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The Footy Show (AFL)

From Alfawiki
The Footy Show
Company typeTelevision program
IndustryTelevision broadcasting, Entertainment
Founded1994
Defunct2019
Headquarters
Melbourne
,
Australia
Area served
Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand
Key people
Eddie McGuire, Sam Newman, Trevor Marmalade, Garry Lyon, James Brayshaw, Rebecca Maddern, Craig Hutchison
ProductsTelevision program focused on Australian Football League and Australian rules football
Websitewww.footyshow.com.au

The Footy Show was an Australian television program blending sports and variety entertainment, broadcast on the Nine Network and centering on the Australian Football League (AFL) and Australian rules football. It featured a rotating panel of hosts alongside guest contributors.

Between 1994 and 2018, the program was led by notable figures such as Eddie McGuire, Billy Brownless, Sam Newman, Trevor Marmalade, Garry Lyon, James Brayshaw, Rebecca Maddern, and Craig Hutchison. Over its run, it earned eight Logie Awards recognizing it as the Most Popular Sports Program.

In December 2018, McGuire revealed plans to relaunch the show in a new format for 2019, with himself and Newman presenting several special episodes. Nevertheless, after airing seven episodes, the Nine Network discontinued the series on 9 May 2019 due to declining viewership. The 2019 cast included Anthony Lehmann, Neroli Meadows, Brendan Fevola, and Dylan Alcott.

On 21 June 2019, McGuire announced that he, Newman, Marmalade, and Maddern would reunite for a final Grand Final special recorded at Rod Laver Arena on 25 September, commemorating 25.5 years since the show's inception.

Origins and format

The inception of The Footy Show dates back to 1993 with a special Grand Final edition of The Sunday Footy Show broadcast the Thursday preceding the AFL Grand Final. It evolved into a regular weekly program in 1994, hosted by former Network Ten journalist Eddie McGuire, ex-Geelong player Sam Newman, and comedian Trevor Marmalade. The format typically involved a panel comprising three current or ex-footballers alongside the hosts.

Filmed live in Melbourne, the show featured an energetic studio audience, whose enthusiasm was maintained each week by MC and comedian Michael Pope. From its debut through to 2010 (Seasons 1–17), broadcasts originated from Studio 9 at GTV 9 in Richmond. After GTV 9 relocated to Docklands, production moved to Sound Stage 4 at Docklands Film Studios for Seasons 18–26 (2011–2019).

On occasion, special live broadcasts were staged from various cities including Geelong, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, as well as international locations like London (2001, 2004) and Munich (2006).

Following McGuire's appointment as CEO of the Nine Network in 2006, he relinquished his hosting duties. His successors were former Melbourne player Garry Lyon and ex-director and later chairman of the North Melbourne Football Club, James Brayshaw. To revitalize the program in 2009, Trevor Marmalade was succeeded by former players Shane Crawford and Billy Brownless. In 2012, former Essendon athlete Matthew Lloyd joined the panel on a rotating basis with Crawford and Brownless.

The panel's discussions encompassed weekly AFL news updates, analysis of recent matches, and previews featuring team lineups for upcoming games. Prior to 2001, AFL footage was not incorporated due to broadcasting rights held by rival network Seven Network. When Nine secured AFL rights from 2002 through 2006, match footage was prominently featured. However, after losing these rights in 2007 until the conclusion of the 2011 season, no game footage was shown. From 2012 until the program's conclusion in 2019, footage was sourced from Fox Footy, which televised all AFL matches weekly.

The show's distinctive logo draws inspiration from an iconic photograph of VFL legend Jack Dyer.

Presenters

Panellists

Scheduling

The AFL edition was broadcast on Thursdays.

VIC, TAS, SA & WA

  • Thursdays at 8:30 pm on Nine
  • Sundays at 10:00 am on Nine

NSW, QLD, ACT & NT

  • Thursdays at 11:30 pm on Nine
  • Sundays at 10:00 am on 9Gem

Between 1994 and 2012, the program aired at 9:30 pm AEST; from November 2012 until May 2019, the timeslot was moved earlier to 8:30 pm AEST.

Thursday

During the AFL season, viewers in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia saw the show at 8:30 pm on Thursdays.

In 2008, the show was broadcast live in most New South Wales and Queensland markets via Nine HD but ceased prior to GO!'s debut; since then it aired at 11:30 pm in these territories.

