Commentary

Commentary?

  • Turn it off it’s rubbish

    Votes: 22 45.8%
  • Love the sound of whately’s voice

    Votes: 1 2.1%
  • Radio is more superior

    Votes: 16 33.3%
  • Live is only the way to go can’t stand TV Commentary

    Votes: 9 18.8%

  • Total voters
    48
  • Poll closed .
Perfect commentary box of people still in the game is:

General play: Huddo and BT; even though he can rub people the wrong way he actually calls the action better than most.
Special comments: Paul Roos, Nick Riewoldt and Leigh Matthews.

Just keep Mark Ricciuto away from everything. His voice sounds like the air being slowly let out of a balloon.
 
Jun 11, 2007
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i have AFL quite enjoyable to watch to a soundtrack.
I rarely have the commentary up anymore.

The GF was a different story since i had guests over, but even then we had the radio on instead of the fox commentary team

i feel this is easily fixed though
2 callers per game.
No special comments (WTF is that anyway)
A boundary rider for injury updates only.

Id happily listen to a call by BT and JB exclusively, if they weren't continually throwing to the mindless drawl of Ling, Richo, Darcy and co.
Daisy as a boundary rider.
And you're sorted.
 
Feb 4, 2001
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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.
Welcome to 20 years ago.
 
Mar 23, 2007
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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.

Paul Roos is fine until he finds a way to bring the Swans or their players into every discussion...
 

Bomberboyokay

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AFL commentary is generally terrible. It wasn't great before but the moratorium on real commentators has really ****ed it. Seven in particular think their ex-players should be the stars of the show. Ex-players have their place with special comments and half-time, pre-game is an obvious place for them to talk strategy. But they're not hired for that.
 

Magpie Monopoly

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Jul 11, 2014
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AFL match-day TV commentary is utter garbage. They treat viewers like idiots, like we haven't watched a footy game before. Last weekend during the Richmond-Hawthorn game, they kept commenting on how it's new that Sicily was playing on defense... I mean come on he nearly made AA as a defender last year.

The analysis is sub par (experts like David King take one piece of footage and go "this is why 120 minutes of football had the outcome it did"), the characters are unlikeable and their banter is cringe worthy.

Why the whole system is infested with ex-players is beyond me. In other sports they have "experts" who actually study the game, we just get Jonathan "I've-been-hit-to-many-times-in-the-head" Brown. It's just a boys club where they protect the players they like, it's trash.
 
Mar 13, 2015
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Everyone enjoys different styles, I enjoy entertaining and simple technical callers of the game such as Lou Richards, Landy, Rex Hunt, Hudson, Tony Leonard. They call the game and they do it with personality and strength of character.

I’m not really interested in hearing a commentary team with only special comments as the feature, it’s fine for the group talking about football in the room, but as a fan hearing it, you lose the energy and excitement factor very quickly. Its just not as exciting as hearing a caller who knows the rules and technicality of the game.

I don’t need to hear the backstory of someones leg injury in a monotone voice whilst the game is moving, it’s like hearing a lazy analysis post game and it lacks context as there is a game playing at that moment.

My favourite example is this: I guess it’s more an 80s/90s style of sports commentary that I enjoy most, as it’s more entertaining than hearing monotone, lax special comments. Also listen to what he’s saying, “Top of the key, right of the paint, wire-to-wire, a fake, spins, scores”. I love the sharp and direct calling, technical emphasis, with personality. It’s classy, it’s cool, entertaining, it’s professional and it makes the most sense to me.



To put it aptly, it’s showtime! Call the game in a showtime style.
 
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tony__montana

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It is so ******* bad now. I honestly struggle to listen to most. So sick and tired of hearing them trying to create new sayings and slang like dwaynes "drop step" etc. Just call the bloody footy dh's!

Peter Donegan would be a great commentator, just the right amount of excitement, very knowledgeable and doesnt try and be funny. Kind of like Huddo 6-7 years ago before his head become too big for his pencil neck. Bruce and Dennis were great years ago, but they also fell into the trap of too much banter. JUST CALL THE FOOTY!!

I prefer the way the yanks commentate their sport, no rubbish just business with the right amount of emotion, and they give so much more with regards to killer stats breakdown in special comments. They also have super slow mo HD replays which makes the coverage so much better than our current SD goal line reviews lmao.
 
I'm surprised this comment hasn't attracted more attention. Are you making that prediction based on his illness?
Yes. Not confirmed but heard he is not doing all that well. It may be idle speculation or could be on the money.
 
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
I would actually pay more for my subscription if they brought that back.
 

