Opinion Should BT/Darcy be barred from commentating the Grand Final after their recent biased commentary?

[Piggy Smalls]

here's a tip. If you cant find the remote you can always pull the plug out.

No you can’t. There’s literally no alternative.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

What were your thoughts on the Brisbane Carlton commentary?

Atrocious and farcical.

 

[Reg Grundy35]

Atrocious and farcical.

i can understand you position too but personally I have plenty more to worry about as a footy supporter than the commentators. they are just decorations. Irrelevant to any outcome. They get almost zero of my thinking while the game is on. Afterwards is another matter - Brereton, Lyon, etc and others annoy me but I know why they are there. It has always been the same since Jack Dyer

 

[Percel]

Like it has over 9000 syllables or something.

Ninjago style

 

[Piggy Smalls]

i can understand you position too but personally I have plenty more to worry about as a footy supporter than the commentators. they are just decorations. Irrelevant to any outcome. They get almost zero of my thinking while the game is on. Afterwards is another matter - Brereton, Lyon, etc and others annoy me but I know why they are there. It has always been the same since Jack Dyer

This conversation has got me thinking a bit about how everyone’s viewing/listening experience is not only completely subjective, but also influenced by other factors such as the setting in which you are viewing the game etc.

I’ve got young daughters and a wife who hates footy so I have to watch almost every game on my iPhone screen. I feel like I need every little bit of atmosphere I can get in order to enhance that experience. The commentary is a big part of that. In that regard I do actually prefer BT to Darcy as he had infinitely more charisma and energy, but I also think there are better, more neutral options for the GF.

 

[Pistol Night]

This conversation has got me thinking a bit about how everyone’s viewing/listening experience is not only completely subjective, but also influenced by other factors such as the setting in which you are viewing the game etc.

I’ve got young daughters and a wife who hates footy so I have to watch almost every game on my iPhone screen. I feel like I need every little bit of atmosphere I can get in order to enhance that experience. The commentary is a big part of that. In that regard I do actually prefer BT to Darcy as he had infinitely more charisma and energy, but I also think there are better, more neutral options for the GF.

You are right. Everyone seemed to hate him but i liked the way Bruce used to call big moments. And Dennis. I'm sure im wrong though

 

[Partridge]

Barely watch ch 7 games anymore due to the deplorable state of their commentators.

BT, JB, Darcy

You mean you don't enjoy getting told every 5 minutes that having 90,000 people to a final is amazing?

I mean it's not like it's ever happened before. Like quite literally every single year.

 

[Pistol Night]

You mean you don't enjoy getting told every 5 minutes that having 90,000 people to a final is amazing?

I mean it's not like it's ever happened before. Like quite literally every single year.

Jobe - Thats once every 365 days or sometimes 52 weeks

 

[Partridge]

he was a crap radio caller too, esp on 3AW. Brayshaw is terrible, passing by foot is a kick NOT a ball.

Among the many reasons I hate him is trying to insert cricket terms into footy.

Since when do footy players "glove" a ball. They MARK it you fecking moron.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

You are right. Everyone seemed to hate him but i liked the way Bruce used to call big moments. And Dennis. I'm sure im wrong though

They are the two best I’ve come across in my time. Especially working together. The sheer excitement of Bruce (even though he had his favourite players) balanced out by the dulcet tones, understated humour and perfect timing of Dennis. Both had/have encyclopedic knowledge of the players too.

 

[Partridge]

You are right. Everyone seemed to hate him but i liked the way Bruce used to call big moments. And Dennis. I'm sure im wrong though

100% on Commetti, he was magnificent.

Disagree on McAvaney, always found him horribly cringeworthy and he only got worse.

 

[gullie man]

Among the many reasons I hate him is trying to insert cricket terms into footy.

Since when do footy players "glove" a ball. They MARK it you fecking moron.

Can't stand him in either footy or cricket, when you have to scream all the time to describe the game shows a lack of skill in commentary. Absolute buffoon. Bring back dennis

 

[SC_Power]

Seriously? who would "Bar" them? Their own employer? We are talking about a private media company that paid for the rights to broadcast the game. Whatever talent or lack of it, they opt to use is completely up to them. If they don't rate, they wont be there long I assure you. I'm reluctant to call people idiots but somehow seeing a similarity between umpires and commentators in your conspiracy theories is just bonkers. If its just because it annoys you, suck it up or use the mute button. TV broadcasters aren't here to look after YOUR hurt feelings.

