Will the real footy show please stand up

Footy’s fourth estate is as rich as ever on TV, but maybe it’s time to put the old workhorse, the Channel 9 AFL Footy Show, to rest.

In the early years of the Footy Show, from circa 1994, it was compulsory viewing. In fact, it was the only TV program I regularly watched. It was lively, funny and issue driven.

Starved of AFL footage due to Channel Seven’s meagre rations, which only allowed footy action to be used on news bulletins, the Footy Show took the publication of league team lists to another level with a mix of current AFL stars discussing footy like the fans had never seen them.

Eddie McGuire really launched his career into orbit from behind the desk of the Footy Show. It’s strange now that, after leaving it, his career has bounced off the moon and crashed landed back in Melbourne.

Make no mistake: McGuire is an excellent football MC and TV host. It really is his calling. So like Captain Kirk in one of the Star Trek films, he should have never accepted the promotion and stayed on deck, a world he cradled in his hand.

It is perhaps no coincidence, though, that the Footy Show began to lose its lustre not long after Eddie took up the Collingwood presidency. All of a sudden there was a perception that Collingwood were being promoted above other clubs, or at worst, its wounds kept from the public.

It may be perception only, but long before he left the Footy Show, it lost respect amongst some footy followers.

McGuire had prided himself on being the first to a news story.

The early Footy Show delivered the goods with some real breaking news stories in the AFL world. Now we have the beat up BIG news stories ushered in by Garry Lyon and James Brayshaw who though serviceable as hosts provide little spark to the format.

Trevor Marmalade was past his best after thirteen years on the show and wisely moved on. Sam Newman isn’t far way from his use by date. Some would say it was two or three years ago. He can still raise a smile these days with his quick wit, but mostly he just goes too far in an attempt to be funny.

Unless Eddie is willing to drop the Collingwood Presidency and come back to the Footy Show, it must be on its last legs.

Fortunately, there are several excellent footy shows, including Channel 9’s Sunday Footy Show version, Channel 10’s ‘Before the Game’, and Fox Footy shows ‘On the Couch’ and ‘Before the Bounce’, to keep us amused and up to date.

None of them can compare to the early days of the Footy show, though.

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