Sunday

The companion program The Sunday Footy Show (AFL) was scheduled Sunday mornings between 10:00 am and noon.

Segments

  • Almost Football Legends—Features highlights and emerging local football talent; some participants such as Russell Robertson progressed to AFL clubs.
  • Angry Al—A humorous award given to AFL figures who exhibited the most notable loss of temper that week.
  • Big Bill House—A recurring challenge segment starring Brownless undertaking comedic tasks.
  • The Wheel—Brownless visits community clubs for competitions; briefly brought back in 2018.
  • Street Talk—Newman conducted satirical street interviews; occasionally hosted by others.
  • The Footy Show Stakes (animated by Andrew Fyfe)—A satirical cartoon summarizing weekly football happenings.
  • Sam's Mailbag—Newman reads and responds to viewer correspondence and social media messages.
  • MARStermind—A football-themed pub quiz sponsored by Mars.
  • Hatchet Jobs—Edited coach interviews creating humorous soundbites.
  • House of Bulger and Bulger, MD—Spoof soap operas featuring Crawford alongside AFL personalities.
  • Shane's Mailbag—An occasional parody of Sam’s Mailbag presented by Crawford.
  • Pillow Talk—Interviews with partners of AFL players.
  • Under The Pump—Panelists answer sharp questions with comedic flair.
  • That's What I'm Talkin' About—Crawford attempts various Guinness World Records stunts.
  • Pardon My Puzzle—Visual puzzles involving AFL players and coaches accompanied by comedic hints.
  • Hughesy's Spray—Hughes humorously provokes selected teams during training sessions.

Grand Final spectacular

Beginning in 1996, the Grand Final edition aired live from the Rod Laver Arena on the Thursday night preceding the AFL Grand Final, drawing an audience of approximately 12,000 attendees. This special included the AFL Players Revue, where players performed themed dance routines.

Although the regular weekly broadcast ended earlier in 2019, Eddie McGuire, Sam Newman, Trevor Marmalade, and Garry Lyon reunited for the final Footy Show Grand Final special on 25 September 2019 to commemorate its quarter-century plus history.

Awards

The Footy Show received nominations for the Logie Award for Most Popular Sports Program every year from 1996 to 1998 and then again from 2000 through 2018, with the exception of 1999 when the award was not presented.

Criticism and controversy

Sam Newman, a prominent and often polarizing personality on The Footy Show, was the subject of numerous complaints directed at the Nine Network, stemming from his provocative behavior and statements, such as:

  • Donning blackface in 1999 to mimic Indigenous AFL player Nicky Winmar after Winmar failed to appear as scheduled.
  • Being the victim of a live on-air incident in 2001 when Shane Crawford pulled down his pants.
  • Provoking David Schwarz (footballer) by throwing a pie at him, which led to Schwarz pushing Newman.
  • Handling a mannequin dressed in lingerie bearing journalist Caroline Wilson (journalist)'s likeness in 2008; this resulted in Newman's suspension and subsequent legal challenges after he labeled female AFL club directors as "liars and hypocrites."
  • Appearing to smoke a bong during a 2012 broadcast following an AFL ban on marijuana; it was later clarified that the substance was actually tea leaves.
  • Critiquing NFL draftee Michael Sam in 2014 after Sam publicly shared a same-sex kiss.
  • Making inappropriate remarks regarding Mitch Clark (Australian footballer)'s struggle with depression in 2015.
  • Misgendering transgender public figure Caitlyn Jenner in 2017.
  • Conducting a silent protest by refusing to speak during a 2017 episode after being prohibited from dressing as a woman; this event triggered a four-week program hiatus, the dismissal of host Craig Hutchison (broadcaster), and Eddie McGuire’s reinstatement as host.
  • Voicing criticism toward the AFL Commission for its endorsement of same-sex marriage legalization.

Newman’s off-camera controversies were frequently alluded to within the show. In 2018, he delivered a nine-minute solo farewell during the final live broadcast but was not included in any subsequent episodes. After making only one more appearance for the last grand final special in 2019, Newman parted ways with Nine Network in 2020 following contentious remarks about George Floyd made on a podcast.

International broadcast

The show was transmitted in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Premier Sports every Friday at 8 pm, while in New Zealand it aired live on Sky Sport Thursday nights at 10:30 pm.

See also

External links

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