commentators to have called both AFL and NRL

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mikey127

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Just wondering if Quiton Hull from the ABC is the only one to have called play by play for both? Someone once told me Ray Hadley clled the Swans prelim in 96 but I think that wasn't true.

Francis Leach has called AFL ad been on the sidelines for NRL.
Wally Lewis does special comments for NRL and was on the boundary for a few Bears games in 96.

Does anyone know of any others?
 

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There would not be many who have called both on a regular basis or simultaneously. I don't ever remember Drew calling NRL.

Alastair Nicholson (Queensland ABC) calls both in a weekend.

Only other two I could think of that might have done both over a period of time at Triple M are Russell Barwick and Bill McDonald.
 
Redline said:
There would not be many who have called both on a regular basis or simultaneously. I don't ever remember Drew calling NRL.

Alastair Nicholson (Queensland ABC) calls both in a weekend.

Only other two I could think of that might have done both over a period of time at Triple M are Russell Barwick and Bill McDonald.
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Forgot about Al Nicholson. Possibly Peter Newlands called a couple of AFL games in Tas for ABC and I reckon he was an around the grounds guy for the NRl in Sydney in about 98, don't know if he ever called NRL.
 
mikey127 said:
Just wondering if Quiton Hull from the ABC is the only one to have called play by play for both? Someone once told me Ray Hadley clled the Swans prelim in 96 but I think that wasn't true.

Francis Leach has called AFL ad been on the sidelines for NRL.
Wally Lewis does special comments for NRL and was on the boundary for a few Bears games in 96.

Does anyone know of any others?
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Dunno about the prelim but Hadley called the 96 GF on 2UE.
 
mikey127 said:
Lol Hadley trying to call AFL that would have been funny.
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I can't really remember.
I know that he was saying before the prelim that if Sydney won, he and John Gibbs would go to Melbourne to call the game.
On the day itself, I visited a friend in hospital and missed most of the first half.
Only a five minute drive home so I would've had the radio on, but may have even listened to Roy & H.G.
Then to the telly when I got home.
 
There may be many who have called both on a regular basis or simultaneously. I don't ever remember Drew calling NRL.
 

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Arthur Higgins called VFL footy on the radio back in the 70"s and then came out of retirement to call Melbourne Storm games on ( I think ) community radio in the Storms first couple of seasons in the NRL. Arthur was also the sports reader on Channel 9 Melbourne in the late 1970"s.

It's a wonder it hasn't happened more often, particularly on the always resource strapped ABC. In the U.S. there are a lot of high profile sportscasters who have called multiple high level sports. Al Michaels has been the main caller and anchor of broadcasts of Major League Baseball,the NBA, grand slam tennis, the NHL and Olympic IH, world championship boxing and the nationally broadcast Sunday night NFL.
 
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andrew coombs said:
Arthur Higgins called VFL footy on the radio back in the 70"s and then came out of retirement to call Melbourne Storm games on ( I think ) community radio in the Storms first couple of seasons in the NRL. Arthur was also the sports reader on Channel 9 Melbourne in the late 1970"s.

It's a wonder it hasn't happened more often, particularly on the always resource strapped ABC. In the U.S. there are a lot of high profile sportscasters who have called multiple high level sports. Al Michaels has been the main caller and anchor of broadcasts of Major League Baseball,the NBA, grand slam tennis, the NHL and Olympic IH, world championship boxing and the nationally broadcast Sunday night NFL.
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Yes Arthur called the Storm games for 3AK which s now SEN from 1998 to 2000. He did call the odd VFL game for the ABC in the 80's He also was ground announcer for the Storm for a few years and was doing overnights on RSN.
 
Corbin Middlemass does both for ABC. As the ABC has cut its budget its becoming more common.

Not that he has called it but Bruce McAvaney says he likes NRL. Would Slater be special if he called?

Ray Warren grew up in Junee and played aussie rules as says he tossed up whether to head north and become a Rugby league caller or south and become an aussie rules caller.
 
andrew coombs said:
Arthur Higgins called VFL footy on the radio back in the 70"s and then came out of retirement to call Melbourne Storm games on ( I think ) community radio in the Storms first couple of seasons in the NRL. Arthur was also the sports reader on Channel 9 Melbourne in the late 1970"s.

It's a wonder it hasn't happened more often, particularly on the always resource strapped ABC. In the U.S. there are a lot of high profile sportscasters who have called multiple high level sports. Al Michaels has been the main caller and anchor of broadcasts of Major League Baseball,the NBA, grand slam tennis, the NHL and Olympic IH, world championship boxing and the nationally broadcast Sunday night NFL.
Click to expand...

Arthur Higgins called Storm games on 3AK as mentioned earlier.

I’ve never heard Al Michaels do NBA (maybe he stopped doing it now), but you are right about US callers being versatile. Kevin Harlan is another who does the West Coast NBA Games for TNT and NFL calls as well, Joe Buck does MLB and NFL for Fox Sports. The most versatile caller without doubt is Kenny Albert (son of Merv) who is the only person who currently calls all four major sports competitions for TV (NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA) as well as college football and basketball on top of that.

thatwasmymistake said:
Apologies for the bump, Mike McCann did many sports including AFL and NRL for ABC and the old Optus Vision sports channels.
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He also did La Liga games for Fox Sports when they had the rights around 2000-2002.
 
mikey127 said:
Yes Arthur called the Storm games for 3AK which s now SEN from 1998 to 2000. He did call the odd VFL game for the ABC in the 80's He also was ground announcer for the Storm for a few years and was doing overnights on RSN.
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Sorry to get a bit off topic, but this comment got my attention as i have lived away from Melbourne for many years.
So 3AK became SEN, so what did 3UZ and 3DB become?
And what the hell is RSN?
 
raymond35 said:
Sorry to get a bit off topic, but this comment got my attention as i have lived away from Melbourne for many years.
So 3AK became SEN, so what did 3UZ and 3DB become?
And what the hell is RSN?
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3UZ > Sport 927 > RSN Racing and Sport
3DB > 3TT > TTFM > MIX FM > KIIS 101.1
 
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