Commentators

[Twodogs]

Footy clubs are always changing over their lists in order to improve. They turn over the dead wood and bring fresh players from outside. If a player is blantantly not up to it, other clubs dont tend to pick them up.


Why isnt the same standard imposed for commentators? For example on saturday Tony Shaw not once, but twice, referred to a players 'second sense'. Now I dont know about Tony but I have four senses and I dont know how far I'd get as a player, or in life, if I only used one of them. Tony also mentioned that it might be time for the swans to start using tactics and this was in the third quarter! Had they just been running atround like headless chooks until then? What was John Longmire doing with the headset in the first half? Taking orders at the McDonalds drive through presumably.


I also heard a peice of play where Harbrow went to Lynch who kicked it across to Faulkner-the commentery went something like "Harbrow to the his fellow first gamer who kicks it to another one"-another what? First gamer, Aboriginal? Bulldog player? What?

David Parkin, who I've always had a lot of time for, really struggled and at one stage in the third quarter waffled on about players not even playing being involved in the play.

I dont even want to mention Dwayne Russell's commentary, except to say it was abysmal.



Why do we see the same tired, old faces-and voices-year after year

[Dry Rot]

It's endemic - look at the tools that call the cricket for Ch 9.

Alternatively follow the Swans - you can go to a pub especially to watch a game, then talk so loudly among your friends that you can't the commentators at all. Problem solved.

[Raw Toast]

On Channel Seven I quite like Commetti and McAveney commentating together, though Bruce will be better for the run. Can't understand what made them go with Watson and Schwarze as 'special' commentators though. And then they put in about a 2 second delay so that any attempt to listen to the radio commentary while watching was painful.

Did quite like the camera shot from high above - would be even better on a widescreen I suspect...

[aker39]

Tony Shaw is a shocker.

He is even worse on 3AW.

The ox struggled.

[southerncross]

David Parkin really struggled and Colbert is not a natural at all. Fairly insipid performance but the Fox crew on Saturday.

[southerncross]

By the way what did everyone think of SEN's effort over the weekend?
I found it dead boring and thought Dermott has gone backwards at an alarming rate.
Some say Dermie's special comments are for the footy purists but I think he needs to keep it focused on the game rather than trying to over complicate things.

[Twodogs]

David Parkin really struggled .


That really suprised me. His work on 774ABC the last few seasons has been top notch-him and Stan Alves and Mark mcLure have easily been the gun special comment guys for the last few years.


Parkin looked and sounded very, very old on saturday. Hopefully it was just an off day.

[Twodogs]

By the way what did everyone think of SEN's effort over the weekend?
I found it dead boring and thought Dermott has gone backwards at an alarming rate.
Some say Dermie's special comments are for the footy purists but I think he needs to keep it focused on the game rather than trying to over complicate things.


I must be one of the few who find Dermie enjoyable. I liked how he could stay a step ahead off the play because it's hard to do on TV and I find it frustrating. At least with Dermie doing it foe you, it was less frustrating to watch.

[GVGjr]

That really suprised me. His work on 774ABC the last few seasons has been top notch-him and Stan Alves and Mark mcLure have easily been the gun special comment guys for the last few years.


Parkin looked and sounded very, very old on saturday. Hopefully it was just an off day.

I agree because it was a real shock. It didn't start well when he was looking at the wrong camera for what seemed like 2 mins.

Like you I enjoyed his work on the ABC but Saturdays effort was a shocker and he even got the names wrong a few times.

[bornadog]

I really enjoy the ABC commentary, they have a real professionalism about them. I can't stand match day listening to REX, half the time I don't know where the ball is and as for all the screaming......its a joke. When it comes to footy, I am deadly serious, which means I don't like any comedians.

As for TV commentary, I don't know why people rate Denis Commeti highly and Bruce has had his day, he sounds old now.

Time to bring on some new young guns.

