By Jon Pierik
The battle between Seven, Nine and Foxtel for football eyeballs has escalated with Footy Classified switching nights.
A Nine spokesman confirmed on Tuesday that Classified will now air on Monday and Tuesday nights, the latter replacing the Wednesday night edition which had been hosted by Eddie McGuire.
James Hird, Nine’s fresh signing, will appear alongside McGuire on the Tuesday night version.
Making a splash: James Hird has joined Footy Classified.Credit: via Getty Images
Hird replaces former Essendon teammate Matthew Lloyd, who had been seen on both nights, but will now appear only on Monday.
Geelong great Jimmy Bartel and journalist Damian Barrett will move from Wednesday to Tuesday.
The Tuesday Classified is likely to go head-to-head against Kane Cornes’ new show on Seven.
Cornes, the Port Adelaide great who has become a prominent commentator, host Craig Hutchison and veteran journalist Caroline Wilson were controversially poached from Nine in September.
The decision to leave Wednesday nights means Classified does not have to compete with Seven’s ratings winner, The Front Bar, which features comedians Mick Molloy and Sam Pang.
As reported by this masthead, former Adelaide Crows captain Rory Sloane is weighing up an offer to replace Cornes on the Monday night edition of Classified. Industry sources who did not wish to comment publicly because of commercial sensitivities said former West Coast Eagles coach Adam Simpson had also been in the frame to replace Cornes.
The Nine spokesman said the panel for the Monday night Classified was still being worked through. Nine’s chief football reporter, Tom Morris, is the frontrunner to replace Wilson, according to industry sources.
Fox Footy is also working through its new-look AFL 360 program, after journalist Mark Robinson was axed. Melbourne great Garry Lyon, a long-time prominent commentator, has been approached to replace Robinson. Should Lyon leave, a new host for On the Couch will need to be found. Former St Kilda star Leigh Montagna had been considered for the role, an industry source who did not wish to be named, said.
Hird is a proven media performer, having spent several years on The Footy Show when he was playing with Essendon, and on Fox Footy’s On the Couch before he became Bombers’ coach.
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