Herald Sun Footy Podcast: Could Tom Browne return to TV screens?

Tom Browne dropped a bomb on the footy media world when he revealed he is leaving Channel 7. But is it the last we’ll see of the footy reporter?

Businessman and Collingwood president Jeff Browne with son Tom Browne. Picture: Enrique Ascui

Despite shocking the football world with news of his resignation on Monday, Channel 7 chief football reporter Tom Browne might be back in the game sooner than we think.

Browne has quit for family reasons and will take a job in Sydney at MA Financial Group as a video content producer, where his Dad Jeff is the non-executive director and independent chairman.

LISTEN TO THE FULL HERALD SUN FOOTY PODCAST BELOW

Herald Sun reporter Scott Gullan told the Herald Sun footy podcast this week that he believes Browne will be back in the media at some point.

“I’m as shocked as everyone else who will be listening to this,” Gullan said of Browne’s resignation.

“Knowing him, and we all see how proficient on Twitter and other things are, I could imagine he’ll get the itch pretty quickly.

“Maybe not quite Damien Hardwick quick, but I would think maybe next year he’ll have a less stressful gig but I don’t think we’ve seen the end of Tom Browne.

“Knowing his personality, I think he’ll be back in some form.”

Attention quickly turned to who his replacement would be, with a host of names thrown up.

While Mitch Cleary is tipped to step up into the chief role, the likes of Tom Morris, Sam Edmund and Sarah Olle are also possible candidates to fill his void.

But Gullan had one left field suggestion, with Xander McGuire, the son former Collingwood president Eddie, also in the frame.

“Channel 7 are in a great spot – Tom Browne v Mitch Cleary has been great fun to watch over the last couple of years,” he said.

“Mitch will step up, it’s just who comes with him because you need an offsider who’s pretty good at the gig as well.

“He (McGuire) is highly talented and this is interesting, Tom Browne’s dad ran Channel 9 and then he got a job at Seven, which was a smart move.

“If Xander gets out of his Dad’s shadow, even though he’s not at Nine now, but he’s a nine figure and has been forever, if he goes to Seven and builds his own profile it’s not a bad move.

“If you’re Channel 7 you’re looking at it and going he’s a good name, he’s a good kid, he’ll cost less than a few others because he’s young, I wouldn’t mind him.”

Originally published as Herald Sun Footy Podcast: Could Tom Browne return to TV screens?