Opinion Worst caller of the game currently?

[freo1997]

Is Dwayne that bad?

Darcy is pretty ordinary. BT overrated (he was much better back in his channel 9 days) JB, Hamish are ok. Howie i find too casual. Couple others for fox who are bland but passable.

Two best imo are Papalia and Huddo. Paps as he knows Freo players which is refreshing and Huddo is the top caller in the game as he's pretty epic at times.

Nothing will top Den and Bruce. Bruce had his flaws but you can't deny his passion during the calls. Remember him getting excited over Hannath...bloody Hannath.

But yeah i think it's time Underwood retires the mic. I don't care if it's a woman commentator or ump etc..but those two Eleni and Underwood are the worst in those respective fields.

 

[JunglistPosse]

U N D E R W O O D

DAYLIGHT

 

[JohnnieHutton]

Underwood. Nothing on gender, but commentary is just horrible. Wrong names or just doesn't even bother calling any names. Delayed reactions. Sounds horrible.

 

[poshman]

Underwood is horrendous, a better example of intersectional, affirmative action pick you will not find.

Which is sad as it would be good to get a couple of great female commentators. Isa Guha is brilliant. Having said that, Cricket is a slower game, which in some ways makes it easier and in others more difficult.

Underwood comes into the game wanting to fit the play into her preconceived go to phrases. Cometti towards the end was guilty of this, but not on the scale of Underwood.

Ricuito has a bad voice for commentary.

Grybas was a gun.

 

[heypenny]

Commentators can make or break a game.

One of the best calls I remember was the come from behind (and drought breaking win) against Hawthorn in 2001. For a game that probably had less than 10k at Etihad, involving the worst team in the comp; Huddo did an amazing job. "Longmuir - the man that doesn't miss"; Longmuir is a star and the dockers are home!" etc. Loved it.

It sucks that Basil called our best ever win ('13 qualifying final against Geelong). He tried his best but I found his enthusiasm very robotic.

 

[Falconista]

Luke Darcy comfortably for mine. Hasn't improved despite doing it for 5+ years on TV and more on radio.

At least the other average commentators- Underwood, Howie, McLachlan have shown some small signs of improvement.

 

[Cringle]

Underwood is horrendous, a better example of intersectional, affirmative action pick you will not find.

Which is sad as it would be good to get a couple of great female commentators. Isa Guha is brilliant. Having said that, Cricket is a slower game, which in some ways makes it easier and in others more difficult.

Underwood comes into the game wanting to fit the play into her preconceived go to phrases. Cometti towards the end was guilty of this, but not on the scale of Underwood.

Ricuito has a bad voice for commentary.

Grybas was a gun.

Sorry for jimming in guys.

But 100%. Isa has a gorgeous voice and I really enjoy the point of difference she brings in the cricket commentary.

Daisys voice is meh.

But Underwoods voice is shocking. It’s actually painful to listen to.

And then she goes ahead and pulls the ‘Gawn and boundary best of friends’ nonsense.

What I’d give to have Ten commentators back. Quarters, Lane, Christiansen and even king Walls.

 

[Spirit Level]

Underwood is horrible and it's daylight between her and the next. Can't believe Fox has her on after her failed experiment on Channel 10.

Darcy is s**t too

I miss the C10 coverage of the 00's

 

[Wabjub]

Kelly Underwood by a country mile ,voice like a bogan pisshead ,commentary is a combination of sh*t cliches and verbal diahrea mixed with zero insight and pathetic cheerleading

You better get back behind the couch.

 

[DeanS]

For all the votes for Underwood, you're missing her major downfall. She gets things wrong. Often. Twice on the weekend she called it wrong when the score was a one point difference by saying it was level. No awareness of the game at all.

 

[Dale147]

Luke Darcy on Saturday night was woeful

 

[Achin joints]

You better get back behind the couch.

Im still there , exactly the same as when I watched Dr Who as a kid

 

[CapitalA]

Its a real shame but the answer is Kelli Underwood. I want to see more female commentators in the game as it's such a refreshing change up from the boys club bullshit - but the fact is she is objectively a really bad commentator and actively hurting the collective reputation of female commentators. Get another girl in please

There are quite a few great female commentators starting to show up in e-sports....unfortunately I think it will take a while before some good ones show up in AFL. Kelli is just no good, Daisy is ok but more special comments, it will be a while before someone who is highly knowledgeable and talented at quickly identifying and calling the game comes because opportunities have only opened up fairly recently for women in the field.

 

[Mockcockpit]

I don't really find anyone particularly objectionable but I grew up listening to George Grljusich and Keith Slater so my standards weren't high to begin with.

