‘So bad it was almost hard to believe’: Channel 7’s Brownlow coverage slammed

A FOOTY legend has joined a former club boss in slapping Channel 7 for a “cringe-worthy” fail in last night’s Brownlow coverage.

MONDAY night’s Brownlow Medal on Channel Seven dished up its fair share of controversies as it approached its long-awaited climax in awarding Dustin Martin with the game’s highest honour.

The official Mark of the Year and Goal of the year decisions raised a few eyebrows as Collingwood boss Eddie McGuire waded into the fray. The Footy Show host said he was “really disappointed” at the outcome and slammed the AFL for “letting the marketing department take over” awards.

“For it to go to a popular vote — i.e. whose got the most active cheer squad at any one stage ... Can we leave commercial activity out of it for five minutes? It was embarrassing last night, he said on Triple M’s The Hot Breakfast.

Despite the swath of award upsets at footy’s polarising night of nights, David Schwarz had something more infuriating on his mind.

“I watched the whole coverage and almost wished I hadn’t,” he told SEN’s The Run Home Tuesday afternoon.

Dusty pulled home the Brownlow, but it was an awkward affair.

“It was the most wooden and cumbersome piece of television I’ve ever seen. It was almost so bad it was hard to believe.”

Schwarz also took McGuire’s side in slamming the AFL for allowing the public to vote on the best grab of the year.

“It’s just ridiculous how Jeremy Howe did not win mark of the year and how it can be voted upon by the public,” he said.

For some viewers, TV legend Bruce McAvaney’s theatrics with Dustin Martin, a dodgy PA system for the night’s musical number and consistent ad-breaks were all a little too much too handle.

Former St Kilda club boss Brian Waldron joined Schwarz in slapping the network for its coverage.

“Whoever produced that show needs to get the arse too, because it was rubbish,” he said on SEN’s Hungry For Sport.

“It was cringe-worthy to have Bruce come over Dusty’s shoulder like a creepy clown. It was just terrible. Just get through the votes then let him (Martin) get up there and talk.

“The presentation started and set the scene right from the start — we went to Dami Im singing and we couldn’t hear her — and that sums up the night. It was just crap.”

The night had a pair of saviours though, according to Waldron.

“Dusty Martin and Patrick Dangerfield,” he said. “Thank the good lord for them. They were outstanding last night.”

‘Thank the good lord for them’