Danny McGinlay goes behind the scenes at The Front Bar and Game Day
Funnyman Danny McGinlay goes behind the curtain to tell what it’s really like to work on some of our most popular footy TV shows.
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As much as I want to be coy and humble, getting paid to talk about footy on TV is pretty much the greatest job in the world. In normal jobs, people discuss the footy then go do their actual job but for us, talking footy is work.
I should say it’s a lot of hard yakka and you shouldn’t be jealous but you should. It’s awesome. I’ve worked either directly or appeared as guest on about eight football shows (currently Game Day and The Front Bar) and I’ll tell what it’s like behind the scenes.
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1. The Executive Producer is the coach, the hosts are the captain.
The control room during a live TV show is a lot like a coach’s box during a footy match. You have lots of people crammed into a tiny space all facing the same way yelling at each other.
The EP usually has direct contact with the hosts through their earpiece, telling them when to move to the next segment or throw to the ad break. It can be a very stressful situation and often some colourful language is used.
The ability to keep talking in a natural way to camera when you’re being fed information through your ears is a superpower. Both Hamish McLachlan and Andy Maher are the best in the business at it.
2. The best stuff happens off camera.
There is so much pressure on a modern footy player when they are on television.
Any offhand comment could come across as offensive or worse, they could give away an important club secret. They are drilled by their media managers in what to say and how to say it.
So only when the show is over can they relax and start speaking like normal people.
On Game Day in 2017 we had a player on who was asked about a teammate’s injury and he gave a very measured response that didn’t really give us any information.
After the show we were in the lift and I asked how the teammate really was and the answer was, “mate his back is f-----d, he won’t be back again this year”
A few years back when I worked on Before The Game it was always a fun episode if Carlton were playing the twilight match during filming.
As soon as we’d go to commercial break Dave Hughes would immediately want to know the scores (phones have to be switched off in the studio so he couldn’t check himself) and we would take great delight in torturing him by telling him every match stat except the actual score.
Another time I was in the dressing room straight after Game Day while two players discussed teammates contract negotiations.
It was juicy stuff but I can’t say I paid too much attention because when you’re a normal civilian in a state of undress with AFL footballers who are also getting changed, you’re too be busy being cripplingly insecure about your body to listen to details.
3. We’re all still just footy fans.
During the preliminary final last year when Mason Cox was destroying Richmond, many text messages were being sent around The Front Bar staff.
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You’d think they were about Collingwood and how this affects the following Thursday’s Grand Final episode but they were universally about how much we were going to tease Mick Molloy.
After we film Front Bar we usually all have a beer in the green room while we debrief about the show.
It’s usually pretty relaxed. One night we had Malcolm Blight and Leigh Matthews on. They both stuck around and the entire staff sat back and watched while Leigh and Malcolm held court with anecdotes and opinions on coaching tactics that blew our minds.
We felt like kids at Christmas. It was the best night ever.
4. The worst thing is when players you hate turn out to be good people.
Like any normal person I have a healthy disdain for the Hawthorn Football Club. Their players and fans reek of arrogance (albeit well deserved arrogance).
On one of my first spots on Game Day I met Luke Hodge, the leader of that horrible team.
He was positively charming and we chatted for fifteen minutes about family, footy and life in general.
He’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. What a prick.
Now when I see footage of him winning flags for the Hawks I almost feel happy for him.
5. The most important people never get the credit they deserve.
In footy clubs, the players get all the accolades, even though there are literally hundreds of people who work hard behind the scenes.
From the club Doctors, the Financial Controllers to the Group Relationships Managers. It’s the same in TV shows.
Game Day Series Producer Matt Gray gets into work at 5am every Sunday, even the morning after his Tigers had broken a 37 year premiership drought.
Associate producer Tara Carlon is like Morgan Freeman in Shawshank, anything you need — she can get.
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You want to film something on a netball court? Bang — she’ll make a phone call and get you the State Netball Centre and a genuine Australian Diamonds uniform within fifteen minutes.
Front Bar’s vision producer Johnny Taranto can watch any footage and find something funny about it like a needle in a haystack.
Both shows have a full team that works about 60 hours a week doing everything including researching guests, finding vision, booking equipment, writing jokes, sourcing props … the list
could literally go on for pages.
I’ve just done some basic calculations and every minute you watch on television has taken about three hours of work to produce.
All these people deserve Brownlows but will settle for ratings.
Please watch Game Day and Front Bar. Especially if you have a ratings box.
6. You can get sick of footy.
I’ll admit after the Grand Final I’m a little relieved it’s over. I cherish not having to devote my whole weekend to watching all nine matches. I’m grateful for a break.
That usually lasts about a week and a half. Then I want footy to come back.
Danny McGinlay works behind the scenes on The Front Bar andon camera for Game Day.
Twitter @dannymcginlay Instagram @danny.mcginlay
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