Commentary

[TooBlue14]

It would be interesting to get the most important footy communities’ opinion on commentary lately. I find myself turning the sound down and just talking to a mate. It’s such a s**t effort by the greater afl community. Our experts aren’t experts, David king doesn’t have a statistics degree. Half these people don’t watch as much footy as we all do. The majority just talk rubbish unrelated to the game just to get their random rubbish out to the world. I don’t know how many times I’ve asked them to shut the * up and talk about the game. They don’t really care enough to be in the job their in. This is only going to get worse. Commentators already push they own teams while on tv. Whately with Geelong as an example. I’m sick of it. In 2019 I’ll be talking to myself and doing my own commentary. What’s everyone else’s thoughts.

 

[STPer18]

That post has cream dripping off it!

 

[maskmcgee]

Out: Channel 7
In: Channel 10

Problem solved

 

[Scotland]

During the off season I caught some of the 1977 VFL GF, Collingwood vs North. Can't remember exactly who the commentators were but off the top of my head it was Lou Richards and Peter Landy.

They had clearly come from an era of radio (VFL on TV from 1957) as they just called what was happening in the game. I reckon they used about 25% of the words the commentators do now and said just as much. Was refreshingly quiet, like when you're in an office all day and the air-con switches off and you realise you've been subjected to a dull hum for 8 hours and now it's peaceful.

 

[Back One Out]

Jonathan Brown is a f****** NUMPTY

Loved him as a player, but as commentator, he is one of the worst ever. Worse than Tony Shaw

He clenches his jaw and acts like he is the alpha male and full of interesting insights
But the reality is he is excruciating to listen to. Dumb as a box of hammers and completely devoid of any sharp in-game analysis

It pains me that his Fox Footy bosses think he's a gun and that we're going have to listen to his drivel for the next 10 years

 

[Geoffa32]

Fox Footy used to have an option to press Red to remove the commentary and just have the effects mica play.

I guess the commentary "talent" objected to this and they removed that option.

It was great.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[kid_a]

Much prefer radio commentary, but even then each broadcast team has their weak links. Very hard to find a good commentator on TV these days at all. Sure there are apt commentators on the box (huddo for example) but none are really "good". Bruce used to be good is juts silly these days. Didnt mind Stephen Quartermaine as a play by play caller back when 10 had the rights, during the actual game-play he was articulate, balanced and didnt over do it.

 

[owen87]

I like when they rope the VFL commentators in; Nigel Carmody and Jason Bennett I think they are. They call the play, nothing more.

I don't mind recent ex-players or current players being used for special comments in breaks between play or goals, and someone like King doing pre-game / half-time analysis is fine.

There's too much matesy-mate joking around, and BT carrying on like a turkey.

It's one of the best spectator sports on earth, we don't need all the periphery to make it entertaining.

 

[PhiloBeddoe]

When the commentators are encouraged to believe that they are the attraction, commentary will never go back to what we heard with the likes of Lou Richards, Peter Landy etc.
When boofheads like Campbell (Mr Could of, should of, would of) Brown is making his way into commentary teams and footy panels, you know there is no turning back.

 

[Sttew]

Much prefer radio commentary, but even then each broadcast team has their weak links. Very hard to find a good commentator on TV these days at all. Sure there are apt commentators on the box (huddo for example) but none are really "good". Bruce used to be good is juts silly these days. Didnt mind Stephen Quartermaine as a play by play caller back when 10 had the rights, during the actual game-play he was articulate, balanced and didnt over do it.

Not sure we'll see much of Bruce this year.

I like Anthony Hudson. His enthusiasm is infectious. Don't mind Tim Lane either

 

[Scotland]

Huddo is a sports caller, like Gerard Whatley, Brenton Speed etc. They all call the play in their own style.

It's the "special comments" (yep, they sure are) people that are the problem. There are 17 of them when you only need one at most, and they rattle off bullshit stats no one cares about. Tom Mitchell is on 97 ranking points at half time is he? Great, is he playing well? Is his team winning? Richmond have 19 forward half pressure acts. Wonderful. Couldn't have gone a minute longer without that info.

 

[M Malice]

Don't need the commentary, just need some crowd noise to generate some atmosphere.

Most of the commentators/comments guys are promoting their "brand", they are wannabe celebrities.

 

[Sparkle]

In an ideal world, these would be my Channel Seven AFL commentators:

Friday Night
Tim Lane and Bruce McAvaney, with special comments from Wayne Carey, Leigh Matthews and Tim Watson

Saturday Night
James Brayshaw and Brian Taylor, with special comments from Luke Darcy, Matthew Richardson and Sam Lane

Sunday Arvo
Hamish McLachlan and Jason Bennet, with special comments from Cameron Ling, Jimmy Bartel and Daisy Pearce

Given Fox Footy have a harder to predict schedule, it's not as easy predicting their commentators. But Anthony Hudson should be doing all the big matches at the very least

 

[Mofra]

Not sure we'll see much of Bruce this year.

I like Anthony Hudson. His enthusiasm is infectious. Don't mind Tim Lane either

I like Hudson too, yes he gets excited but he makes his call all about the play rather than the painful MMM style buffoonery where between stupid nicknames and talking about each other the actual game gets lost.

 

[99cents]

I liked the commentator they trialed during the JLT match at the cattery- good caller, infectious enthusiasm.

"Aand number 40 handballs it out for Geelong..."

 

[Back One Out]

I like Hudson too, yes he gets excited but he makes his call all about the play rather than the painful MMM style buffoonery where between stupid nicknames and talking about each other the actual game gets lost.

