Media Street: Channel 9 defections prompt crisis talks around Footy Classified

Channel 9 have held crisis talks around its flagship footy show Footy Classified, with the show to go ahead despite three of its stars playing a role in rival Channel 7’s football coverage in 2025.

Crisis meetings are underway at Channel 9 regarding Footy Classified. Picture: Channel 9

Footy Classified will go ahead as scheduled despite Channel 9 executives having reservations about three panel members who are defecting to rival network Channel 7.

A crisis meeting was held on Tuesday morning to discuss whether Kane Cornes, Caroline Wilson and Craig Hutchison should be allowed to appear as normal given the trio are set to play roles in Seven’s revamped AFL coverage next season.

It has emerged that Hutchison’s TV production company will work with Seven’s footy programming for next season.

Nine had weighed up whether to pull in replacements to sit alongside Matthew Lloyd or ditch the show which was rescheduled to Tuesday because of Monday night’s Brownlow Medal count.

There was a view that the publicity surrounding the poaching raid was giving Ch 7 a free-kick.

An upset Lloyd told 3AW on Monday night: “I’m bitterly disappointed but no one is bigger than the show.”

Lloyd expressed his disappointment on Monday night. Picture: Mark Wilson

Members of the Wednesday night Footy Classified team including Damian Barrett, Sam McClure, Eddie McGuire and Jimmy Bartel had been put on notice that they may be required.

The embarrassing situation surrounding Nine’s flagship football show was the talk of the Brownlow Medal count among football’s heavy hitters.

Seven announced with much fanfare last month that Cornes was crossing over while Wilson, who has been on the show since its inception in 2007, confirmed on Monday she would also be departing.

The Hutchison situation is intriguing as it involves the TV production company, Rainmaker, of his media and sports empire being signed up to produce Channel 7’s new AFL programs next year.

His involvement in creating content for the opposition makes his position at Nine untenable. Hutchison, along with Wilson, was one of the original panellists on Classified, which is in its 18th season.

Seven sport boss Chris Jones and Hutchison are long-time friends and were housemates for several years when both were coming through the ranks many years ago.

Hutchison will play a role with Channel 7 next season. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Footy Classified is produced by the McGuire-owned production company JAM TV.

Cornes has remained on the Sunday Footy Show and Footy Classified since he announced he was leaving although there has been some tense and awkward moments on-air because of the pending move.

Jones, who replaced long-time boss Lewis Martin in June, has made no secret of his desire to beef-up the station’s football coverage next year.

“I would love to have more programming on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next year where we can tell AFL stories, and feature them prominently on 7plus and on Seven,” he told MediaWeek.

“There’s an ambition from our [AFL] team to set the agenda, perhaps a little more than what we have in the past.”

Wilson is expected to continue contributing to The Age and the Nine-owned radio station 3AW.

CHANNEL 9 UNDER SIEGE AS BIG NAME JOINS CORNES’ DEFECTION

Channel 9’s flagship AFL show Footy Classified is under siege with Caroline Wilson set to join Kane Cornes in defecting to Channel 7.

Wilson, who has been with the show since it launched in 2007, has been the target of a poaching raid by new Seven sport boss Chris Jones.

The signing of Cornes last month was a major coup for Jones who is shaking up Seven’s AFL coverage.

Wilson, the former chief football writer at The Age, has been considering the move over recent weeks and as one industry source said: “It’s happening”.

Caroline Wilson seems set to head to Channel 7. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Craig Hutchison and Wilson are the only remaining members of the panel show which is into its 18th season. Cornes and Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd make up the Monday night line-up.

Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire hosts the Wednesday night edition which also includes Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel and reporter Damian Barrett.

Seven are desperate to improve its football programs with its current panel show, Talking Footy on Wednesday nights, not hitting the mark.

The show has failed to grab viewers with the line-up of former champions Trent Cotchin and Joel Selwood, Tim Watson and James Brayshaw not gelling.

They were already planning to build a new show around Cornes, most likely on a Monday night in a head-to-head battle with rival established programs Footy Classified and Fox Footy’s On The Couch.

Kane Cornes announced his move to Channel 7 last month.

The potential signing of Wilson adds more weight to that while there have also been whispers Seven is looking at Fox Footy’s AFL 360 host Gerard Whateley.

Jones, who replaced long-time boss Lewis Martin in June, has made no secret of his desire to beef-up the station’s football coverage next year.

“I would love to have more programming on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next year where we can tell AFL stories, and feature them prominently on 7plus and on Seven,” he told MediaWeek.

“There’s an ambition from our [AFL] team to set the agenda, perhaps a little more than what we have in the past.”