Brownlow medal winner axed in Channel 7 AFL ‘cyclone’

One of the first casualties in the AFL TV landscape shake up has dropped with a footy great amongst the “collateral damage”.

The armchair experts team in 2022. Photo: Twitter, @7AFL.

Channel 7 has axed its popular post-match show ahead of the network’s biggest football shake-up in recent memory.

Seven has sent shockwaves across the footy media industry with an aggressive push to capture the mid-week football content market.

One of the first casualties from the shake up has been Seven’s Armchair Experts, host Adam Cooney revealed on Tuesday.

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The Brownlow medal winner was happy to crack jokes about the Friday night show’s demise when speaking on his SEN Breakfast radio show.

“Who would’ve thought that show wouldn’t run forever. It is a sad day. The Armchair Experts are no more,” he said.

“Seven years. We started on digital. We started out on Twitter and eventually we got to broadcast.”

Armchair Experts, Adam Cooney and Cam Luke.

The former Western Bulldogs star fronted the program alongside commentator Cam Luke and the line-up went through several changes in recent years.

Former Dockers player Tom Sheridan and former Brisbane Lions AFLW star Kate McCarthy joined the show in 2024.

Former Hockeyroos star Georgie Parker left the show to join Channel 9 this year.

SEN co-host Sam Edmund light-heartedly suggested to Cooney he had been “collateral damage” in the “cyclone and vortex that is Channel 7”.

Seven has been on a raiding mission in recent months with former Channel 9 Footy Classified host Craig Hutchison the latest name be confirmed as a defector.

Kane Cornes, Nick Riewoldt and Caroline Wilson have also made the move to Seven.

Cooney joked Seven’s new signings cost him his job.

The armchair experts team in 2022. Photo: Twitter, @7AFL.

“I’m just a victim of some of my colleagues here (at SEN) coming in and taking the cash,” he said.

“Hutchy puts a little bit of tucker on my table, but then he’s taken a bit off.”

Hutchison remains CEO of SEN.

Cooney also poked fun at Cornes, one of SEN’s biggest stars.

Cooney clarified he refers to Cornes as “the Olympic torch” because the Port Adelaide great “never goes out”.

“The Olympic flame. He’s just taking everyone’s jobs,” he said.

“He comes over here and he’s taken our jobs. Go back to where you came from Kane.”

Cornes is expected to have a big role in Seven’s footy operations and will co-host the network’s new ‘Agenda Setters’ show which will air on Monday night’s with Hutchison.

The show will also feature on Tuesdays with a different team.

Seven is also rolling the dice with another football program ‘Unfiltered’ that will be screened on Wednesday nights alongside the popular ‘Front Bar’ hosted by Mick Molloy.

Hamish McLachlan will host the new Wednesday night project.

And then there as one. Picture: Channel 9

Hutchison’s production company Rainmaker will be producing several of the new AFL programs on Seven.

He will be forced to cut all ties with Nine as a result.

Nine’s most eye-catching move has been the hiring of Essendon great James Hird.

One of the biggest moves announced recently was Fox Footy’s coup in signing up legendary AFL/VFL star turned four-time premiership coach Leigh Matthews.

Four-time premiership player Shaun Burgoyne and Geelong champion Tom Hawkins will also join Fox Footy’s commentary team in 2025.

During the 2025 AFL season, Fox Footy commentary and production will be available on all games for the first time along with no ad-breaks during play.

With Fox Footy able to commentate all nine games each round, it’s expected the likes of Gerard Whateley and Matt Hill will call games on the network.

Originally published as Brownlow medal winner axed in Channel 7 AFL ‘cyclone’