Crocmedia’s COVID-19 outbreak forces Footy Classified into panel revamp

Another TV show has been forced to make major changes to its panel after being caught up in the COVID-19 outbreak at Craig Hutchison’s Crocmedia.

Footy Classified has been forced to revamp almost all of its panel because of the Crocmedia COVID-19 outbreak.

Three of the Wednesday night regulars — Sam McClure, Caroline Wilson and Matthew Lloyd — have been banned from appearing and told to isolate at home by the Health Department.

Channel 9 newsreader Tony Jones, who was a last minute fill-in for Crocmedia boss Craig Hutchison on Monday night, will again take the reins alongside former Fremantle coach Ross Lyon.

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Former Western Bulldogs and Richmond star Nathan Brown is likely to also come off the bench with Eddie McGuire to appear from the AFL’s Gold Coast quarantine hub.

Anger continues to grow about the circumstances behind the second positive test at radio station SEN which has thrown the football media world into disarray.

Eddie McGuire is likely to join this week’s Footy Classified from the Gold Coast.

There is a fear that those caught up in the SEN COVID-19 web may be forced to isolate for several more days despite coming back with a negative test as the government agency tries to trace the original cause of the outbreak.

Fox Footy was forced to cancel AFL 360 for the second night with host Gerard Whateley, SEN’s main football caller, at home isolating.

McClure and Gerard Healy were again missing from 3AW’s Sportsday program which was impacted because it had been produced and recorded at the Crocmedia’s Southbank studios.

Around 100 people associated with Crocmedia have been tested since the first positive test at SEN was recorded last Friday.

The Footy Classified panel for 2020 – Ross Lyon, Caroline Wilson, Eddie McGuire and Matthew Lloyd.

Anyone who has had contact with the radio station’s headquarters over the past three weeks has been advised to get a COVID-19 test.

The original outbreak forced AFLW star Daisy Pearce to withdraw from her Channel 7 commentary duties while Fox Footy commentators Jordan Lewis and Nick Dal Santo also had precautionary tests.

Then on Monday night a second positive test was recorded at SEN which forced Hutchison to pull out of his Footy Classified hosting gig.

Crocmedia boss Craig Hutchison. Picture: Jay Town

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Originally published as Crocmedia’s COVID-19 outbreak forces Footy Classified into panel revamp