Matt Hill

[Philhawk]

I recognized his voice from racing, but noticed he’s doing the late Sunday game on Fox now.

He seems to be pretty top class - a real throw back to the commentators of old.

How long has he been on Fox?

 

[budge27]

I recognized his voice from racing, but noticed he’s doing the late Sunday game on Fox now.

He seems to be pretty top class - a real throw back to the commentators of old.

How long has he been on Fox?

From memory he’s done a couple of games this year.

 

[Mr north man]

It won’t happen I’d be trying to get him at Channel 7 and call Friday nights with Jason Bennett.
Taylor and Brayshaw are

 

[Wosh]

His call of the Dogs/Hawks game on Fox was first class, many commented on his excellence in the match thread.

About Matthew Hill - Matthew Hill

Race Around the World Matt’s long race calling career started as a recipient of Sky Racings John Tapp scholarship for young race callers in 2000. he quickly established himself, becoming Sky’s Sydney lead race caller for over five years.

matthill.com.au

 

[Philhawk]

This guy is absolutely sensational.

 

[Chicken Parma]

How long has he been on Fox?

This is his first year on Fox, but he was used as a fill-in PBP caller on Seven (during the Olympics in 2021 IIRC)

 

[Rusty Brookes]

I'm sure I've heard him on the radio - seemingly always the last game of the round from WA or SA. Truly refreshing to get home after the game last night and hear an actual professional broadcaster call the highlights of the game.

 

[Chicken Parma]

I'm sure I've heard him on the radio - seemingly always the last game of the round from WA or SA.

SEN/AFL Nation

 

[Philhawk]

He’s an old school commentator done right. Brings back memories of when you were a kid listening to footy on ABC grandstand.

Just commentates the game so well. No unnecessary hyperbole and brings the excitement where needed.

Big fan.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Everyone seems to love him, so the brains trust will probably sack him, or demote him to the vfl

 

[Waca Jr]

Always been a class act and a super bloke. Think he has called track and field at an Olympics too

 

[parsons nose]

Big fan. Both he and Bennetts should be doing all the prime time stuff. They still need to sort out the special comments team though.

 

[Danger in Texas]

Smart move by Fox to sign him before they get to broadcast all the games with their own team next year

 

[offtherails9]

He’s the best caller in the game

 

[kickazz]

It won’t happen I’d be trying to get him at Channel 7 and call Friday nights with Jason Bennett.
Taylor and Brayshaw are

There is a broader problem in TV, where the stations have to pump cred into and build up their 'talent' rather than let the actual content speak for itself.

It's not just footy. All these reality/contestant shows (such as The Voice, master chef) is all about the feggin judges and getting shots of them with mouths agape or dishing out approval to some pleb.

For footy, their approach is "Roaming Brian".


Oh for the days when the commentators called the game, and the only real dickhead/"the commentator is the entertainment" option was Rex Hunt.

 

[kickazz]

But yeah Matt Hill is all class, sounds really weird at first if you are used to hearing him call the horses.

 

[Gibbsy]

He’s an old school commentator done right. Brings back memories of when you were a kid listening to footy on ABC grandstand.

Just commentates the game so well. No unnecessary hyperbole and brings the excitement where needed.

Big fan.

Correct. I'm paraphrasing from some of the prior praise I've seen him receive when he did his first match on Fox earlier this year, but Hill's years of experience in race calling has transferred over to footy in a way that's best displayed in the pacing of his commentary.

There were times during the Hawks/WB game in the last qtr where he accelerated his speech slightly, raised his tone and bravado, but because he has this wonderful diction and enunciation (from reciting thousands of horse names in quick succession over a long period of time) you never felt like he was rushing his words or even trying to inject excitement in the game where there was none.

It's like when he can see a jockey make a move near the turn and start to go out wide and he picks the move and adjusts his voice accordingly. The same thing happened on the weekend where a couple of handball link-ups started to create a chain in the middle of the ground and he just upped the tempo ever so slightly.

He's a wonderful, professional commentator who I am begging will not be either relegated or zombified in some way as the next set of broadcast rights begin soon.

 

[tombomb]

It's the difference you get when it is an actual professional broadcaster.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

It's the difference you get when it is an actual professional broadcaster.

Dare I say it, the Richie benaud of footy commentary.
Richie was the epitome of commentary, could speak 1000 words without saying anything

 

[kickazz]

Dare I say it, the Richie benaud of footy commentary.
Richie was the epitome of commentary, could speak 1000 words without saying anything

I think I get what you mean here, but on first read it sounds like a description of Andy Maher.

 

[greekstyler]

Dare I say it, the Richie benaud of footy commentary.
Richie was the epitome of commentary, could speak 1000 words without saying anything

He is certainly on path to greatness that was Richie.

I think you meant to say this the other way round - Richie would use 5-10 words only to describe the play, then let the rest of it unfold. Only spoke when it was necessary. The greatest.

 

[kirbatron]

best thing that's happened this year

 

[Mitchell Madness]

He is certainly on path to greatness that was Richie.

I think you meant to say this the other way round - Richie would use 5-10 words only to describe the play, then let the rest of it unfold. Only spoke when it was necessary. The greatest.

Richie knew when to speak, like hill does.
I recall one delivery where he literally didn't say anything other than 'wow'

 

[Tandy]

I might have said this somewhere but I did notice when he commentates his call doesn't sync up with the play all the time. Like a little bit slow to call what happens. Only noticed it in 1 game. Still prefer it than anyone else calling

 

[00Stinger]

Good western suburbs bloke who earned his way up the chain without it being given to him like a lot of the others in the media