Channel 7 axes the Grand Final/Football Marathon

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Nov 28, 2003
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If the tv guide is any, uh, guide, it looks like Channel 7 is going to show replays of the Preliminary Finals the night before the Grand Final instead of any semblance of a Grand Final/Football Marathon.

While some people would consider this part of the Grand Final tradition and heritage, obviously Channel 7 doesn't. I'm not entirely surprised, given they have really just gone through the motions for several years now, with apologies to Tim Watson, who has been 'hosting' the last few. Even though the ABC gets a belting at times, I reckon a few people would be very happy if their taxes were spent on them doing a Marathon with their archive.
 
Meh... They just showed the same Grand Finals every year. I mean, they sure were great games, but mix it a up a little bit.
 

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Teagueeee15

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doesn't Fox Footy have the sole rights to the GF marathon?

Drew Morphett said before he passed away that Fox Footy had purchased all the ABC footage from their archives, but I don’t believe they have sole rights to the marathon. 7 mate had the marathon last year, so I don’t see why they can’t put it on again should they wish. The problem is they show the same games year in year out.
 
Technology is a wonderful thing. I have every grand final from 1990 - onward on dvd (including multiple copies of several Hawthorn, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney premierships!). I've built a collection of both Hawthorn and non Hawthorn finals series and regular season matches. I love this time of year, can have my own marathons :D
 

JohnZ

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Technology is a wonderful thing. I have every grand final from 1990 - onward on dvd (including multiple copies of several Hawthorn, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney premierships!). I've built a collection of both Hawthorn and non Hawthorn finals series and regular season matches. I love this time of year, can have my own marathons :D
No Geelong marathon? Xtreme...
 
No Geelong marathon? Xtreme...

I quite like the 89 and 2008 grand finals...... the 2013 prelim, the late round contest of 2014 and the 2014 qualifying final :D :p

I do own the recent Geelong grand finals on dvd (only one copy of 07, two copies each of 09 and 11). I find 2011 re-watchable (not to the extent of my signature) but I'll watch it at least once a year (usually for September finals viewing).
 
Roaming Brian marathon to take its place?

pulp-fiction-john-travolta-gif-1.gif
 

wagstaff

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Ch 7 dropped their Sunday arvo Footy Flashbacks Show this year (20 mins of game time, 10 mins of recollections with the players, 30 mins of ads) so seems they’ve lost total interest in mining their archive of games.
 
I'm lucky I can DIY this year, with plenty of games between my HDD (70, 74, 87 and 90, plus some minor finals) and DVD (66, 71, 75 that's playing now as I type this, 76, 77 DRAW, 81, 82, 85 although there's damage to the disc, 91, 93, 96, 97, 2001, 2010 DRAW, 2012 and last but certainly not least 2016) I can go from 7:30 on Friday Night till about 11 the next morning if I want to. I actually had more GFs but don't know where the DVDs of 84, 86, 88, 89, 92, 98 and 99 went to. Then I can back up with NRL the next day too.
 

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Kingpin

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Jan 15, 2004
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Trouble is it was the same grand finals shown every single year.
I would've liked to have seen more finals matches through the years, not just grand finals, I remember them showing one of the semis from 1984, which had Essendon and Hawthorn in it, great game.
Bit too repetitive now.
 

wagstaff

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Have Ch 7 ever done a TWTSTW show since they got back the rights? Can’t recall one from them.

Since they returned to footy coverage in 2007, Ch 7’s treatment of footy seems to have changed a bit.

Back in the 80s & 90s while they could be inept at times they seemed to take real pride in being the historic footy network, hence their desire to showcase their history with replaying classic matches, the footy marathon and season retrospectives.

Now, footy is just another product for them and they’re only going to put the effort when ratings/revenue result. The GF marathon offers no real benefit to them, so they think why bother?
 

Kingpin

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I remember when 7 lost the rights to 9 and 10 several years ago and thinking what a disaster it would be, things just wouldn't be the same etc.
Looking back in retrospect, I actually think the Ten Network did the best job at football coverage of all three.
Nine was all that boofhead, blokey "Oh turn it up!" Footy Show stuff that was funny in 1996.
Only thing that used to drive me bonkers with Ten was Steven Quarterbrain.
It's a bit like with the cricket, for all those years it was on Nine, one year they showed the Ashes from England on SBS and that shat all over Nine's coverage.
 

CrazyJoeFevola

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Drew Morphett said before he passed away that Fox Footy had purchased all the ABC footage from their archives, but I don’t believe they have sole rights to the marathon. 7 mate had the marathon last year, so I don’t see why they can’t put it on again should they wish. The problem is they show the same games year in year out.

70 and 79 are always on how is that an issue :p ?
 

Bomberboyokay

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Ch 7 dropped their Sunday arvo Footy Flashbacks Show this year (20 mins of game time, 10 mins of recollections with the players, 30 mins of ads) so seems they’ve lost total interest in mining their archive of games.

God that show was unwatchable. Just as you said, one quarter stretched over 60 minutes.
 

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