Channel 7 dumps AFL legend Wayne Carey from Friday prime-time

Channel 7’s AFL coverage is set for a huge shake up with footy legend Wayne Carey set to be dumped from a plum gig.

AFL legend Wayne Carey is set to be moved off Channel 7’s Friday Night Footy coverage as the station looks to overhaul it’s commentary stocks.

Carey, a two-time premiership winner and seven-time All-Australian including four times as captain, turned to a media career after his playing time ended.

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But he is expected to be moved on the Saturday night coverage from the ratings leading Friday night timeslot as Channel 7 shift Daisy Pearce to Friday nights.

Fans raved over Pearce’s performance in the 2021 AFL grand final

Pearce is set to join Hawthorn premiership captain Luke Hodge on special comments as Brian Taylor and James Brayshaw call the game.

Carey had been a fixture on Friday nights since 2014.

The Herald Sun reported the move, quoting Seven’s managing director Lewis Martin said Carey was still a valued person for the broadcaster considering he will star on the next series of SAS Australia.

“There are a number of changes that are going to happen and it’s just to freshen up the roster,” Martin said.

“He’s (Carey) coming off SAS, so there’s going to be a number of rotations.”

Wayne Carey is off the Friday night coverage.

Martin also described Pearce as a “star”.

Matthew Richardson, Luke Darcy and Hamish McLachlan were the Saturday callers last year, while the likes of Jimmy Bartel, Cameron Ling and Jobe Watson will also be part of the rotation as games will be aired from Thursday to Sunday this season.

But Carey has also been a controversial figure in footy circles after he infamously had an affair with former teammate Anthony Stevens’ wife Kelli, which saw him leave North Melbourne and finish his career in Adelaide.

He revealed in a clip shared by SAS Australia, where he will be a contestant in the upcoming season, that the incident had “haunted me for 20 years”.

“My integrity will always be questioned. I’m not trying to prove anything to the public — it’s to myself,” he said.

“People can change. They evolve. Hopefully this can help me.”

The Herald Sun also said the move may have been aimed at counteracting the move of former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley onto the Fox Footy roster.

Originally published as Channel 7 dumps AFL legend Wayne Carey from Friday prime-time