[Raw Toast]

I'm also generally a fan of the ABC commentary. Their Friday night line up of Tim Lane, Gerad Wheightley (?), David Parkin and Peter Schwab is often excellent imo. Drew Morphett annoys me though (commentates radio as if it was tv), and while I generally like Dan Lonergan, he tends to get v pessimistic when calling dogs games which frustrates the hades out of me.

Mark McClure's grown on me, didn't like him much at the start. Stan Alves is generally v good and I like the way he gets so involved in it all. I also like Jarrod Malloy and Simon Garlick who think about things a bit and can surprise you, though no great fan of Aussie Jones.

The Coodabeens can be fun on Saturday morning, and I like some of their callers, but I avoid them at all costs any other time.

The ABC were pretty pathetic, however, in their coverage of the Dogs v Sydney game. V pro Sydney coverag with Jarrod Crouch as their 'special' comments - nearly drove me crazy listening to it all.

[Twodogs]

Mark McClure's grown on me, didn't like him much at the start.

I like McClure. If he has an opinion he'll state it and often has a slant that no-one else has thought of. If he has nothing to say then he says nothing-I like that


Stan Alves is generally v good and I like the way he gets so involved in it all. I also like Jarrod Malloy and Simon Garlick who think about things a bit and can surprise you, though no great fan of Aussie Jones.


Alves gets very enthuisiastic about footy and his love for the game is palbable-but he really needs to stop saying "and things like that" at the end of every sentence.

[aker39]

On Friday nights, if it is a game that I am not that interested in, I won't bother waiting to 8.30 for it to come on TV (usually 8.50 by the time it starts). I just turn on the ABC and listen to a very professional team. They have a good mix with Tim Lane being one of the best callers going around.

I normally listen to 3AW on a Saturday morning and pre game, but I can't stand their call.

I'm glad that SEN has come on board as it's given me another option. I thought they did ok on the weekend, especially BEVA on Sunday.

[Go_Dogs]

I often stream the radio online for interstate games, unless I can get them on the radio. I don't mind listening in some times.

[bornadog]

and while I generally like Dan Lonergan, he tends to get v pessimistic when calling dogs games which frustrates the hades out of me.

.

Agree with your comemnts on Dan, god he is such a pessimist, I don't know how he lives with himself.

[Twodogs]

Agree with your comemnts on Dan, god he is such a pessimist, I don't know how he lives with himself.


He cracks the sulks something shocking.

[Sockeye Salmon]

He cracks the sulks something shocking.

Ever seen yourself at a game where we're losing?

[bornadog]

Ever seen yourself at a game where we're losing?

yes and that is why I NEVER go to the footy with supporters of other teams. I avoid those invitations at all costs..................... too one eyed I am afraid.:D

[Twodogs]

Ever seen yourself at a game where we're losing?


:D



All that yelling I do doesnt qualify me as a commentator though and as much as I'd like to be known as a 'chilled out entertainer', I think I'm probably more of an abusive bastard.

[alwaysadog]

I must be one of the few who find Dermie enjoyable. I liked how he could stay a step ahead off the play because it's hard to do on TV and I find it frustrating. At least with Dermie doing it foe you, it was less frustrating to watch.

I like Dermie but he feeds his focus off who he is partnered with. If he's with a fool he often doesn't do too much insightful stuff. When he used to be partnered with Alan Jeans on cable TV he was great, but Jeansie would not have put up with less than Dermie's best. Now... did Jeansie have a mighty capacity to explain the game and all the fluctuations etc..

[AndrewP6]

James Hird - the President and Chief Executive Officer of the "Stating The Bleeding Obvious" Club...

[alwaysadog]

James Hird - the President and Chief Executive Officer of the "Stating The Bleeding Obvious" Club...

Gee that's big news, when did R Walls pass over the baton, I know M Sheehan, the Senior VP, resigned recently and joined the Old Whingers Anonymous group with whom he had flirted for many, many years, after the Bennie Gale didn't tell me his secret meltdown.

I'm surprised that Wallseye gave up the position without a fight and that someone as relatively junior as Jimboy has taken over the reins. After all it's a club with a huge entrenched membership, in fact untill you are a fully paid up member you are not allowed to do TV work.

