Channel 7 commentator pulls trigger on plan to ‘disappear’

A popular Channel 7 football commentator is not messing around when it comes to his plans to “disappear” in a huge blow for the network.

BT, Bruce and Hamish, - Channel 7 commentary team. Picture: Wayne Ludbey.

Channel 7 commentator Hamish McLachlan is not messing around when it comes to his plans to “disappear”.

McLachlan is blowing up his life and moving his family to Europe, despite his career on the rise as one of the most popular callers in football.

The 48-year-old, who is the brother of former AFL boss Gillon McLachlan, says his decision to move his life to another continent for 12 months was made easier by Channel 7 losing the broadcast rights for next year’s Paris Olympics.

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McLachlan first announced the news of his departure last month as part of sweeping changes to the network’s football team.

He’s now pulled the trigger on the move and will be leaving in December for his trip of a lifetime.

McLachlan is committed to finishing his commitments with Channel 7 next year, but won’t be planning any additional gigs despite his wide open 2024 calendar.

Australian viewers will get a chance to see McLachlan on our screens for the first three rounds of the 2024 AFL season in March — as well as the Brownlow Medal count and the 2024 Grand Final.

He is also returning in January for a brief appearance as part of Channel 7’s coverage of the Magic Millions horse racing carnival on the Gold Coast.

Hamish McLachlan, Patrick Dangerfield and Jobe Watson pre game on Channel 7. Pic: Michael Klein.

From there he is as free as a bird and admits to having some concerns about eventually settling back into his normal life in 2025.

Before then, however, he has a once-in-a-lifetime sabbatical with his family to enjoy.

The whole family — wife Sophie and their children Milla, 11, Indi, 9 and Lexi, 7 — are along for the ride.

McLachlan told SEN Breakfast on Friday morning he will be living in Switzerland for five months where his children will be attending an international school.

They are then locked in to spending seven months in Mougins, a small country town in the south of France.

The children will also be attending school during the stay.

“I’m going to disappear, December,” McLachlan said.

“You know my two girls and boy. Well Milla is going into her last days of primary school. And I spoke to a few people recently and they said their biggest regret was not having a year where they sort of immersed themselves with their family.

“So I got lucky on a couple of things and not really that lucky that Nine took the Olympics so it’s a bit of an open year next year. So I’m going to disappear in December.

“We’re going to have five months in Switzerland and our kids will go to a local school there. I’m going to go for a surf with a mate for two weeks. He runs a travel company. And then we’re going to go to France, Mougins. Which is a tiny little town.

Rebecca Maddern and Hamish McLachlan AFL Grand Final lunch held at Crown Casino Palladium. Picture: Jason Edwards

Mel McLaughlin and Hamish McLachlan co-hosting channel Sevens coverage of the Rio Olympics.

“They’re going to go to a school there for seven months. And then when we get back I’ve got a kid in secondary school until 2034. So it’s the only year I could really go.”

He said his wife did all the planning.

“This is a trip to make a lifetime of memories,” he said.

“When we get back I can’t remember an opportunity when we could get more than four or six weeks together.”

McLachlan earlier joked to The Herald Sun that his brother Gill will be able to cut his grass while he’s overseas because the former AFL chief executive is unemployed, having stepped down from his position this year.

Losing the Olympics to Nine may be the best thing that ever happens to the Channel 7 star.

In February, Nine outbid Seven and will broadcast the next five Olympics — the 2024 Paris Games, LA in 2028, and Brisbane 2032, as well as winter Games in Milan 2026 and the as-yet unannounced 2030 event — in a $305m Channel 9 coup.

His disappearing act comes at a time when Channel 7 has also said goodbye to leading football journalist Tom Browne.

Mitch Cleary has been promoted to a position as the network’s chief football reporter.

South Australia’s Theo Doropoulos has also been brought in as Cleary’s deputy.

Browne resigned in July, but finished up at the end of the season.

The high-profile reporter left the role for one outside the footy industry, moving to Sydney to join MA Financial Group, a private sector firm owned by Sydney Swans chairman Andrew Pridham.