10 years ago, the 2001 AFL Grand Final was tinged with the emotion of Channel Seven exiting the footy telecasting business. It was marked with a lot of publicity in the lead up to the Grand Final (it was almost bigger than the match).
10 years on, we are in a similar position that is not getting as much publicity as it should.
After the Grand Final, Channel 10 will exit the football telecasting business for at least five years.
The station rebooted after winning the AFL rights as it is in the middle of massive cost-cutting and according to the bigwigs, AFL costs too much money.
To understand the underestimation of footy on Channel Ten, you have to go back to when it won the rights in late 2000.
Teaming up with Channel Nine and News Limited, the consortium snatched the rights off long time telecaster, Channel Seven.
Expecting Nine to be the home of finals, the footy world was shocked when Ten managed to buy the rights to all the finals including the Grand Final.
Channel Ten became the ‘September Network’, where the emotion and moments that define September were exclusive to the network considered a backwater in Aussie TV.
In 2007, when it won the rights again, Ten managed to telecast three of the five Grand Finals it shared with Seven.
Whatever you think of footy telecasting, Channel Ten did a very good job in promoting this great game. It pioneered live telecasts of footy into Sydney and Brisbane and stuck by it even when the ratings were poor.
Where Nine in 2002 promoted its commentators as the stars, Ten let the pictures do the talking.
Ten were also innovators in their telecasts. Cameras on goals/umpires, GPS tracking systems, female commentators and the five-minute warning (despite people detesting it, I loved it) were all Ten innovations.
While they all didn’t work, Ten took risks where the big networks wouldn’t even go near in order to add something new.
The five-minute warning was contentious, but you only have to look at the semi-final between West Coast and Carlton. Everyone watching, whether being at the ground or at home, felt the same thing because no-one knew the time left.
But Ten’s biggest contribution to the game was its hiring of non-egotistical commentators. Where Nine/Fox/Seven had personality issues within its commentary, Ten’s experts and commentators were all about the game.
To the network, the biggest stars were the ones on the field not the ones in the box. Stephen Quatermain, Anthony Hudson and Tim Lane are good commentators, who injected passion and new voices into a game that had become stagnant in its coverage.
But money talks and with Ten making losses, it became time to pull the plug.
For Christian, Blight Quatermain and Walls, their time in television is over for at least five years.
Hudson, Darcy, Lloyd and Lane will be in demand by other networks and are likely to be snapped up.
Channel Seven returns to being the only broadcast network televising AFL and has a big job to ensure it keeps up the work that Channel Ten did.
Paul Mateo
Guest
Channel 7 broadcast the 1963 VFL Grand Final when Geelong beats hawks by 18.
IanSB
Guest
I think you are looking for 'Show Me How To Live' by Audioslave. Enjoy!
Liam
Guest
im actually shattered 10 are gone. i began watching Afl when 10 partnered 9 during 02,03,04,05,06 and ofcorse 7 got it in 07 with 10 until now. but why are they gone!!!:(, i saddens me the amount of people who dont realise or respect what 10 have done showing the football for 10 years!. im also a big fan of their commentators and of course side shows like before the game and the 5th qtr. now no mroe 10!, this is very sad. a personal message from me the 10 network, I dont think you guys would have a bigger supporter than myself, hopefully there are more like me around the country, because now im 18, i have watched u guys for 10 years with footy !!!. please please do what u can to stay because there are hopefully many like myself who support u fellers from deep down.
Lal
Guest
yes mate, 10 did an excellent job
Keith
Guest
It's about time your team realise that's there other teams in the A.F.L. other than Collingwood .Your Broard casters spend a lot of Their Time premoting Collingwood using Collingwood players as boundry riders Last Year Collingwood won the flag and all we got was Collingwood . This year Geelong won the flag and who do we see Eddie and Malthouse and in the studio we were Subject to pictures of Not Geelong But most of the time Collingwood I was glad to see Geelong win . and the wackers that run your show had to eat humble pie They should rember the show that old Eddie ran on nine he turned it into the Collingwood show YOU ARE DOING THE SAME
Pepman
Guest
what is the hard song from the long intro to the finals series by channel 10?
