The AFL is back solely on Channel 7 this year and they’re rightly making a big noise about it. Not only will the East Coast states have a guaranteed 4 games of football across each weekend, but in 2012, for the first time, AFL will be beamed each week into the northern markets of Queensland and NSW on the digital multichannel 7mate regularly.
From the first press release:
Under the new arrangements, viewers in Queensland and NSW will get four games in every round live on 7mate. And most importantly fans will be able to watch their local team in action too.
So in NSW, all matches involving the Sydney Swans and Greater Western Sydney Giants will be broadcast on 7mate. And similarly in Queensland, games with the Brisbane Lions or the Gold Coast Suns will be shown. With TV viewers now flocking to the multi-channels as never before, it is another giant leap forward for free-to-air television.There is good news, too, in other states. South Australian fans will see a minimum of four matches per week live or near live on Channel Seven, including all 42 matches involving the Adelaide Crows or
Port Power. West Australian fans will see a minimum of four matches per week live or near live on Channel Seven, including all 42 matches involving West Coast or Fremantle. And in Victoria and Tasmania, there will be live football on Channel Seven across the weekend on Friday nights, Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. All finals will also be broadcast live on Seven and/or 7mate around Australia. We’ll have the Brownlow medal too. And of course the AFL Grand Final will be exclusively live on Channel Seven.
To boot, they’re rolling out the big guns when it comes to commentary too. From the second press release:
CHANNEL Seven today unveiled its AFL commentary line-up for the 2012 premiership season.
As the sole free-to-air TV broadcaster, Seven will show the four best games every weekend during the home-and-away season – on Friday nights, Saturday afternoons, Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.On Friday Nights, which begin at 7.30pm in Melbourne, the iconic commentary team of BRUCE MCAVANEY, DENNIS COMETTI, LEIGH MATTHEWS, TIM WATSON, TOM HARLEY and MATTHEW RICHARDSON will return once again.
Kicking off at 6.30pm, the new Saturday Night coverage will feature the irrepressible BRIAN ‘BT’ TAYLOR, Bulldogs champion LUKE DARCY, Geelong premiership skipper CAMERON LING and RICHO.
On Saturday afternoons, beginning at 3pm, AFL Game Day host HAMISH MCLACHLAN and 7 Perth sports presenter BASIL ZEMPILAS will call the action, with the coaching legend MICK MALTHOUSE and TOM HARLEY providing expert comments and former Swans captain BRETT KIRK the field commentary.
Then on Sundays from 3pm BRUCE, DENNIS and TIM return, joined by either CAMERON LING or BRETT KIRK who will share field commentary duties for the season.
Collectively they represent the most decorated, revered and popular figures in AFL football today. Seven’s team has won 21 premierships, 17 best-and-fairest awards and played or coached in 3315 games.
The Managing Director of Seven Melbourne, Lewis Martin, said: “Like every footy fan we couldn’t be more excited about the season ahead. It was in May last year that we first drew up a list of our dream commentary team. Well, we’ve drafted exactly that dream team, and now they’ve lined up in their positions. We can’t wait for the opening bounce.”Friday Night Football
Bruce McAvaney
Dennis Cometti
Leigh Matthews
Tim Watson
Tom Harley
Matthew RichardsonSaturday Arvo Football
Hamish McLachlan
Basil Zempilas
Mick Malthouse
Tom Harley
Brett KirkSaturday Night Football
Brian Taylor
Luke Darcy
Matthew Richardson
Cameron LingSunday Football
Bruce McAvaney
Dennis Cometti
Tim Watson
Cameron Ling
Brett KirkDepending on the game, the roster of commentators may be subject to change.
Hooray x3
Years ago Seven had footy all to themselves and showed most of the 8 games on offer (dependent on where you lived). This gave a much wider exposure to all teams, giving me a chance to admire stars from other clubs i.e. Carey, Plugga) and gain a general interest in the AFL as a competition overall. I guess you could say I took Seven for granted.
Enter Channels 9+10. Wow, what a contrast. Within one season I had all but lost interest in other teams and the competition in general. Channel 10’s insistence on bad camera angles and bad commentary, except for Clinton Grivas and Channel 9’s insistence on Eddie and Dermie says it all. (I deliberately will not elaborate any further)
Sam Newman mocked Seven’s broadcasts/commentary many times, especially when 9 started broadcasting AFL yet he was one of the worst offenders. He made me aware to how well Seven had covered football and that 9 should stick to what they do best, Cricket and Rugby League.
I look forward to Bruce, Dennis and some continuity in football broadcasting once more.
So the Lions are so bad that Chanel 7 is not televising their games this week ! They have been dreadful to watch and I guess Chanel 7 was losing revenue as hardly anyone wanted to watch this bunch oh badly coached players.
Maybe we will get some more entertaining games to watch
Thank you Chanel 7
Hi Crackerjack2 – the Brisbane Lions are on the bye this week, thus there’s no game to televise.
“Not only will the East Coast states have a guaranteed 4 games of football across each weekend.. ” Except THIS wekend, for some reason.
Not much they can do when one of those guaranteed games (at least for Qld viewers) is a Brisbane Lions game and they’re on a bye.
Could you give me the AFL games scheduled for July and august. Tku.
Hi Anne, Unfortunately I can’t. Ch7 only release the schedule of games they’re gonna show the week leading into the weekend they air them.
Hi we live in Brisbane – can u please tell me if the afl grand final is being televised on channel 7? Thanks
Hi Debbie – I can absolutely guarantee that Channel 7 will be showing the AFL grand final LIVE in all states around Australia, including Queensland. More details as they come to hand…
Shame that channel 7 has the AFL Grand Final. I have watched 7Mate this season and they have no respect for the game or the viewers. I’ve yet to see a goal happen – we are rushed to ads! There is no continuity. We love our footy and these drongos love their money! Everything is squeezed between advertising – to hell with us, the viewers.
Hi Lana – you do appreciate that Ch7 is a commercial network and needs to run ads to recoup the incredible cost they paid for the AFL broadcast rights, don’t you?