I find it extraordinary how overtly the pundits discuss their parochialism in their analysis. The best presenters or analysts should go through their career without you ever knowing who they barrack for. The AFL guys seem to revel in it. Consider the top US or UK commentators like Joe Buck or Martin Tyler. You would never know who they support. The colour guys are the same, even if we know which team they played for they keep their comments neutral. Younger guys like Dal Santo, Kane Cornes try to be unbiased and the wizened heads just bring up their allegiances until they wilt.
Today's a draft of your epitaph
Before I took the plunge with Fox Footy, I'd heard a little about Grybas but the main thing I knew was that he was a Collingwood fan. I groaned internally, and probably held off getting Fox Footy for a while in the knowledge he was the face of the mid-week discussion. It was a revelation, when I did sign up, how non-parochial he was. If you didn't know he was a Collingwood fan, you'd never have worked it out watching him.
Anthony Hudson comes close. Just occasionally he lets his love for Geelong shine through but he mostly keeps it under wraps and he comes across as all the more professional for it. Contrast him with Whately, who should have a lot going for him. I don't think he's as smart or analytical as he likes to think he is, but he's head and shoulders above most of the commentators. But his refusal to be footy commentator first and Geelong fan second is a big downer. You can almost see his tongue hanging out every time he speaks with Chris Scott, and as for Patrick Dangerfield...
One of the reasons I like Dunstall over most of the other commentators / journalists is that he keeps his Hawthorn allegiance from bubbling out. Indeed, when you hear him commentate games where Hawthorn are playing, I get the impression he's conscious of almost playing down their efforts / talents to counteract his natural allegiance. It's certainly a contrast with Eddie speaking about the Pies or Dermie on the Hawks.
I also really like Dal Santo and Cornes. Not only do they mostly keep their club allegiances at bay, they give the impression that they done some thinking and tried to come up with something insightful to say, rather than just rocking up, opening their mouths and hoping for the best.
Yes, a fund should be set up to pay for Dal Santo to fly OS and spend a week in the commentary box with Buck at the World
Series or Tyler during the EPL season. These guys are the benchmark. At all costs Nick should be kept away from any Seven or Fox
commentator whose name has had a "y" added to the end of it. He is smart, just out of the game, but likely impressionable and
these clowns will drag him down to their level in no time if given the chance.
I don't know that I find any of this surprising.
A nightly show (and in this case TV channel), that is based in Melbourne - even with a national audience - is understandably going to skew towards the content they know best. They are also all linked to local radio stations or newspapers which, in part, set the agenda for their shows.
Ten Victorian clubs out of a total of 18 would also suggest that the majority of discussion, based on an equal value weighting, would be about those clubs.
It might also be interesting to do a calculation of time spent in discussion of each club.
I'd suggest the bias of those watching the broadcast might also need to be factored into the discussion.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have no bias to anything watching these shows I just would like to hear about ALL clubs whether that be Victorian, WA, SA, NSW, Qld clubs. If I want to listen to mostly Victorian clubs news I'd live stream Melbourne radio. I've watched these shows all year n it's been so pathetically skewed to the four clubs I've said regularly. Why should the majority of discussion be about Victorian based clubs when they are barely a majority. 45% of clubs are outside of Victoria but you wouldn't get 45% of the shows time devoted to non Victorian clubs.
Grybas was easily the best up n coming commentator I've ever heard. Would have ended up better than bwuce n cometti in their prime. Bwuce has become bad n I mean real bad, destroyed what should have been a rippa goal from Franklin n tried to turn into a story about Cometti. Sorry mate we watch the game for the stars n not for you. Papali n Bennet are coming through n I hope they get the push they deserve n the old VFL dinosaurs get pushed by the wayside.
SEN has a policy of taking so many phone calls an hour. They get this by having regulars like Trout from Woodend calling in about Richmond. I wonder sometimes if they are taking off the Coodabeens, and having fake callers who work at the station. Of course there are much fewer interstate supporters in Victoria so it will be skewed towards the Melbourne clubs. We have a few Swans supporters who ring in semi regularly. After all it is a Melbourne station.
Whateley is a very accomplished sports commentator/caller doing AFL, horse racing , Olympics , cricket .... amazing actually .
However his format for 360 , having the same people on each week is sigh sigh ...
i
Why doesn't he get different coaches in , not Chris Scott and Richo every week, Jack Reiwoldt and Jordan Lewis, Bomber, I don't mind King and Sellers as regulars ....
It was very sad to lose Grybas.
Yep. People I talk to agree it is a boring format at 360.
Dunstall might not show favouritism towards Hawthorn but he certainly cannot hide his hatred of the swans. His commentary of our games makes it an unpleasant experience to watch.
I agree with you about Dal Santo. I have been very impressed with him and he is enjoyable to listen to. (Wasn't a fan of his as a player!).
Bookmarks