Riewoldt’s return: Saints great back in Australia for television role

Nick Riewoldt is the latest big football name to join Seven’s AFL coverage for next year.

Riewoldt will join departing Nine talent Kane Cornes, Caroline Wilson and Craig Hutchison at Seven in 2025.

St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt is joining Channel Seven’s commentaryteam for 2025.Credit: Getty Images

The former St Kilda champion, who retired as a player in 2017, will return to Australia for the new media gig after moving to his American wife Catherine’s home state of Texas with their three children at the end of 2022. Before his move to the US, he worked in a commentary role with Fox Footy.

While Riewoldt’s return has been welcomed with open arms from the team at Seven, the ongoing media shake-up has not gone down well with everyone. Speaking to Channel Nine’s Today on Thursday morning, Eddie McGuire labelled the departing Nine trio as “list-cloggers”.

“End of the season, you get rid of the list-cloggers, and you move the new superstars in,” McGuire said, prompting laughter from presenters Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo, along with a caution to be “careful”.

“And that’s what we’re doing. The Footy Classified with Caroline Wilson and Craig Hutchison. That started 18 years ago,” McGuire continued.

Footy Classified host Eddie McGuire.Credit: Nine

“We commissioned it when I was up in Sydney, actually. And it’s been fantastic. And it’s great that Channel Copycat is just taking something we’ve done for 18 years and putting it on air.

“So that’s OK. While they’re doing that, we’ll come up with something fresh, new and exciting for next year and do what we always do.”

Riewoldt will feature in Seven’s weekly AFL match broadcasts and soon-to-be-announced mid-week programming.

Ahead of his arrival at Seven, Riewoldt said: “After living in Cath’s hometown of Houston for two years, working full-time in stadium and event technology with PMY, we are all really looking forward to coming back to Melbourne and joining the Seven family.”

Seven’s head of AFL and sport innovation Gary O’Keeffe said Riewoldt was an invaluable addition to the team.

“Not only is Nick one of the industry’s most respected voices, he is also a natural leader and a brilliant football mind who brings an unbridled passion to his commentary,” O’Keeffe said.

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