holland
Brodie Holland is a former professional Australian rules footballer best known for his playing days at the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League....
, Brendan Fevola
Brendan Fevola
Brendan Fevola is a professional Australian rules footballer. He played with the Carlton and Brisbane Lions football clubs in the Australian Football League....
, Aaron Davey
Aaron Davey
Aaron Davey is a professional Australian rules football player of Indigenous Australian heritage. He currently plays for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
and most of The Footy Show family, except for Eddie McGuire.
Controversies involving Sam Newman
Sam Newman is the most controversial figure on The Footy Show, and has been the subject of many complaints to the Nine Network. In May 2008, the Nine Network removed Newman from the show indefinitely following a major controversy over allegedly sexistDiscrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
jokes.
Newman has also had a number of well-publicised off-screen incidents that are often brought up during the show.
Sunday Footy Show
On Sunday mornings, the Sunday Footy Show airs, hosted by Simon O'DonnellSimon O'Donnell
Simon Patrick O'Donnell is a former Australian cricketer and VFL footballer, currently a horse racing and cricket commentator.-Cricket:...
with his accompanying panel consisting of Damian Barrett, Nathan Brown, Dermott Brereton
Dermott Brereton
Dermott Hugh Brereton is a former Australian rules football player in the Australian Football League, regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. Of Irish descent , he is known for his aggressive style of play. Brereton kicked 464 goals and played in five Premierships for during...
, Shane Crawford
Shane Crawford
Shane Barry Crawford is a former Australian rules footballer, having played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
and Billy Brownless
Billy Brownless
Anthony William "Billy" Brownless is a former Australian rules footballer with the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League and media personality.- Football career :...
.
Melbourne sports presenter Tony Jones formerly hosted the Sunday version from 2002 until the end of the 2008 season when he was replaced by Brayshaw. Mark Bickley and Danny Frawley also left the show at the end of the 2008 season to take up roles in the AFL, being replaced by the recently retired Crawford and Thompson. In 2010, Brian Taylor and long-standing Doctor Peter Larkins
Peter Larkins
Dr. Peter Larkins is an Australian doctor and media personality, as well as a former athlete.-Early life and athletics career:...
left the show to make room for Barrett and Brown. In November 2011, Nine announced that Brayshaw would be stepping down as host due to having many commitments commentating footy games, Olympic coverage and Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
Melbourne's Rush Hour, Simon O'Donnell
Simon O'Donnell
Simon Patrick O'Donnell is a former Australian cricketer and VFL footballer, currently a horse racing and cricket commentator.-Cricket:...
was announced has his replacement.
The show discusses the weekend's matches so far, showing scores and highlights, and interviews players from the sides that have played that round. Before the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
obtained the TV rights to AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
matches, it was a lighter look at AFL, with a panel featuring the likes of Max Walker
Max Walker
Maxwell Henry Norman Walker AM is a former Australian cricketer and VFL/AFL footballer. Formerly an architect, he currently works as a media commentator and motivational speaker and has diverse business interests.- Football career :...
, Ted Whitten
Ted Whitten
Edward James "EJ" Whitten was an Australian rules football player and media personality. He played a then-record 321 Victorian Football League games for the Footscray Football Club between 1951 and 1970...
and Lou Richards
Lou Richards
Lewis Thomas Charles "Lou" Richards is a retired Australian rules footballer, who played 250 games with the Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League between 1941 and 1955...
.
Lou Richards was part of the Sunday Footy Show until the end of 2008, where he left due to illness. However, they continue to pay tribute with "Lou's Handball", a segment where players from opposing teams are pitted against each other in a handball target practice, and "Lou's Showcase", which is a showcase of prizes given to special guests.
The Sunday Footy Show was the original Footy Show, and following its success in 1993, it was decided to present a special Grand Final
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
edition from the Rod Laver Arena
Rod Laver Arena
Rod Laver Arena is a tennis stadium that is part of the Melbourne Park complex located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and has been the main venue for the Australian Open in tennis since 1988, replacing the ageing Kooyong Stadium...
. The success of this special meant that the Thursday night show was to be instilled as a permanent fixture in the Nine schedule. The Sunday Footy show has had numerous formats over the years, but is currently back to a traditional panel feel.
There was controversy on the Sunday edition of the Footy Show on 12 August 2007, when AFL legend and former North Melbourne Football Club
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
captain and Premiership player Wayne Carey
Wayne Carey
Wayne Carey is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the North Melbourne and Adelaide Football Clubs in the Australian Football League ....
responded to criticisms from Nathan Thompson
Nathan Thompson
Nathan Thompson is a former Australian rules footballer, who previously played with the Hawthorn and North Melbourne Football Clubs in the Australian Football League. He is currently a part of the Panel on the Sunday Footy Show....
by mocking Thompson's well-publicised bout with depression. In addition, on returning from a commercial break, he was heard to make references to "necking himself", to the apparent delight of other members of the Footy Show panel. Carey and the Nine Network were quick to issue an apology over the incident, although no mention was officially made of the "necking himself" comment.
In 2009, Brian Taylor made rare appearances, due to his commentary work on Fox Sports, with a guest AFL panelist taking his spot when Taylor was not present.
External links
- The Footy Show website
- http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24770489-5006347,00.html