Biggest moments in AFL media in 2024

It’s been a year of musical chairs in the footy media landscape and along the way there have been some fiery confrontations, with one identity involved in several of the most heated exchanges.

As Eddie McGuire might say, what a big year it’s been in football.

There’s been moves, shake ups, defections, poachings, farewells and new beginnings.

The footy media landscape will undergo huge change in 2025 with Fox Footy challenging the Channel 7 broadcast with its own commentary teams for matches.

There’ll be competition like never before.

Media musical chairs

It started with one and then it turned into a crisis with a chorus of Channel 9’s big names jumping ship to Channel 7.

First it was Kane Cornes, then Craig Hutchison and Caroline Wilson followed, although Wilson has yet to be officially confirmed due to a contract issue.

Craig Hutchison is one of the big names jumping ship from Channel 9 to Channel 7. Picture: Getty

Then Leigh Matthews left Footy Furnace and joined Fox Footy and even sports reporter Xander McGuire left to join Seven news.

Seven also signed Nick Riewoldt after a two-year absence from the media while Fox Footy has further boosted its stable with Shaun Burgoyne, Tom Hawkins and Adam Simpson.

Nick Riewoldt is joining Channel 7. Picture: Michael Klein

Fox also announced Gerard Whateley and Anthony Hudson will call Friday night footy while Seven is moving marquee caller Brian Taylor to Thursday nights alongside Hamish McLachlan.

In radio circles, Stephen Quartermain will be back commentating some games for SEN with other announcements expected in the new year.

Farewells

Luke Darcy called time on his footy media career, finishing up as a Channel 7 and Triple M commentator at the end of the season.

He wants to focus more on his business empire and his superstar son Sam who is following in his footsteps and playing at the Bulldogs.

Luke Darcy has quit his footy media roles. Picture: Channel 7

The Herald Sun’s chief footy reporter Mark Robinson exited Fox Footy’s AFL 360 after 14 years in the co-host’s chair alongside Gerard Whateley; Talking Footy is gone after its third resurrection on Channel 7 and Seven sport newsreader Tim Watson signed off with an emotional message after three decades at the network.

He’ll be replaced in the Monday-Friday chair by Rebecca Maddern.

Tom’s not invited

Channel 9’s chief footy reporter Tom Morris had an inglorious start to his Gather Round trip after his invite to the official welcome dinner went missing.

It in fact hadn’t been extended to the newshound but he was unaware when he walked in and started mingling.

Tom Morris’ dinner invite went missing. Picture: Ian Currie

Morris was sure he’d been invited by the AFL but when he stepped out of the makeshift marquee he was informed that sport newsreader Tony Jones was the invited representative for the network.

“I’m going to bring him home a doggy bag,” Jones joked. Ouch!

Darcy and Kane butt heads

As far as icy exchanges go this was north pole territory.

Bulldogs great Luke Darcy ambushed Kane Cornes in a blow up on live radio during Gather Round.

Cornes came on to discuss Nathan Brown’s dominant boxing win over him, but instead was confronted with probing questions and comments over his approach which caught everyone off guard.

Darcy asked Cornes about being “more mean spirited and nasty to people than anyone in the history of our industry”.

It was all in reference to Cornes taking the mickey out of Trent Cotchin, Joel Selwood and criticism levelled at Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge.

Cornes held his own and responded to the heavy line of questioning.

Sam’s new offsider

Sam Newman joining forces with Wayne Carey was probably not what many expected but that’s how the year has ended.

Newman’s You Cannot be Serious podcast gained a new co-host in the outspoken two-time North Melbourne premiership captain.

And it all kicked off with headlines after Carey urged people to move on from his troubled past.

The catch was that he went over old ground which stirred up more controversy for the man considered footy’s greatest ever player.

He did have his own podcast called The Truth Hurts but he’s now venting on a different platform.

Kane’s wild confrontation

It was in September that Cornes admitted to having a fiery confrontation with a media identity.

Cornes crossed paths through the SEN studios at the same time as Dylan Leach, the face of Neds betting, who had been critical of Cornes in the past.

Kane Cornes had a fiery confrontation with Dylan Leach.

The situation was raised on Triple M’s Friday Huddle with Cornes calling in to clarify what happened.

“He walked over, ‘I said ‘don’t be a c**t and be very careful’.”

The commentary team wasn’t sure whether to discuss it with host Mark Howard believing it to be a private matter. Just another viral Cornes moment.

Bust up over Darcy Moore

Kane Cornes and Sam McClure clashed over criticism of Collingwood captain Darcy Moore on Footy Classified.

Cornes called out Moore, saying he needs to play with more urgency and plays one good game in every six.

McClure said Cornes went too far and labelled the comments as disrespectful.

Dusty the media man?

In November the footy world was again talking about recently retired Dustin Martin after a picture surfaced of him being courted by top footy powerbrokers along with Jack Riewoldt to join Fox Footy.

Positive talks were held with the former Richmond superstar about joining the star-studded pay-TV stable.

Foxtel boss Patrick Delany, Fox Sports managing director Steve Crawley, Dustin Martin, Fox Footy commentator Jack Riewoldt and Martin's manager Ralph Carr.

The notoriously media shy Martin is said to have been weighing up a role on Super Saturday and various other projects. Still no word on his next move.

TJ gets chompered at the Olympics

From the Melbourne studios to the bright lights of Paris – Nine sport newsreader Tony Jones had a memorable year.

The Sunday Footy Show host’s nickname ‘Chompers’, in reference to his pearly white teeth, was mentioned by Australia’s gold medal sensation, pole vaulter Nina Kennedy.

After wrapping an interview with Jones in the mixed zone, she said “thanks Chompers”.

Jones, who has long been ribbed with it, saw the funny side and said it wasn’t the first time he’d heard it at the track.

“Bloody classic,’’ Jones told Paris Confidential.

“Stewie McSweyn and one of the other Aussies delivered one also at the end of their interviews yesterday.”

Bruce returns

Legendary sports broadcaster Bruce McAvaney made a footy comeback for the biggest two weeks of the AFL season in September in a key hosting role for Channel 7.

Bruce McAvaney was back this year. Picture: Getty

It was the first time the 71-year-old had been a part of the network’s football coverage since he called his final AFL match in the historic 2020 Richmond-Geelong grand final at the Gabba. And it won’t be the last we’ll see of the sporting icon, with McAvaney set to be part of the footy coverage again in 2025 in a hosting role for marquee matches.