When I read the ABC had decided to axe the Marngrook Footy Show, I had to read it again and then search the internet for confirmation. This completely amazed me.
The show has been axed due to the increase in cost and low ratings. Hang on a second, aren’t we talking about the ABC? Don’t our tax dollars go to putting this station on the air? Is this the station that remains committed to denying advertising in any form?
There are two reasons why I’m not happy with this decision. The first is the most obvious.
The Marngrook Footy Show is the only football show that spends the majority of its time actually talking about footy. ‘Before the Game’, on Ten, is also a great show, but more in the sense of a comedy and entertainment football show.
The Footy show on Channel Nine is just garbage. The time spent talking football can be measured in minutes, even though the actual show seems to go on forever. It needs to be renamed the Sam Newman show.
Not only does the Marngrook Show talk about footy, it’s also giving a number of indigenous Australians the opportunity to show the rest of the country how well they can run a footy show.
The hosts, Grant Hansen and Gilbert McAdam, do the show proud and have grown with each year. The most recent panel members, Ronnie Burns and Chris Johnson, always have something entertaining to add. Regular presenters Leila Gurruwiwi and Shelley Ware always have entertaining and informative reports from players or around the grounds.
I watch this show because it’s entertaining and covers more about AFL than any other show. I actually need this extra fix each week because I follow the Sydney Swans. Take out the Mangrook Footy Show and Swans will never get mentioned in the media.
The second reason that I’m unhappy this show has been axed is due to its importance.
Recently I sat in the audience to listen to the great Robert De Castella talk about “The Indigenous Marathon Project”. What Robert has achieved in his life is amazing. No doubt he is a champion Aussie and an amazing athlete. The first half of his speech consisted of him explaining what he had achieved on a personal level and the races that he had won.
Although I was impressed by Robert, I really could not see him filling his allotted 40 minutes by talking about all of his wins. And I wasn’t let down. Roberts’s speech then turned to what he is doing now.
Robert has made it his goal to help the indigenous people of Australia get into Marathon running. This story is truly amazing and the documentary, “Running to America” is definitely worth your time to watch.
The men who are actually running these marathons are doing it largely due to the hopeless situations back home. They are young men who are standing up for their people and showing them what a leader looks like and what they can achieve should they be given an opportunity.
Kieren De Santis is a runner from the Tiwi islands making a difference back home. While many young people on the island are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, this project has allowed the likes of Kieran to become leaders in their communities and be a real hero.
I don’t consider myself a person who could write an article on what De Castella is doing and the story that Kieran has to tell, and give it the justice it deserves. That I’ll leave to the experts. My aim here is to simply say I have heard their story and it has blown me away.
It has made me aware of the situation in our remote communities and the importance of what Robert is doing and shows like the Marngrook show. The Marngrook show is leading the way for indigenous people to shine and show these very communities just what is possible.
I believe these two reasons are the best possible reasons to get the ABC to put the Marngrook Footy Show back on air. However, should the bean counters at the ABC deny them the opportunity of another season, maybe SBS or Seven could pick the show up.
Hell, they could even replace any number of the rubbish shows that GEM, Go or 7mate force upon us with a quality show like the Marngrook Footy Show and possible save some cash.
If you make a comment in support of the Marngrook Show, it would be interesting to see just how much support such a wonderful show really had and if the power of footy lovers could get this fantastic show back on air.
Trevor
Guest
A Footy Show with no bad language, no inuendo,yep it's all footy talk with special guests, humour and a touch of glamour. Its' enough to make a bloke look forward to Thursday nights again, during the AFL Season
Soccerlogic
Guest
NITV should pick it up. End of story.
vocans
Guest
When footy has the kind of serious analysis provided for the World Game on SBS by the likes of Craig Foster, it can be said to have come of age. Marngrook approached that at times. Could it be revived on the indigenous channel? Might get a few more non-indigenous Aussies to switch on. Serious analysis probably has to come from the ABC, though the AFL should be pushing the current free to air broadcaster to provide it.
Martin D.
