FTA-TV Mark Howard

What do people make of him?

I admit I feared when I heard he was going to start doing AFL games on Fox as I never rated his cricket commentary, but I actually find him quite decent. He's not incredible or anything but does the basics pretty well, knows when to get excited, is free of the cliqued BS that BT, Dwayne and Bruce pull and is relatively mistake free. A pretty nice find with Papalia and Speed quasi out of action.
 

Bald

Premium Gold
Apr 5, 2016
7,255
16,322
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Other Teams
Boston Celtics
I think he's probably the third-best commentator on Fox Footy behind Hudson and McGuire. Really happy he's there.
 
Jul 29, 2009
2,329
4,507
Melbourne
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Yep a tick from me also. Calls the play well (although called Fiorini twice for the Suns v Sydney on the weekend when he wasn't in the team - did correct himself the second time) and at a good level. Does spend a bit too much time bowling a pie to Brereton for him to reminisce about old times a bit too much but overall FAR from the worst calling at the moment.
 

Ok Boomer

Cancelled
A Star Wars Fan Pokemon is Life
Jul 27, 2015
8,965
14,495
South West
AFL Club
West Coast
I much prefer his AFL work to his cricket work. Maybe he is similar to Brayshaw in this regard. Yeah, he sucks up to stars too much but the "I can't believe who I am working with act" kinda makes him relatable.

He is certainly not my favourite caller, and doesn't have my favourite voice but isn't painful to listen to like a lot of the channel 7 operators.
 

wagstaff

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 28, 2001
5,451
4,275
The Sea of Holes
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Melbourne Stars, Arsenal
Can't stand him as a cricket caller, especially how he's a shameless sycophant. He's like a bad combo of Drew Morphett and Janes Brayshaw with his 'gee whiz' attitude to the game and fawning over his colleagues at every opportunity.

That said, he's a bit less tedious with AFL because there's far less opportunity compared with cricket to ask his co-commentators for his autograph.

Overall, he's just another example of the terrible standard of sports commentary in this country.
 
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