As an AFL footy fan it pains me to say Melbourne centric Fox Footy sucks. Too many Victorian commentators and ‘so-called’ football experts populate the game day commentary on Fox. I mean Hawthorn is way over represented with Jordan Lewis, Jason Dunstall and Dermott Brereton. These blokes cannot help but be partisan when push comes to shove during AFL matches. Garry Lyon is another prominent analyst and talking head with strong Melbourne leanings. It is the complete absence of ex-players from Sydney teams, WA sides or SA that grates with viewers. Too much bias in the calls.
“Former West Coast Eagles premiership player Adam Selwood has died at the age of 41. Selwood played 187 games for West Coast and was part of the team’s 2006 premiership win. His death comes just months after his twin brother, former Brisbane Lions player Troy Selwood, died by suicide.”
Fox Footy Talking Heads All Melbourne Based
The Swans vs Carlton match played at the SCG was point in hand. Despite it being a home game for Sydney the lion’s share of the commentary was Blues focussed throughout the game. Even Channel 7 has Jude Bolton as a boundary rider; but I don’t watch 7 because of all the ads. I am glad that Fox Footy can call matches for the first time this season but they need stronger representation on their commentary teams of interstate clubs. The whole AFL competition is too Melbourne-centric anyway, so the millions watching the coverage from outside Victoria need some presence in the form of ex-GWS or Sydney players.
One Eyed Melbourne/Vic Pundits Spoiling Fox AFL Coverage
It might be hard for these VFL/AFL old timers to realise it but the WAFL and SANFL were once proud competitions with their own rich histories. Melbourne based AFL clubs are not the be all and end all of footy. Australia is a nation and Fox Footy needs to realise this in its coverage via even representation in its media teams. It is not mere tokenism to have Eddie Betts and the AFLW girls on board. Inclusiveness is real and we all feel it or don’t. Pandering to the dominant cohort should be a thing of the past, along with divisive characters like Peter Dutton and Tony Abbott.
Too Much Victorian Footy Sucks
Footy is a billion dollar business in the 21C. It is about time for the northern and western states to get their fair share of representation in the AFL media. Pull up your socks Fox and the AFL. It is time to expand and extend the AFL culture, as portrayed in the media. More Indigenous es-players, more women, and more non-Victorians. We, the fans, are sick of listening to Melbourne-centric viewpoints. Melbourne centric Fox Footy sucks.
“The ground was shifting beneath their feet. At the SCG, in a disgraceful state of affairs the turf was loose under the football boots of the AFL players. These million-dollar elite sportsmen were being put at risk by the greed of a ground organisation wanting to profit at the expense of their existing contractual arrangements with the Sydney Swans. You cannot play high speed football when you cannot keep your feet because the ground is breaking up due to a concert held on the stadium surface a couple of weeks ago.”
Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of The Stoic Golfer, &
America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump.
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