Media Street: Trent Cotchin, Joel Selwood to be a part of Talking Footy’s return in 2024

After copping criticism for its lack of football analysis shows, Channel 7 will resurrect a TV favourite in 2024 – and it will join The Front Bar in a bumper mid-week double-header.

Thirty years after it first went to air, Channel 7 is resurrecting Talking Footy for a third time.

After copping criticism for its lack of football analysis shows, the AFL’s free-to-air broadcaster is giving a new look to an old favourite for 2024.

The move comes off the back of the success of Talking Finals last year which was launched during the bye before the start of the AFL finals series.

Premierships captains Joel Selwood and Trent Cotchin were the stars of the show which was hosted by former Channel 9 Footy Show host James Brayshaw and also included Essendon great Tim Watson.

The same line-up is expected to return while new chief football reporter Mitch Cleary will again also have a role.

Former Richmond captain Trent Cotchin is set to be a part of a new-look Talking Footy this season. Picture: Danielle Smith

In a strategic move, Talking Footy will go to air at 9.30pm on Wednesdays, straight off the back of the hugely popular Front Bar show which has become one of the network’s biggest success stories.

Due to the increasing number of Thursday night games, the Front Bar is switching permanently to the mid-week timeslot.

Talking Footy was Channel Seven’s original flagship football program, starting back in 1994 with legendary commentator Bruce McAvaney at the helm alongside regular panellists Leigh Matthews, Malcolm Blight and Herald Sun chief football writer Mike Sheahan.

Mike Sheahan, Bruce McAvaney and Leigh Matthews during the show’s early years.

Its first stint lasted 10 years before it was put on ice and then revived again for the 2013 finals series, when it was hosted again by McAvaney and included Luke Darcy and Wayne Carey.

The following year Darcy took over as the main host alongside Carey and other Seven commentators Brian Taylor and Watson.

Unfortunately, Talking Footy and Seven’s Sunday review show Game Day were axed in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.

As part of the new TV rights deal which was signed in 2022, the AFL made it clear they wanted more content outside of match days from Seven.

Stefanie Rezzara, right, has launched her own PR company. Picture: Richard Gosling

HOT SHOT GOES OUT ON HER OWN

Some movement in the football publicity world with popular Fox Sports PR Stefanie Rezzara going out on her own.

One of the most well-connected operators in the game, Rezzara has been with Fox Sports/Fox Footy for almost seven years.

She has now launched her own company Hot Shot PR where she will focus on the sports and entertainment industry.

NOTHING TO SEE HERE

Which freelance TV host tried to run interference on a major developing sports story, aggressively batting it away as “no big deal”? The move ended up going about as well as the subject of the story did on their big night out on the tiles.