Eddie McGuire will make comeback as caller with Fox Footy

Eddie McGuire is making his comeback as a footy caller this weekend, but explains that he won’t be commentating Collingwood games.

Eddie McGuire will return to the commentary box. Picture: AAP Image/Michael Dodge

A re-energised Eddie McGuire will make his comeback as a footy caller with Fox Footy at Saturday’s Carlton-Brisbane match.

But the experienced broadcaster doesn’t expect to be calling Magpies games any time soon.

McGuire shocked the footy world with his resignation as Collingwood president after more than 20 years in the role in early February.

At his outgoing press conference, he explained how he had asked his media employers for some time off to “regroup and heal” following the end of his presidency.

But the 56-year-old told the Herald Sun on Wednesday he was now refreshed and raring to go for Saturday’s clash – as well as the next phase of his media life.

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Eddie McGuire is refreshed after a break from the media landscape. Picture: Mackenzie Sweetnam/Getty Images

“I needed a break; it was a pretty tough time,” McGuire said of his Pies’ departure.

“I also wanted to put a gap between being the Collingwood president and the next time I called a game of footy.

“It’s business as usual now. It is a natural thing for me to be back calling.

“I eased my way back in through Footy Classified. Now I’m ready to start calling again and I will get back to hosting (on Fox Footy) in the next couple of weeks.”

This Saturday will mark the first time McGuire will have called an AFL game without also being Collingwood president since calling the 1998 Grand Final for Triple M.

He won’t be calling Collingwood games – at least initially – saying he doesn’t want it to become “too much of a circus”.

“I just want to call games,” he said. “I don’t think there is any value in that for anybody.”

“But if down the track they (Fox Sports) wanted me to go back to calling (Collingwood games), I’d do it.

“No one has any issues with Jason Dunstall calling footy games and there are blokes who are footy directors of clubs who are calling every week.”

Fox Sports executive director Steve Crawley welcomed McGuire’s return to the microphone.

“You can see why Eddie has been such a success, he has never lost that enthusiasm (for calling matches),” Crawley said.

McGuire calling the footy from the Channel 9 commentary box back in 2002.

“When we spoke over the last few days about him returning to calling, he was so excited. It is a big part of television – to want to be there, so we are looking forward to having him back.”

McGuire got his first “press pass” to attend football matches as part of the media in 1978, when he was still at school.

At the time he was helping to file the match statistics through to the newspaper, while his brother, Frank, was covering games as a journalist back then.

“I made my name as a caller and as a journalist in footy a long time ago,” he said. “I am not going back to being a reporter, but I can go back to call the games.”

“I’ve called a lot of games, with Fox Footy, Nine and Triple M and I even called a couple of games with SEN for a while there.

“I am really looking forward to getting back into the commentary box again with Dwayne (Russell) and I think with Jason Dunstall and Nick Riewoldt – without the drama of walking in and being asked about what’s going on at the Pies. ”