Are you serious, or just trolling.?

Do you really believe that the exclusive national broadcasters shouldn't be expected to provide a unbiased, professional call of the game?

That if, say, the most money to be made is to provide a dancing monkey pressing a sound board at random makes the most money, then we should all accept that and give up watching football on the screen as the only option? Just because your team is getting the media love?

(that's not a hypothetical by the way, that's a description of how I imagine the Ch 7 commentary box operates some days)

 

[Harrison Bergeron]

This. Just shut the * up and call the game play by play without the rest of their self hyped showboating.

Don't even need to do play by play when it's on TV. Follow the "less is more" philosophy of Benaud & the English Soccer commentators and only need two of them, not three or four. Boundary rider just for injury & interchange updates. Don't scream over every goal like it's an after the siren match winner - and even then let the pictures & the crowd tell the story, even the Yank commentators know to do this. Darrell Eastlake(RIP) was one of a kind and it should stay that way.

 

[Rocco sifreddi]

Blues were brave according to Darcy

 

[Pistol Night]

Blues were brave according to Darcy

If you had to drink every time you heard "brave" or "petrol tickets" Saturday night you would of been paro by half time

 

[MarcusP2]

Among the many reasons I hate him is trying to insert cricket terms into footy.

Since when do footy players "glove" a ball. They MARK it you fecking moron.

 

[Blackhawk42]

I like Brayshaw more than most people do.

I can see the appeal in BT but I'm not personally a huge fan.

I just wish channel 7 would see how polarising they are together for a lot of the general audience.

It should really be Jason Bennett and then one of BT or Brayshaw, to appeal to the entire viewing audience.

Bennett calls it down the middle, gets excited at the right times and just sounds far more professional than any commentator on their roster.

In an ideal world it would be Anthony Hudson and Bennett.
Taylor would be perfect as a boundary rider.

 

[mcfazza28]

Don't even need to do play by play when it's on TV. Follow the "less is more" philosophy of Benaud & the English Soccer commentators and only need two of them, not three or four. Boundary rider just for injury & interchange updates. Don't scream over every goal like it's an after the siren match winner - and even then let the pictures & the crowd tell the story, even the Yank commentators know to do this. Darrell Eastlake(RIP) was one of a kind and it should stay that way.

The Premier League and NFL commentary is how it should be. One or two professional sports callers who are professionally trained and haven’t played elite sport and one “colour” man who has played elite sport but has had professional training. Never multiple ex players.

Professional callers are media and broadcast trained and have excellent knowledge of the rules, player names and are impartial.

Ex players often are shouty and don’t know how to use inflection and other voice skills. They often don’t know names or mispronounce them.

However, professional callers are hamstrung if the media is centred on one city in a league. It causes surprise when a little known interstate player performs as they don’t know much about that player or interstate club.

Collingwood v GWS reeked of this: “aren’t these Giants amazing, Brown, Idun and Cummings, where have they come from”?

They were always there, they just don’t see them much as they are Melbourne centric and focus on Vic teams.

Danger admitted this on air.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH

Premier League commentary is most similar to AFL when Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher get together. They don’t have the voices or knowledge of the professional callers and myopically refer everything to Man U and Liverpool. Strong regional accents also cause issues with understanding them.

Another area where the AFL isn’t world class and professional to go along with the fixture and MCG GF.

This flows on to create a Vic centric environment with limited knowledge of the outside players, supporters or places.

And limited knowledge of outside places and cultures leads to xenophobia towards those places, as we see repeatedly displayed in AFL media and on forums.

 

[Pistol Night]

I like Brayshaw more than most people do.

I can see the appeal in BT but I'm not personally a huge fan.

I just wish channel 7 would see how polarising they are together for a lot of the general audience.

It should really be Jason Bennett and then one of BT or Brayshaw, to appeal to the entire viewing audience.

Bennett calls it down the middle, gets excited at the right times and just sounds far more professional than any commentator on their roster.

In an ideal world it would be Anthony Hudson and Bennett.
Taylor would be perfect as a boundary rider.

