Radio Call of the Game

[bornadog]

I rarely listen to any bulldogs games on the radio but yesterday due to other commitments, I wasn't at the game and was forced to listen on the radio (on my drive back from Warrnambool)

First I found 3AW on the dial (via a local country radio Station). Rex was calling the game with Tony Leonard. Rex has got to be the worst caller of footy on the dial. Every second word is "Here Comes so and so" or its a long long ball. Had no idea where the ball was, ie in our half or Carlton's or in the centre. Tony is marginally better and with a voice that is one tone boring. These guys ought to listen to themselves and I sure as hell didn't have a clue what was going on.

At quarter time I found MMM with Dunstall and Crawford and they sounded like they were calling the footy for TV as there was no description of the game for long periods as they discussed the game amongst themselves. Example, after a goal, they discussed what happened for a long period, meanwhile the game has started and all of a sudden the ball is in the forward line?? It was like they thought we had vision of the game and it was less descriptive than Channel 7 or 10.

I found the radio very very frustrating to listen to. If I do listen to radio its normally 774 but they were doing the Geelong match.

Has any one else found this?

[aker39]

I had to listen to 3AW for the North game and it was appaling.

As you said, Rex is the worst caller going around.

[azabob]

I rarely listen to any bulldogs games on the radio but yesterday due to other commitments, I wasn't at the game and was forced to listen on the radio (on my drive back from Warrnambool)

First I found 3AW on the dial (via a local country radio Station). Rex was calling the game with Tony Leonard. Rex has got to be the worst caller of footy on the dial. Every second word is "Here Comes so and so" or its a long long ball. Had no idea where the ball was, ie in our half or Carlton's or in the centre. Tony is marginally better and with a voice that is one tone boring. These guys ought to listen to themselves and I sure as hell didn't have a clue what was going on.

At quarter time I found MMM with Dunstall and Crawford and they sounded like they were calling the footy for TV as there was no description of the game for long periods as they discussed the game amongst themselves. Example, after a goal, they discussed what happened for a long period, meanwhile the game has started and all of a sudden the ball is in the forward line?? It was like they thought we had vision of the game and it was less descriptive than Channel 7 or 10.

I found the radio very very frustrating to listen to. If I do listen to radio its normally 774 but they were doing the Geelong match.
Has any one else found this?

Bornadog you were better off listening to the geelong game and just getting score updates.
In all seriousness the AFL and "Radio Rights" have screwed over the 774, because they can't affoard the big dollars like 3AW and MMM they have to call the second rate games apparently its a compromise. Not like the good old days where match of the day was rotated around 774, 3AW and MMM. You don't have to pay us as much as the other 3 but you can't have the choice of what game you call. It doesnt matter that you broadcast into every state into Australia and reaching majority of country regions of Australia.
774 doesn't make money from the football as they dont have advertising on their station so why should they "pay for the previlage" of calling AFL around the country?

[Remi Moses]

Did anyone listen to that gossip journo Caroline yesterday whining on how AW get dudded by the radio rights. Wilson was saying that AW might not be able to bid for the next radio rights.Shen then proceeded to blow wind up the anus of employer by stating that Aw were the innovaters of radio calling. PLEEEEEEEEEEASE!

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

I rarely listen to any bulldogs games on the radio but yesterday due to other commitments, I wasn't at the game and was forced to listen on the radio (on my drive back from Warrnambool)

First I found 3AW on the dial (via a local country radio Station). Rex was calling the game with Tony Leonard. Rex has got to be the worst caller of footy on the dial. Every second word is "Here Comes so and so" or its a long long ball. Had no idea where the ball was, ie in our half or Carlton's or in the centre. Tony is marginally better and with a voice that is one tone boring. These guys ought to listen to themselves and I sure as hell didn't have a clue what was going on.

At quarter time I found MMM with Dunstall and Crawford and they sounded like they were calling the footy for TV as there was no description of the game for long periods as they discussed the game amongst themselves. Example, after a goal, they discussed what happened for a long period, meanwhile the game has started and all of a sudden the ball is in the forward line?? It was like they thought we had vision of the game and it was less descriptive than Channel 7 or 10.

I found the radio very very frustrating to listen to. If I do listen to radio its normally 774 but they were doing the Geelong match.

Has any one else found this?


Totally agree. I had to listen to the radio due to the game not being shown live in Brisbane. Several times I could hear the crowd roaring, indicating something was happening in the play.. only to hear Crawf and Dunstall wax on about something not directly linked to the play. Was very annoying.

[AndrewP6]

Not a big fan of listening to games on radio..you're at the mercy of whatever the "experts" think... at least on telly you can make your own mind up. I'd rather watch a game on delay than listen to it on radio.

[bornadog]

Totally agree. I had to listen to the radio due to the game not being shown live in Brisbane. Several times I could hear the crowd roaring, indicating something was happening in the play.. only to hear Crawf and Dunstall wax on about something not directly linked to the play. Was very annoying.

My exact point. Yes I forgot they had the crowd noise higher than the commentating.

[bornadog]

Not a big fan of listening to games on radio..you're at the mercy of whatever the "experts" think... at least on telly you can make your own mind up. I'd rather watch a game on delay than listen to it on radio.

I agree, unfortunately I was in the car driving home from the country side.

[AndrewP6]

I agree, unfortunately I was in the car driving home from the country side.

Having sat through that rubbish yesterday, I'd almost rather be in that car! :)
I had the same last year, when we played the Bombers late in the season. Listened to it driving to Shepparton. And we thumped 'em too!

[ledge]

I have clicked on the AFL site for live games at times , you know the little diagram with lines going across ground showing goals etc, its better than nothing and no crapping on.

