Channel 9 news chief Jeremy Pudney called Warren Tredrea an ‘excellent ambassador’ two years before he was fired, unfair dismissal court case hears

Axed sports presenter Warren Tredrea rated himself as “exceptional” during a performance review in 2018. Three years later he was given the boot, a court has heard.

Former Channel 9 sports presenter Warren Tredrea arrives at the Federal Court for his unfair dismissal lawsuit. Picture: Brenton Edwards.

Axed TV presenter Warren Tredrea was described as an “excellent ambassador for Channel 9” with strong contacts who “delivered exclusives” only two years before he was fired for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine, a court has heard.

Mr Tredrea is suing his former employers in the Federal Court for $5.7m – the equivalent of 30 years of lost employment opportunities with the network.

He claims to have been unfairly dismissed for refusing to have the Covid-19 vaccine. Channel 9 contend he was dismissed for endangering the reputation or business interests of the company.

On Thursday, Channel 9’s SA news director Jeremy Pudney took the stand to give evidence.

Simon Ower KC, for Mr Tredrea, took Mr Pudney through a performance review he had conducted with his client in late 2018.

In the review Mr Pudney wrote Mr Tredrea, a former AFL player-turned-sports presenter, had a strong prior 12 months and was improving in his on-air delivery.

Mr Pudney ranked Mr Tredrea’s performance as “superior”, one below the top rank of “exceptional”.

Channel 9 news director Jeremy Pudney arrives at the Federal Court to give evidence. Picture: NCA NewsWire: Naomi Jellicoe

Ex footballer Warren Tredrea arriving at court for his unfair dismissal case against Channel 9. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Mr Tredrea, on the other hand, said his performance was “exceptional”.

Justice Geoffrey Kennett heard there were no other formal performance reviews of Mr Tredrea to the day he was dismissed in January 2022.

Mr Pudney said Mr Tredrea’s performance had slipped in the intervening years and questioned the amount of money he was earning for the hours of work he was putting in.

“The newsroom is one big room, I have direct conversations on a regular basis with staff on what had gone well and what had gone badly during broadcast,” he said.

“I had many of those conversations with Warren. It was nowhere near as regular as it was with Warren.”

Warren Tredrea leaves Federal Court during a trial of unfair dismissal with Channel Nine. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Mr Ower suggested to Mr Pudney, “you didn’t hire for his eloquence”.

Mr Pudney replied, “he was an on-air presenter, his eloquence was key”.

The court heard Mr Tredrea would stumble while presenting the sports broadcast and that would lead to a period of poor performance.

However, Mr Pudney agreed with Mr Ower that Mr Tredrea was striving to improve his performance.

During his evidence on the first day of the trial Mr Tredrea insisted he had provided numerous exclusives to the organisation but had been unfairly dismissed.

Earlier on Thursday a senior safety and wellbeing officer from Channel 9 was asked multiple questions about how the national Covid framework was designed and implemented.

The trial continues.