Query Favourite old time commentators.

[qman]

I've been watching a lot of old finals and GF telecasts lately. For the first time, I am watching the ABC telecasts, previously I had primarily heard the channel 7 broadcasts.. At the moment, I'm getting through the mid 60's through to the mid 70's. I know Mike Williamson was/is hugely regarded and popular as were his co- callers Teddy Whitten and Butch Gale. However to me Doug Heywood and I believe it was Tony Charlton on Channel 9 were better callers than Williamson. It's just my personal preference. Doug Heywood would be my number one pick from those days. I know he was still calling in the 80's but I prefer the channel 7 callers in that time period, Landy, Richards, Skilton, McKenna then Sandy Roberts etc.
Who did you blokes prefer back in the early days of footy on tv?

 

[the croucher]

Ken Dakin, and Dick Mason, were two ABC people from the 60s/70s that I remember fondly.

 

[Todman]

Mike Williamson

 

[andrew coombs]

I've been watching a lot of old finals and GF telecasts lately. For the first time, I am watching the ABC telecasts, previously I had primarily heard the channel 7 broadcasts.. At the moment, I'm getting through the mid 60's through to the mid 70's. I know Mike Williamson was/is hugely regarded and popular as were his co- callers Teddy Whitten and Butch Gale. However to me Doug Heywood and I believe it was Tony Charlton on Channel 9 were better callers than Williamson. It's just my personal preference. Doug Heywood would be my number one pick from those days. I know he was still calling in the 80's but I prefer the channel 7 callers in that time period, Landy, Richards, Skilton, McKenna then Sandy Roberts etc.
Who did you blokes prefer back in the early days of footy on tv?

 

[andrew coombs]

There was definitely a noticeable difference in style between the Channel 7 commentators and the ABC when both networks were televising the VFL in the 1970s and 80s. In those pre VCR days The Big Replay/ Big League on Seven and The winners on the ABC were the only chance to catch extended highlights of three of that Saturday arvos matches. The fact that both networks showed the same games, in different time slots, meant the viewer had the opportunity to watch the replays at least twice, with completely different commentary teams. Sevens big game callers Lou Richards/ Mike Williamson/ Peter Landy/ Jack Edwatds/ Bobby Skilton etc where definitely more up tempo as is usually the case on a commercial network. The ABC with the likes of the Dougs Bigalow and Heywood, Peter Booth, Drew Morphett, Tim Lane and Ian Cleland had a much more refined ABCish manner. As a footy mad kid I loved both versions but I did have my favourite callers. At Seven I thought Jack Edwards was the pick of the bunch and I could never understand why he wasn’t partnering up with Lou in the match of the day slot. He was far superior to Peter Landy as a caller. At the ABC I enjoyed the dry wit of Bigalow and the professional style of Smooth Booth but Heywood was the star. Apart from his excellent insights I enjoyed his obvious love of the best players of the day. He used to refer to the guns by their full names as if that would reinforce their brevity
in the league. “Superstar Geoffrey Raines”, “Micheal Fitzpatrick” “James Jess” “Phillip Baker”. It was all great.

 

[killer]

not so much about a fav commentator

i have memories of barry breen wrapping a game in a studio
with the guy who fronted gold lotto... late 80s
i can't place what channel it originated from