Hudson's commentary is annoying because he screams for pretty much 85% of the game and the tone of his voice very grating. He becomes too intrusive and gets in the way of the game. Same with Dwayne Russell, who is full of stupid catchphrases and s**t comments, but those are actually least annoying things about him. It's his voice.

If Huddo would just dial it back, then he would be okay.

Shits me to tears that AFL commentators think they must scream to make the game exciting. They are wrong. The game itself is either exciting or it isn't and no amount of screaming is gonna change that.

Dennis Commetti was the master commentator (before the success went to his head and he fell into self-parody). Victorian viewers criticised him when they first heard him in the late 80's/early 90's. People thought he was monotone and boring, but history proved them wrong. Substance won over style. He was always measured, smooth, unhurried and natural. And he knew his s**t. He didn't make dickhead comments. Neither did Lethal. No surprise those two had long, successful careers (and many fans of their commentary)

People just want someone to call the action succintly and accurately and let the game breathe. They don't want a bunch of flogs screaming over the top of the action and raping our ears with their ego-driven pontifications, bold opinions and faux-controversial comments.

I don't want to hear Bruce McAvaney orgasming into the microphone. I don't want to hear Luke Darcy constantly telling me how ELITE Patrick Cripps is. (We get it!) I don't want to hear Huddo screaming like he's fallen down a well and nobody can hear him. I just want someone to say the surnames of all players in the contest. That's it. They can add a little more (if they must) but less is more...

 

[gavaniacono]

More chicks please. I mean women!

 

[Sttew]

I like Hudson too, yes he gets excited but he makes his call all about the play rather than the painful MMM style buffoonery where between stupid nicknames and talking about each other the actual game gets lost.

Agree 100% I still don't know who one of the callers on MMM is; they refer to him by a stupid nickname, Choo, or something

 

[PowerForGood]

Huddo is a sports caller, like Gerard Whatley, Brenton Speed etc. They all call the play in their own style.

It's the "special comments" (yep, they sure are) people that are the problem. There are 17 of them when you only need one at most, and they rattle off bullshit stats no one cares about. Tom Mitchell is on 97 ranking points at half time is he? Great, is he playing well? Is his team winning? Richmond have 19 forward half pressure acts. Wonderful. Couldn't have gone a minute longer without that info.

Even worse than that... They use any stat as good or bad to justify the score.

If Richmond have 19 forward half pressure acts and leading by 10 goals, "they are providing tremendous pressure"

If Richmond have 19 forward half pressure acts and losing by 10 goals, "they need to focus on controlling the ball rather than chasing opposition jumpers"

Correlation not causation.

David King is the worst at it.

 

[Scotland]

In an ideal world, these would be my Channel Seven AFL commentators:

Friday Night
Tim Lane and Bruce McAvaney, with special comments from Wayne Carey, Leigh Matthews and Tim Watson

Saturday Night
James Brayshaw and Brian Taylor, with special comments from Luke Darcy, Matthew Richardson and Sam Lane

Sunday Arvo
Hamish McLachlan and Jason Bennet, with special comments from Cameron Ling, Jimmy Bartel and Daisy Pearce

Given Fox Footy have a harder to predict schedule, it's not as easy predicting their commentators. But Anthony Hudson should be doing all the big matches at the very least

In an ideal world half of those guys would be summarily executed.

 

[roz1812]

I feel like putting the TV on mute when Garry Lyon does Geelong games. Absolutely hates us and I cant believe they put him on the Couch. Legit Paul Roos is the only bloke on that show who talks sense now.

 

[Luv_our_club]

Huddo is clearly the best caller and most popular at the moment (even if a small minority don't like him). The television and radio stations in Australia are obviously not working hard to find more commentators like him with a "vocation", like every other country does.

Another problem is `jobs for life'. There is no competition for spots.... once you are in you're in.

 

[Proper Gander]

The commentators are a bit of a mess currently.

Dermie drove me slightly mad in the JLT. Annoyingly, once or twice a year he says something quite insightful so I decide he’s not so bad, but he always regresses into this weirdo who talks in his special “explaining” voice. I swear I heard him say this in JLT round one

“... he needs to ... be ... cautious ... in ... his disposal ... which includes the ... hand pass ... because you see ... when ... you don’t get away ... a clean handball ... that is ... a ... CLEAN ... handball ... then your ... team ... ... ... mate ... won’t get a ... clean ... ... ... receive...”

I don’t know whether to be lost in admiration for people making decent money from this racket or whether to be done with it and set fire to the couch with me on it.

 

[Sherrinator]

Bring Rex Hunt back

 

[Pea Nut]

The commentators are a bit of a mess currently.

Dermie drove me slightly mad in the JLT. Annoyingly, once or twice a year he says something quite insightful so I decide he’s not so bad, but he always regresses into this weirdo who talks in his special “explaining” voice. I swear I heard him say this in JLT round one

“... he needs to ... be ... cautious ... in ... his disposal ... which includes the ... hand pass ... because you see ... when ... you don’t get away ... a clean handball ... that is ... a ... CLEAN ... handball ... then your ... team ... ... ... mate ... won’t get a ... clean ... ... ... receive...”

I don’t know whether to be lost in admiration for people making decent money from this racket or whether to be done with it and set fire to the couch with me on it.

Brereton starts talking and then just goes with it, even if what he is saying is completely wrong. It's always been evident but he did a very good job of reminding everyone in the JLT games he did. He will twist and turn and try and justify what he is saying regardless. He's also very prone to talking absolute bullshit like he did in the JLT when he was going on about shooting and eating wood ducks.