Who’s commentating? TV, radio callers locked in for AFL grand final

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As Collingwood coach Craig McRae and his Brisbane Lions counterpart Chris Fagan mull over on-the-field changes to their teams which won last weekend’s preliminary finals, magnets are falling into place for the commentary teams ahead of Saturday’s AFL grand final.

Calls such as “Leo Barry, you star” and “He came up behind him like a librarian, he never heard him” define some big grand final moments, but just as many good calls are made on radio, with a wealth of choice on offer for the millions of fans who missed out on grand final tickets.

Seven’s AFL commentary team for 2023 – Hamish McLachlan, James Brayshaw, Daisy Pearce, Shaun Burgoyne, Brian Taylor, Abbey Holmes and Luke Hodge.Credit: Seven Network

With Fox Footy not able to show the game due to the licensing deal, Seven has sole television rights and the pick of its preferred commentary team for the big game of the season.

Meanwhile, fans at the ground listening to the radio, or those in the car taking advantage of the weekend, will have a plethora of options to choose from for Saturday’s blockbuster between Collingwood and the Lions.

Television

Seven will take an unchanged line-up into this year’s grand final broadcast, with James Brayshaw and Brian Taylor leading the commentary team for the free-to-air broadcaster.

Hamish McLachlan will host the coverage, with Hawthorn premiership greats Luke Hodge and Shaun Burgoyne and AFLW flag-winning champion Daisy Pearce among the special commentary team, and Abbey Holmes providing commentary from the boundary.

Luke Darcy missed the cut, but will feature earlier in the day, along with Nathan Jones, Leigh Matthews, Jobe Watson and Chris Johnson, as well as Supercars host and current driver Jack Perkins and NBA legend Scottie Pippen for the 2023 Grand Final Countdown from 10.30am.

Matthew Richardson has been tasked with interviewing rock stars KISS, who will provide the pre-match entertainment.

Fox Footy will not be showing the game, but will have its own panel of experts pre- and post-game and throughout each of the quarter intervals.

Radio
3AW

Tim Lane and Anthony Hudson head a star-studded commentary team for 3AW, complemented by premiership greats Matthew Lloyd and Jimmy Bartel and boundary-rider Jacqui Reed.

3AW will also have three panels on the MCG concourse, starting from 10am on Saturday. Panel three, from 12pm until 1.30pm, will see Caroline Wilson, Leigh Matthews, Tony Shaw and Matt Granland previews the blockbuster match.

Richardson will also be part of a 3AW panel from 11am until midday.

SEN and AFL Nation

SEN has gone with Gerard Whateley and Dwayne Russell as its top-line duo, with Kane Cornes and Gerard Healy in special comments and Sam Edmund on the boundary.

SEN Stadium will allow fans to tune into the call in real time via the MCG’s free wi-fi.

Meanwhile, their second string team will offer another option via AFL Nation. Andy Maher and Matt Hill have won the rights to call, alongside analysts Dermott Brereton and Brad Johnson, with Matthew Cocks on the boundary.

Triple M

Triple M will be led by Darcy and Mark Howard. Michael Roberts will take his usual spot on the fence, with the ‘Chief’ Jason Dunstall, Nathan Brown and statsman Ash Chua in the box.

Preceding the game, Brayshaw, Bernie Vince, Damian Barrett and Billy Brownless will be part of the Saturday Rub. That will from 12-2pm, with the call team to take over half an hour before the first bounce.

ABC and K-Rock

Corbin Middlemas and Clint Wheeldon will again be on the mic for ABC, with ex-Geelong star Cameron Ling, former Richmond star Brett Deledio and coaching great Mick Malthouse riding shotgun as the expert analysts. Kelli Underwood will be ABC’s grand final boundary rider.

Tom King, Ben Casanelia, former Melbourne coach Mark Neeld, former AFL player Shaun Higgins and Jason Doherty form K-Rock’s grand final team.

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