Talking Footy
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports television |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Fate | Cancelled (multiple times) |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Bruce McAvaney, Luke Darcy, James Brayshaw, Tim Lane, Gerard Healy, Tim Watson, Wayne Carey, Andrew Demetriou |
| Products | Australian rules football discussion program |
| Parent | Seven Network |
Talking Footy is a television program focusing on Australian rules football broadcast by the Seven Network. Its original run spanned from 1994 to 2004, with subsequent revivals from 2013 to 2020 and again between 2023 and 2024. The show was initially presented primarily by Bruce McAvaney and Luke Darcy, with James Brayshaw serving as the current host.
First era (1994–2004)
The series debuted in 1994, developed under the guidance of Gary Fenton, who was Seven Network's sports director at the time. Throughout this period, hosting responsibilities rotated among several figures including Bruce McAvaney (1995–1998, 2001–2003), Tim Lane (1999), Gerard Healy (2000), and Tim Watson (2004).
Prominent contributors on the panel comprised respected personalities such as Mike Sheahan, Malcolm Blight, Terry Wallace, Caroline Wilson, and Leigh Matthews.
The program’s broadcast schedule evolved during its first decade: it initially aired on Mondays at 8:30 pm (1995–1997), shifted to late Monday evenings until 2000, and finally settled on Tuesday nights from 2001 until its conclusion in 2004. The show’s ratings decline corresponded with Seven Network losing the AFL broadcasting rights, which adversely affected its competitive standing.
Second era (2013–2020)
In August 2013, Seven Network brought back the series, scheduling it on Thursday nights during the 2013 AFL finals. The panel at this time included Bruce McAvaney, Luke Darcy, Wayne Carey, and Andrew Demetriou.
By 2014, the program transitioned to Monday evenings at 7:30 pm on 7mate for viewers in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth, while Sydney and Brisbane received a delayed midnight airing. Luke Darcy hosted alongside Wayne Carey, Tim Watson, and Jacqui Felgate. Production took place at Seven’s Docklands studios in Melbourne. Additional contributors featured Brian Taylor, Campbell Brown, Sam McClure, and Mick Warner.
The show was temporarily halted in June 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic along with AFL Game Day. In March 2021, Lewis Martin, Seven’s head of sport, announced its cancellation and introduced plans for a new “Footy Magazine” program as a replacement.
Regular segments
Notable recurring segments included:
- "The Blowtorch"
- "Inside 50"
- "Say That Again"
Third era (2023–2024)
Seven announced in August 2023 that Talking Footy would return under the title Talking Finals, hosted by James Brayshaw with panelists Tim Watson, Trent Cotchin, and Joel Selwood. Mitch Cleary contributed breaking sports news and trade reports. The series aired during the initial week of the 2023 AFL finals over four episodes leading up to the finals.
The premiere episode was broadcast at 10:00 pm on Tuesday, 5 September 2023, with subsequent installments airing at 9:00 pm. The final episode aired on 26 September 2023. Due to low viewership numbers and no official renewal announcement, cancellation was widely speculated.
On 22 February 2024, Seven confirmed Talking Footy would return for the upcoming AFL season with Brayshaw continuing as host alongside Watson, Cotchin, and Selwood as panelists; Cleary resumed his role providing updates. The revival premiered on 6 March 2024.
In November 2024, Seven once again cancelled Talking Footy, replacing it with a new program titled The Agenda Setters. This show is hosted by Craig Hutchison, Kane Cornes, and Nick Riewoldt. Hutchison and Cornes joined from Nine Network’s competing show Footy Classified, indicating a strategic adjustment in Seven’s AFL-related programming lineup.
Former hosts and contributors
- Bruce McAvaney (1994–1998, 2001–2002)
- Tim Lane (1999)
- Gerard Healy (2000)
- Luke Darcy (2014–2020)
Satirical versions
In 2005, comedian Andrew Startin created a parody of the program on the competing Nine Network's The Footy Show, lampooning figures such as Gary Ayres ("at the end of the day"), Mike Sheahan ("what do you think?"), and Bruce McAvaney ("Special!").
Opening theme
Initially, the program featured "Monday's Experts" by Weddings, Parties, Anything during 1995–1996, followed by "Everybody's Talkin'" by Harry Nilsson in 1997, before introducing a bespoke theme in 1998.
The original lyrics were:
The weekend's come and gone,
As we talk up a storm,
'Bout our team, bout our form,
And how it could be.
But when Monday comes around,
Talk around the town,
It's what happened on the weekend in the footy.
Monday nights, we're Talking Footy.
After moving to Tuesday evenings in 2001, the lyrics were updated to:
And when the new week comes around,
The talk around the town,
Is what happened across the nation in the footy.
Tuesday night, we're Talking Footy.
By 2004, the theme evolved to:
And the new week's come around,
Still we haven't found,
All the answers from the weekend in the footy.
Tuesday night, we're Talking Footy.
The original wording was reinstated for the 2014 relaunch but was gradually phased out to an instrumental version by 2018. The theme was ultimately removed during the 2023 relaunch.