Channel Seven has locked in its alternative for Wayne Carey.
The community on Tuesday confirmed three-time Essendon greatest and fairest winner Jobe Watson has been promoted to function extra usually because the designated knowledgeable commentator for Saturday night time video games.
The free-to-air-network has continued to tinker with the Saturday night time function following the choice to advertise Daisy Pearce to the Friday night time prime time broadcasts, bumping Carey to the Saturday slot.
With Carey’s contract with the community not being prolonged past 2022, it was reported in February Seven was dedicated to rotating quite a few star commentators within the Saturday night time function, together with Watson and Jimmy Bartel.
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Now the community has confirmed Watson would be the main possibility and also will make appearances on Thursday nights and is rising as the subsequent massive star.
Carey was dumped from Seven’s soccer protection earlier this yr following a scandal outdoors Perth’s Crown on line casino involving a bag of a white powdered substance.
Watson has crammed smaller roles on Seven’s commentary workforce over the previous few years after he began as a boundary rider throughout his yr off in 2014.
Watson’s father Tim, himself a legend of the game having been inducted into the AFL Corridor of Fame and having received three premierships with Essendon, has been one of many nation’s main soccer commentators since his retirement within the mid-Nineties, and is about to commentate alongside his son this yr.
Former All-Australian Dale Thomas will tackle boundary driving duties in prime time after Pearce triggered a commentary shake up when accepting an assistant teaching function at Geelong that may see her develop into Seven’s Thursday night time knowledgeable commentator.
These modifications are a few of many such strikes Seven has introduced throughout its AFL division.
Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield may also proceed to make appearances as a member of the commentary workforce.
The community’s squad of star commentators contains Pearce, Watson, Luke Hodge, Matthew Richardson, Shaun Burgoyne, Erin Phillips, Leigh Matthews, Tim Watson, Cameron Ling, Nathan Jones, Chris Johnson, Abbey Holmes, Jude Bolton, Mark Soderstrom, Ryan Daniels, Nigel Carmody and Campbell Brown.
Seven is sticking with play-by-play callers Brian Taylor, James Brayshaw, Hamish McLachlan, Alister Nicholson, Jason Bennett and Luke Darcy.
Seven has axed the Sport Day and Speaking Footy reveals, however new initiatives have now been introduced, together with:
— Retired Geelong premiership hero Joel Selwood will conduct interviews with AFL membership captains in a “Leaders” phase to function in pre-game protection.
— A “Saturday Scoop” present will function journalists Nat Edwards and Mitch Cleary.
Seven’s Head of Community Sport Lewis Martin mentioned: “Jobe Watson is a champion participant and a champion individual, and we sit up for listening to him extra on Seven’s AFL protection in 2023 on key matches throughout Thursday nights, Saturday nights and Sundays.”
Martin described the squad as “soccer’s greatest, most proficient and most skilled commentary line-up”.
All 9 matches of each spherical of the 2023 season will stay reside on Fox Footy.
The Foxtel community has responded to the departure of Saints legend Nick Riewoldt with one other star-studded workforce for 2023.
Fox’s workforce will embrace Garry Lyon Nathan Buckley, Jonathan Brown, Anthony Hudson, Dwayne Russell, Mark Howard, Kelli Underwood, Adam Papalia, Jason Dunstall, Gerard Healy, David King, Jordan Lewis, Nick Dal Santo, Mark Ricciuto, Matthew Pavlich, Brad Johnson and Cameron Mooney.
