Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson reflects on his 14-year stint on Fox Footy’s AFL360 — and what’s next

Mark Robinson has signed off after 14 years co-hosting AFL360. He tells Jon Anderson about how Fox Footy’s flagship footy show changed his life.

Mark “Robbo” Robinson’s 14-year tenure with Fox Footy’s AFL 360, which ended last month, places him alongside a unique group in the history of Australian sports television.

That group includes Lou Richards, Bob Davis, Jack Dyer, Eddie McGuire and Sam Newman, one made up of experts involved in a football show in this city that has run continuously for at least 10 years.

And in Robbo’s case, up to four nights a week for more than 1400 shows.

Gerard Whateley and Mark Robinson hosted AFL360 together for 14 years.

JA: Congratulations on surviving on one show on television for 14 years?

MR: Thanks, mate. It was an unbelievable 14 years, it changed my life and I loved it. Before that I did Game Day on Channel 7 with Hamish McLachlan from 2006-2011. But the Game Day hours didn’t really suit me which involved getting up at 6am on Sundays.

JA: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked “what sort of bloke is Robbo?” I’ve always said you are a knockabout from Bendigo who loves family, footy and mates.

MR: That’s a fair description. I’d like to think I haven’t taken myself too seriously. When I started on AFL 360, Rod Law chose to put Gerard Whateley and myself together. I don’t think at that stage I had ever actually spoken to Gerard. I was nervous about doing the show, but did say to Rod, don’t put me through TV school, let me come straight from the newspaper, dishevelled if you like. That meant I could just be myself.

JA: So how did a knockabout from Bendigo deal with sudden recognition?

MR: Nothing actually prepares you for that. As a newspaper journo, people don’t know you so much. I would be recognised at the supermarket or at the service station.

JA: Ever anything nasty?

MR: Funny you ask me that. Just last week I got a phone call at 4.50am on Sunday from two blokes who threatened me and said “we know where you live” before saying my address. So, I reported it to our security people, something I have never done before. Because they had my address, it was a little off-putting. They were drunk and abusive.

JA: I recall you being goaded in a Richmond pub once?

MR: Three blokes kept going at me so I started walking outside before reacting and going back inside. They filmed it and then posted it on social media. I had to ring my three employers to explain what had happened, which thankfully didn’t involve anything serious. But those kind of events have been very rare, Ando.

JA: Have you made friendships through AFL 360?

MR: Of course. I worked with plenty of good people there. Jordy Lewis, “Sellers” (Mark Maclure) and “Kingy” (David King), Gerard and Tim Hodges were there from the start, Bob Murphy, Jack Riewoldt, Dermott (Brereton), Leroy Carlson, (Mark) “Bomber” Thompson, Rod (Law) in the early days … and I got on well with the floor manager, “Belvedere” (Robert Mascara) and the cameramen who I saw every night. And the make-up people.

JA: The make-up people certainly earned their keep.

MR: I used to say “work your magic”. You soon realise there are so many people in television who are there to help you be as good as you possibly can be.

JA: Were there edgy times?

MR: I reckon Gerard and I had four or five tense moments in 14 years, which is pretty good. I had four or five fights with you in three of four days at the Herald Sun!

The edgiest time, I think, was when Heritier Lumumba and Eddie McGuire came on together during the racism row, that was unbelievably tense television.

JA: What about you and Nathan Buckley?

MR: We didn’t see eye-to-eye one night over the Collingwood drug stuff. Overall, I could understand why he wouldn’t have wanted to talk to me after me writing things which questioned him as a coach. He might not say this, but I felt we got on well as time went on. I like Nathan Buckley, he’s not someone who holds grudges, same as Eddie McGuire.

Joel Selwood on AFL360 with Mark Robinson.

Mark Robinson with his beloved dogs at Fox Footy. Picture: Michael Klein

JA: What about the relationship between you and Gerard (Whateley)?

MR: We had a damn good working relationship but rarely, if ever, saw each other socially. People, if they knew us, would say it was a curious relationship. Gerard is quite reserved and I’m quite boisterous. Before the show we would speak for roughly five minutes about the run down and never discussed what we were going to say. That’s how the show was originally set up – be spontaneous.

JA: And now AFL 360 is over?

MR: The number of people who sent me messages after Fox made its decision really picked me up. People really loved the show and I can’t thank them enough. You know, Ando, 99 per cent of the footy-loving public have been tremendous towards me. But I gave up reading social media comments a long time ago, I got off Twitter about three years back. I got tired of waking up each day and having a Leading Teams examination of my life and work. I try to be a happy-go-lucky bloke, so why bring those people into my life? And, mate, Fox may have fallen out of love with me at the end, but I’ve got nothing to complain about.

Mark Robinson says he had “14 wonderful years” on AFL360.

JA: You have had a big couple of months.

MR: It’s funny, Ando, people say they are sad to see me go, and there’s sadness for me as well. But I had a fantastic 14 years. But let’s keep it real. About six weeks back, I lost my dad, and four days after his funeral, we lost our dear friend and colleague Sam Landsberger, and then three weeks back lost my Aunty Betty. Then I got told I was no longer required on AFL 360. What’s really the least important out of those four things, Ando?

JA: Do you ever get nervous interviewing famous footballers?

MR: I still get a bit shaky when I talk to Leigh Matthews.

Gerard and Robbo on AFL360 with Shane Warne.

JA: Imagine how his opponents felt?

JA: I noted Alastair Clarkson didn’t come on AFL 360 the last couple of years?

MR: That’s because of the Hawthorn racism stuff which I’ve written extensively about. I understand Alastair’s position. Can I tell you, though, I was in the Brisbane Lions’ rooms after the grand final and had decided to do a piece on Chris Fagan. I saw Clarkson and thought “stuff it”, so I walked up to him and said: “Al, I’m doing a piece on ‘Fages’, can I talk to you about him?” To which he responded, “No”. So I walked away. Five minutes later, Clarkson came up to me and said: “I’ve changed my mind.” He put his dislike of me aside so he could speak glowingly of his great friend. I respect him for that.

JA: So what happens now, Robbo?

MR: I look forward to 2025 with the Herald Sun. And Fox Footy said there might be other roles, so they will be spoken about.