[The Coon Dog]

Lobbying starts for radio footy deals (http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25384765-19742,00.html)

MELBOURNE radio giant 3AW has fired the first shot in the radio football rights battle, revealing its frustration at the deal handed to the ABC last time around.

With the rights set to expire at season's end, 3AW general manager Graham Mott this week said the station was "dudded" by the AFL over the last deal.

"The concessions that were made to the ABC were inappropriate, in my opinion," Mott said.

In the last deal, the ABC won the right to broadcast five matches across the country as well as all finals and public holiday matches, and any game involving clubs from outside Victoria, for less money than the commercial stations.

"(The AFL) were asking the commercial stations to pay a large sum of money and then you're giving it to the ABC for a very small sum of money plus making concessions," Mott said.

The ABC has hit back, saying the deal was being overstated.

"We didn't feel we got that great a deal," ABC editor of radio sport Peter Longman said.

The AFL and radio broadcasters have started negotiations ahead of the end of the current contract cycle at the completion of this season.

Mott said the game is no longer the cash cow it once was.

"I don't think anything is worth what it was two years ago," he said.

"If you look at the value of any business -- the value of shares, the stock market, banks -- there's no way you could say it was worth more than it was two years ago."

Mott said 3AW were keen to do the footy again, but had not ruled out ending its association with the game. "At the end of the day you've got to put a price on what you think it's worth to your overall business and we wouldn't be there if we thought we were priced out," he said.

Asked if 3AW could live without football, Mott said: "I'm sure that we can, but I'd prefer not to."

Could the AFL live without 3AW?

"That's a great question," Mott said. "I'm sure they'd puff their chest out and say they could but I don't know that they'd want to be in that position.

"The footy has been a tradition on 3AW for a long, long time and we'd like it to be there. All things considered, with the tough economic times, well make a sensible decision."

[LostDoggy]

I like listening to Rex as he's good entertainment but I'm actually at the game - would hate to not be watching and trying to follow his call.

[Cyberdoggie]

I had a listen to the end of the Pies/Dons game, and i flicked through MMM, SEN and ended up on 3lo as i had no idea what the commentators where talking about in the last few minutes. MMM basically had 4 commentators just roaring into their mic's without actually talking. So i switched to SEN and they were doing something similar but it was Dermie's voice, so i switched again to 3lo to actually hear people speak english.

[alwaysadog]

I feel so sorry for 3AW I think we should all chip in to help them out. But the sort of out I'd like is out of the country, but I'll only pay if they promise to take sour puss with them.

If they don't want to continue with the AFL good riddance, they have been very popular because they pander to a very low level of intellect, no... to no intellect at all. It's not the mass media it's the crass media.

[craigsahibee]

I had a listen to the end of the Pies/Dons game, and i flicked through MMM, SEN and ended up on 3lo as i had no idea what the commentators where talking about in the last few minutes. MMM basically had 4 commentators just roaring into their mic's without actually talking. So i switched to SEN and they were doing something similar but it was Dermie's voice, so i switched again to 3lo to actually hear people speak english.

Agree. I was at the local footy listening to MMM broadcast the end of Collingwood vs Essendon and I had to rely on the body language of an Essendon supporter standing near me to work out who won.

[ledge]

Its obviously a problem trying to make TV commentators radio commentators, Radio commentary is something you have to work on, because these blokes come from TV they dont think that they have to call the picture as well.
The Radio stations need to remind these callers the listeners are blind.

[alwaysadog]

Its obviously a problem trying to make TV commentators radio commentators, Radio commentary is something you have to work on, because these blokes come from TV they dont think that they have to call the picture as well.
The Radio stations need to remind these callers the listeners are blind.

That's true ledge but even worse is the hopeless radio commentator aka R Walls who never tells you what's going on when he is on the radio and when he is on TV tells you in the simplest terms what your eyes have just witnessed.

When I have been overseas either in Europe or the States the quality of the comments is awesome; so why do we have blonks employed to cover our football?

I know there will always be an audience when you dumb things down, ala Rexie, but there is equally a market when quality is available. I know its more demanding and lazy people don't survive in that milieu, but in a sport that demands so much of its players we owe them the respect of not having all their efforts reduced to the obvious and banal.

When will we stop pandering to the lowest common denominator?

[Sockeye Salmon]

When I have been overseas either in Europe or the States the quality of the comments is awesome; so why do we have blonks employed to cover our football?



Because they hire ex-footballers instead of professional callers/presenters.

[alwaysadog]

Because they hire ex-footballers instead of professional callers/presenters.

I'm not sure who the "they" is Sockeye. Is it the overseas callers or the local ones?

[bornadog]

I'm not sure who the "they" is Sockeye. Is it the overseas callers or the local ones?

Pretty sure he means the Local Stations (except 774)

[Griffo]

The AW commentators sound like a group of mates at the footy joking, laughing and having a good time and they all talk over each other. The problem for them is that the footy keeps getting in the way of the fun.

As for Mott's comments, I'd say he's laying the groundwork to get the rights as cheaply as possible.
AW won't bail out.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Pretty sure he means the Local Stations (except 774)

Yep, that's what I meant.

[alwaysadog]

Yep, that's what I meant.

I agree completely, just because someone was a star player means diddly when it comes to commentary; watching and analysing are such different skill sets to being at the heat of battle. That said the only other current recruiting area for commentators seems to be journalists and in most cases what they actually know as distinct from the love of the sound of their own voice, is usually in inverse proportion to the size of their ego.

That's why overseas is so much better viewers etc expect the sport to be the focus and the entertainment, and wouldn’t put up with competition from the sidelines.