Mario
Guest
Agree, even though I'm more of a rugby fan I would much rather see a local sport like AFL on TV rather then some American sport.
ac
Guest
TEN could not make money out of the AFL. So they canned it. Simple as that. I thought comment that TEN would come back to the AFL fold in 2017 interesting. Thats a long time forecast for sure. Who knows. I personally think TEN will go after something in the NRL arena. Maybe a mix with NINE. Who knows. But TEN got burnt bad with screen AFL live in Sydney in particular on Saturdays. The whole week went down because of that. they got out because it didnt Pay. Had a chance from the on sell from Seven. Didnt take it up. Now Seven has to try and make $ from the rights.
me, I like football
Guest
I love ch 10 since '89 Geelong flags ch10 broadcasting 3 from 3 Geelong flags ch7 broadcasting 0 from 5
Benchwarmer
Guest
Haha, Robert Walls not egotistical?! You have got to be joking. Carlton bias with a nice hatred for West Coast. I'm hoping he'll never commentate another West Coast game ever again. The best thing about Channel 10 are their intros with that deep voice that I want to have sex with.
Connar Olsen
Guest
Channel Ten will unfortunately cease AFL Broadcasting as of 2 October 2011, Sad but True. But all you AFL fans who liked Ten over the 10 Years might never know, they might get it back in 2017 with new Commentators & might televise All Grand Finals & The Brownlow Medal Night & Hopefully the Melbourne Cup goes back on Ten in 2012.
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
Sadly the way they've spat the dummy since losing the rights has probably affected people's opinions of their time as a broadcaster. Generally they've been excellent - first station to shoot and broadcast the game in HD, they've been prepared to show games live and their coverage has been pretty good. Especially given Channel 7's shocking coverage and disgraceful treatment of the game since they got the rights back. 10's little tantrum by not showing any games in HD in the 2nd half of the season is going to be remembered though.
mds1970
Roar Guru
Agree with that. Channel 10 have shown AFL in Sydney a lot more respect than Channel 9 have shown rugby league in Melbourne.
Guy Smiley
Roar Pro
Not broadcasting in HD is disgraceful. Bloody disgraceful.
NF
Guest
'Whatever you think of footy telecasting, Channel Ten did a very good job in promoting this great game. It pioneered live telecasts of footy into Sydney and Brisbane and stuck by it even when the ratings were poor'. Yet Channel 9 for the NRL had to be constantly bombarded by fans on facebook pages to get the Storm on live only a few times a year shows one channel is all about commitment and growth of the code (10) while the other cares about the money and disregard for the code.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
A bit of competition is always good, nearly always brings about innovation, hopefully Seven can continue to innovate.
Chaos
Guest
The five minute warning thing is good to be going going and gone!
BigAl
Guest
I would agree that Kelly Underwood is a breath of fresh air ! - it's always difficult for a trail blazer, but just look at the grand job that Caro Wilson does.
Allan
Guest
I don't know why people don't like Kelly Underwood's broadcasting style. I've been following AFL for 30 years and i believe she is the best thing that's happened to AFL broadcasting. I hope FOX or channel 7 picks her up to broadcast few matches. Victorians are so traditional regarding their game to a point that the game could start going backwards. I mean, who would allow last weeks game (Geelong/West Coast) to be played on a Saturday afternoon (poor TV ratings - because everyone is still working) so West Coast could get back home earlier to Perth. In the NRL, the Warriors played on Saturday night and had to fly back to NZ and they still won and made the GF to play in Sydney. This issue also applies to the AFL GF as half of Australians are still working on Saturday afternoon - and the AFL wonders why TV rating is higher for the NRL. The NRL would never ever allow the GF to be played at an inconvenient timeslot. They have slotted it in so its gets the highest TV rating - in other words when everyone is at home and there’s nothing to do!!
Matt
Guest
I can watch American baseball in full HD this week, but not the AFL grand final. Channel 7 please take note... and the AFL as its pathetic.