Yeah i dont mind JB and am indifferent to BT but i realise thats the BF equivalent of supporting Al Qaeda

 

[StMiles1]

Melbourne vs Carlton. Match of the year, one that will live in the memories of fans forever for two moments. Let's see what the official recorded TV version of that has, the one that archaeologists will dig up in 3 millennia time, what poetry was constructed over the top:



Siren sounds, sending Carlton to their first prelim in 23 years:
Taylor: "Three seconds left. The first time in 42 years... that arch enemies will stay in line... in Collingwood and Carlton... but what about this? Carlton have beaten... Melbourne... Melbourne have lost their last four finals... at the MCG... and gone out in back-to-back years... in straight sets... the Blues win it!"

What?! Collingwood didn't play in this game, Collingwood weren't Carlton's next opponent. "Crowbarred" doesn't begin to cover it.

The moment didn't feel like elation, didn't feel like excitement, not any emotion really - felt like he was reading from a column on his runsheet called "stats in the event of a Carlton win." He didn't meet the moment.

Makes me think of this goal from the 2019 GF:



"That's the play of the game! I've never seen anything like it!"

Might just be me but I find it hard to believe that Taylor has never seen a player gather an uncontested ground ball, wheel around on his right and kick a goal. It's like he's defaulting to cliché. He can't meet the moment.

He used to be genuinely entertaining - highlighted the quirkier aspects of proceedings ("computer-type boffins" is a genuine pisser) and injected excitement where necessary. Now just seems bored with the game and the job. Look at his 2021 call of what I believe to be Shai Bolton

29

Shai Bolton

Age

25

Ht

176cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.3

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

12.7

3star

K

9.2

4star

HB

3.5

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.8

4star

D

9.2

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.0

1star

's mark of the decade - just staggeringly underwhelming and monotone:


He can't meet the moment. Hudson and co. can't race across to 7 quick enough come 2025.

 

[hdi]

Darcy was horrendous. That had to be the most biased call I have heard. No chance he gets a grand final gig on Ch.7

I dont mind BT overall - his best is excellant, and he can bring a bit of e-lec-tricity to the broadcast that few others can. But he also has deficiencies / opportunities for improvement.

 

[Geelong_Bisons_#36]

This conversation has got me thinking a bit about how everyone’s viewing/listening experience is not only completely subjective, but also influenced by other factors such as the setting in which you are viewing the game etc.

I’ve got young daughters and a wife who hates footy so I have to watch almost every game on my iPhone screen. I feel like I need every little bit of atmosphere I can get in order to enhance that experience. The commentary is a big part of that. In that regard I do actually prefer BT to Darcy as he had infinitely more charisma and energy, but I also think there are better, more neutral options for the GF.

Only 1 TV?

 

[RAPPA]

Why stop at barring them from commentating the GF. Need an injunction preventing them from
Commentating any AFL games.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Melbourne vs Carlton. Match of the year, one that will live in the memories of fans forever for two moments. Let's see what the official recorded TV version of that has, the one that archaeologists will dig up in 3 millennia time, what poetry was constructed over the top:



Siren sounds, sending Carlton to their first prelim in 23 years:
Taylor: "Three seconds left. The first time in 42 years... that arch enemies will stay in line... in Collingwood and Carlton... but what about this? Carlton have beaten... Melbourne... Melbourne have lost their last four finals... at the MCG... and gone out in back-to-back years... in straight sets... the Blues win it!"

What?! Collingwood didn't play in this game, Collingwood weren't Carlton's next opponent. "Crowbarred" doesn't begin to cover it.

The moment didn't feel like elation, didn't feel like excitement, not any emotion really - felt like he was reading from a column on his runsheet called "stats in the event of a Carlton win." He didn't meet the moment.

Makes me think of this goal from the 2019 GF:



"That's the play of the game! I've never seen anything like it!"

Might just be me but I find it hard to believe that Taylor has never seen a player gather an uncontested ground ball, wheel around on his right and kick a goal. It's like he's defaulting to cliché. He can't meet the moment.

He used to be genuinely entertaining - highlighted the quirkier aspects of proceedings ("computer-type boffins" is a genuine pisser) and injected excitement where necessary. Now just seems bored with the game and the job. Look at his 2021 call of what I believe to be Shai Bolton's mark of the decade - just staggeringly underwhelming and monotone:


He can't meet the moment. Hudson and co. can't race across to 7 quick enough come 2025.

The call Bolton mark is amazing and the call is terrible.

Same as this call for the first goal in last years grand final -
Sounds like he’s calling a practice match.