 

[Andy Brennan]

Underwood, Ricciuto and Russell is as bad a trio as it gets.
Underwood sounds like she’d literally rather die than learn half our players’ names or get excited by anything they do.
Ricciuto has a voice for print media. Seriously just shut the f**k up you squeezer.
Russell regurgitates the same shite week in week out all season. For a guy that calls literally all of our games he struggles to say anything mildly illuminating or insightful about us.

Noticed ricciuto was quiet a mouse when we were smashing Adelaide in the first half. Found his voice in the 3rd then shut up again in the 4th. Fair enough commentators support a club but they should at least be able to do the job without being a cheerleader. Plus he sounds like gargle gravel daily

 

[Andy Brennan]

Underwood is horrendous, a better example of intersectional, affirmative action pick you will not find.

Which is sad as it would be good to get a couple of great female commentators. Isa Guha is brilliant. Having said that, Cricket is a slower game, which in some ways makes it easier and in others more difficult.

Underwood comes into the game wanting to fit the play into her preconceived go to phrases. Cometti towards the end was guilty of this, but not on the scale of Underwood.

Ricuito has a bad voice for commentary.

Grybas was a gun.

Noticed this on the weekend seemed like she was calling what she hoped/expected to see rather than the actual play!

 

[T-D-J]

I don't really find anyone particularly objectionable but I grew up listening to George Grljusich and Keith Slater so my standards weren't high to begin with.

Reminds me of listening to Wally Foreman openly barrack against Freo while calling games

 

[poshman]

Noticed this on the weekend seemed like she was calling what she hoped/expected to see rather than the actual play!

Most evident last season when she called Walters the energiser bunny when we finally scored and he and the team were as far from energised as possible.

 

[Stronzo]

How have we made it this far and nobody has mentioned Zempilas?

And yes, Underwood. Truly shite.

 

[Alfonz]

Underwood by a mile. All the things said already. Plus she can't keep up with the action and needs to finish some long-winded spiel about something which happened 20 seconds ago, rather than what is actually happening. Straight from the Basil textbook, but she is even worse.

The best commentators are the likes of Papalia, Bennett and Hudson (and Grybas RIP) ... the ones who are outside the ex-player / boofhead boys club. And the one who is in that boys club and is the best (Montagna, based on AFLW games I have heard him call) doesn't get any AFL games to call.

 

[stax on the mull]

Everything I've read in the last couple of pages about Underwood (who I'm not a fan of) I could say about Gossage too.

Readings is very poor just in terms of being lazy and not bothering to call the names of players, in fact not even bothering to call passages of play except for generic phrases like "Fremantle trying to move it forward now".

Zempalis close to the worst of all time.

I struggle to find many commentators tolerable these days and often watch a TV game with the sound down.

I think maybe its due to my age. When I was younger I would have started listening to older commentators like Grljusich, Commetti and deferred to their knowledge because they'd seen more football than I have.

Some good commentators go bad through complacency. I think that was the case with Cometti and McAvaney, but even at the end of their careers they were still better than the likes of BT & Darcy. I've watched some old football videos on youtube when McAvaney was calling SA Football and you can hear what a talent he was.

I quite enjoy listening to a Fremantle game interstate when the commentary is very one-sided to the local team, if we're putting in a good performance that makes them have to acknowledge us.

 

[poshman]

How have we made it this far and nobody has mentioned Zempilas?

And yes, Underwood. Truly shite.

Having Kayo I don't hear him anymore. He spends to much time wanting to be mates with the former players instead of focussing on the call. He isn't great, middle of the pack for me. Underwood is a many levels below.

 

[FD2646]

Commentators can make or break a game.

One of the best calls I remember was the come from behind (and drought breaking win) against Hawthorn in 2001. For a game that probably had less than 10k at Etihad, involving the worst team in the comp; Huddo did an amazing job. "Longmuir - the man that doesn't miss"; Longmuir is a star and the dockers are home!" etc. Loved it.

It sucks that Basil called our best ever win ('13 qualifying final against Geelong). He tried his best but I found his enthusiasm very robotic.

You just brought back some very happy memories. Freo were 0-17 playing the Hawks who were without 4/5 of their best players, but would go on to play in a Prelim final. The hawks were up by over 40 points at one stage - and we won! Even better....I was there!

 

[FD2646]

I don't really find anyone particularly objectionable but I grew up listening to George Grljusich and Keith Slater so my standards weren't high to begin with.

You would have however no doubt listened to Percy Johnson (RIP) - he was great and pro freo!

 

[stax on the mull]

Zempalis and Underwood had/have a similar overbearing style. Their words suffocate your imagination. They don't seem to create any space in their broadcasts for a fan's fear and expectations of what might unfold as they're watching. They trap you in their head which is full of annoying information and trite phrases, and you quickly realise that its a place you don't want to be.