Guest
Thanks for your acknowledgement, Brewski. The main point to reiterate is that the ABC needs to be protected from manipulating politicians and their management appointees, who don't own it.
Brewski
Roar Rookie
You make very good points Martin, i think most people would agree with you.
Martin D.
Guest
PS: I don't particularly care for the Marngrook Footy Show (I'm more concerned for the loss of the Collectors), but people need to understand that the function of the ABC is to give coverage to neglected minority interests. The ABC is not set up to compete for the popular audience with the commercial networks. A lot of people aren't aware of this, including, it seems, the ABC management.
Martin D.
Guest
Utter nonsense, Rrabbitz. The ABC charter is designed to give cultural diversity and niche programs an airing, regardless of commercially measured "ratings". As the ABC does not show commercials, its revenue depends on government allocation of cultural diversity funding and coverage of lesser known entertainment. You cannot lump programs such as this and the "Collectors" into the ratings basket, otherwise you get a "tyranny of the majority", where bogan choices rule programming allocations, rather than neglected minorites or discerning viewers who want something other than bogan populism. It's different issue on commercial TV because they rely on the mass exposure of advertisers. I've already written to ABC management and am awaiting a reply to justify their decision to overlook the ABC charter in axing this and other programs.
John D
Guest
Yes!!! They took the gameplan off whatever Channel it was on and Marngrook was all that was left. I loved it as it both talked about footy and was very entertaining.
Matt F
Roar Guru
It's not a pure cost issue but a cost vs ratings argument. It obviously wouldn't cost as much as the ABC drama's comedy shows etc and proabbly costs somewhat similar numbers to shows like Q&A and the Chaser shows (talking about production costs here, not salaries) but the other two get far better ratings. The cost would have been sustainable if it received better ratings
Australian Rules
Guest
The Fox shows leave the others for dead...though I think Before the Game have a reasonable formula for light entertainment.
CallmeeAl
Guest
not everybody (didn't watch it). although generally this year flicked b/w Before the Game and Mangrook. All time highlight on Marngrook was Tim Rogers doing a funky grungy "Hearts to hearts" North club song.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
'The money can clearly be spent elsewhere, where it can benefit a wider audience ?!!' Such as what Rabbitz? So there's no benefit in an entertaining, informative, and often funny, sports show that helped build bridges? It's the ABC for God's sake! This program was never going to break the bank.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
I watch them all for various projects i run, but if i wasnt, you cant go past the fox shows - AFL 360, league teams, and to a lesser extent AFL Insider cover most of the stuff I need. One of the sunday review shows to finish off the week and Im done.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Ratings went down when it moved to ABC2 - a digital channel probably not recieved in areas relating to kits key demograaphic.
Brewski
Roar Rookie
I think the MGFS was/is produced from Deakin University in Melbourne. Peter Daicos used to be on every time i watched. I would not have thought it would be that expensive to produce.
Michael
Guest
I prefer the whole of Australia wasn't so Sydney centric.
Matt F
Roar Guru
Even the ABC are concerned, to a point, about ratings. Obviously they're not concerned with them for a profit/ad revenue reason but it's hard to justify spending tax payers money on a show that nobody watches, especially one that costs a bit to produce
Matt F
Roar Guru
I'm not sure how the ratings compare but those cooking shows are undoubtedly cheaper to produce than the Marngrook footy show which would have been a factor
Johnno
Guest
AFL I meant , not rugby league. I have enjoyed watching it but like i said i found it a bit limiting, and that is why channel 9's AFL footy show is sufficient, and a show like Living Black is quality and sufficient.
Johnno
Guest
Living Black on SBS hosted by the lovely Karla Grant is a very good show. It wide ranging and modern and contemporary. And living black covers a lot of sports issues. I watched this footy show, and to be honest I found it a bit limiting. It was just same old same old stuff that you see on channel 9's footy show, and it was more about footy than Indigenous rugby league specifically. Where as living black really delved into all indigenous issues, and indigenous sporting issues, were covered in Living Black, on SBS.