Herne Hill Hammer

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Ash Chua is the stats man for Triple M

Carlton Draught Stats Man? How many Carltons has he had ChooMan. (I think that's what gets said in the very infrequent times I accidently put the dial to MMM)

As a Geelong person, I can't stand Huddo as a caller, can't stand his voice. Whately, another Geelong boy I don't like either. I've really gone off him the last 3 or so years, he just comes across as a sanctimonious flog.

If I'm watching a game, I can see with my eyes what's going on, I don't need someone telling me anything, so I want a buffoon who will give me a bit of a laugh while I'm watching and that is BT, I love his gig in the rooms after games too. Years ago, I accidentally stumbled across BT and JB calling together, I loved it, they bounced off each other beautifully.

Special comments I like Carey and don't mind Kingy, at least they have a crack. I don't mind Paul Roos either. On radio for special comments I like Parko and used to love Stan Alves (does he still do it anymore, I rarely listen on the radio these days). For a radio caller probably Tim Lane. I was never a fan of Rex.
 
Jun 6, 2016
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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...

I'll use your post here to come from another angle - seems there is a theme of hyperbolic criticism of the commentary in general. And please this is not having a go at you or other posters - it's just my view from a less critical angle of the commentary.

As far as all the TV and radio commentators go they all have varying levels of passion and their excitement shows in their voice. Sure it's not perfect and sometimes a little "vulnerable" but hey it's better than a nasal monotone no enthusiasm call and certainly better than those soccer callers from South America with their overexcited I just wet myself call from a player passing to another. Orgasmic? That's where you'll find it! Bruce? Maybe a little passionate and gets lost in the moment at times (the "delicious" comment an example) but certainly not in the realms of those from the Latin countries.

Ex players usually have a good insight to the science of any particular match and how the momentum is or is not shifting etc. and usually with stats like I50's etc. And yet there are keyboard critics on here and other forums for being self absorbed flogs, really? Why is it so bad to have an insight from someone who can see the game from a view that some in the lounge rooms may not see?

For mine it's all part of the theatre, and while it's not absolutely necessary and far from perfect IMHO it's far far better then having some nobody to just sit in the chair and call the play with zero interest in a "**** I'm bored" voice or those all too easily excited guy's that I mentioned earlier.

Is the commentary worse than the NFL, NRL or EPL? IMHO you'd be clutching at straws to construct a worthwhile argument.

In fact I'm surprised it's thread worthy, wouldn't everybody be rather having a whinge about something whinge worthy? Like the new 50m penalty rule perhaps?
 
Mar 20, 2002
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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


I felt sick reading that post !!!
 

PT Bar None

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I made peace long ago that the people who currently book FTA TV are not doing it with people like me in mind.

But even so, the relentless transition towards sports entertainment that the AFL seems intent on means I don't enjoy the product as much as I used to. I actually stopped (for the first time in my life) watching neutral games about half way through last year because of it.

More specifically, it's the adoption of characters outside of the game as equal partners in a total entertainment package: commentators, umpires, sports administrators. The adoption of narrative based commentary: where a storyline arc is very obviously decided before the game and everything that happens post is attempted to be shoehorned into said storyline, or just ignored.

I actually think many of the current crop of commentators could be very good at actually commentating, but they're not working in that environment anymore. They're "entertainers". "BT is the star, the other guys are there to support him." Um - These young blokes running around outside wearing funny jumpers are quite good to watch too, y'know?

I actually prefer a total coverage that is light, breezy and humorous rather than the more staid style of yesteryear 7, but when the game is being played, the game should be the focus of the coverage. The trouble with multiple special comments guys, doubly so when they're self important boofheads, is this they seem to very easily end up just having a conversation mid quarter. And then the commentary has fully transitioned to "blokes talking in a pub". Way too much commentary ends up that style, even on radio, and a bunch of stuff gets missed.

Still, there's an upside. It made me realise that I had become lazy in my AFL viewership. Turn on Foxtel on a Saturday lunchtime and leave it on all day. The modern fixture means that games are pretty much continuous and not an "occasion" anymore. Outside of the 2017 GF I'm struggling to remember the last neutral game I attended in person. With the old style fixture, my mates and I would do a few "grand slams" each year: attend 4 games over a weekend. So this year, I've punted foxtel (sorry Roop) and will focus on attending live. Going to Saints Suns next weekend. :moustache:

ETA: I wonder when the AFL commentary will go full pewdiepie streamer style and have a box showing BT or similar's head commentating on screen during play?
 
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ROYAL EAGLE

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Jun 21, 2008
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As a WCE fan the grand final commentary was so so bad
Bruce was terrible and past his use by date and got really excited by Collingwood not WCE
was very unbalanced
Brayshaw is okay
BT was very pro Collingwood
The special comments team was crap
Luke Darcy is possibly worst commentator of all time
 
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