I know that very ocassionally a member ignores club rules and says or writes something that is either interesting or properly researched and is disciplined depending on the seriousness of the transgression by being made to listen to between 5 -and 50 hours of old Wallseye tapes .

[AndrewP6]

Gee that's big news, when did R Walls pass over the baton, I know M Sheehan, the Senior VP, resigned recently and joined the Old Whingers Anonymous group with whom he had flirted for many, many years, after the Bennie Gale didn't tell me his secret meltdown.

I'm surprised that Wallseye gave up the position without a fight and that someone as relatively junior as Jimboy has taken over the reins. After all it's a club with a huge entrenched membership, in fact untill you are a fully paid up member you are not allowed to do TV work.

I know that very ocassionally a member ignores club rules and says or writes something that is either interesting or properly researched and is disciplined depending on the seriousness of the transgression by being made to listen to between 5 -and 50 hours of old Wallseye tapes .

:D My call may have been slightly hasty... but listening to the big goof today -
30-odd points down, "St Kilda need a goal here"
after a turnover "That's an error"...

[AndrewP6]

Now that St Kilda have finally lost a game, Gerard Healy and James Hird are busy making excuses - "The streak means nothing", and this pearler - "Riewoldt had to put up with a lot of noise from the crowd when taking that kick"...

pathetic...

[alwaysadog]

:D My call may have been slightly hasty... but listening to the big goof today -
30-odd points down, "St Kilda need a goal here"
after a turnover "That's an error"...

I acknowledge young Jimbo, for whom I once held higher hopes, is making an (in)auspicious start and is earmarked for one of club's “Young achiever in senselessness awards”.

After some of his classics today, which you have unfortunately brought back all too vividly to my consciousness, he should be in line for multiple nominations for one of the club’s higher awards, "The most eminently forgettable remark award".

But a more careful environmental scan reveals a host of long standing journos and commentators who have made a very profitable livelihood out of treating the football following public as complete dills, or at least as if they are of sub normal intelligence.

Such members are past recipients of the much sought after “Sustained contributions to journalism/commentating from an emotionally immature perspective awards", hello Caro and Mickey.

More pertinently Jimbo's former skipper, whose son played today, not only has seniority in the matter but is well ahead in the "Lifetime contribution to inanity award" which is usually a precursor to executive office in the club.

Which leads me to the enigma and the challenge; why do otherwise intelligent, OK moderately intelligent, human beings, utter such drivel whenever a microphone or keyboard appears… and in what ways should this board recognise their annual plumbing of the depths?

[alwaysadog]

Now that St Kilda have finally lost a game, Gerard Healy and James Hird are busy making excuses - "The streak means nothing", and this pearler - "Riewoldt had to put up with a lot of noise from the crowd when taking that kick"...

pathetic...

Andew, Andrew, I had neglected to mention the advanced status that one G Healy has in the club, and his continuing quality contributions, how can we let such genius go unrecognised?

If we do and we treat them with the same self importance they accord themselves we have no chance of ever getting the sort of analysis that you and I yearn for.

Humour is the lance that pricks the balloon of pomposity.

[AndrewP6]

Andew, Andrew, I had neglected to mention the advanced status that one G Healy has in the club, and his continuing quality contributions, how can we let such genius go unrecognised?

If we do and we treat them with the same self importance they accord themselves we have no chance of ever getting the sort of analysis that you and I yearn for.

Humour is the lance that pricks the balloon of pomposity.

:confused: Does that mean we can continue to poke fun at them?

[alwaysadog]

:confused: Does that mean we can continue to poke fun at them?

I don't know about the "continue", very few do that in my experience, but I think we should regard it as a duty, even a religious duty in the football sense.

[LostDoggy]

Such members are past recipients of the much sought after “Sustained contributions to journalism/commentating from an emotionally immature perspective awards", hello Caro and Mickey.


Oh God, I spat my morning cereal reading this. Funniest thing ever.. and so succinctly accurate, you have captured the phenomenon perfectly.