The quality across the board is at an all time low. A shitload needs to be done for the good of the competition.
There are two basic categories of caller - those who call the game and those who call the essence of the game. The former dominates the landscape at the minute, which isn't good in itself. Footy is a tribal, emotion-charged sport and needs passionate callers to match imo. The 5AA calls, for all the criticism they cop from, quite frankly, losers, are very much in touch with the culture of this sport. The same goes for many local commentary teams across the country. They make you feel part of something, they make you feel excited about this game, even if your side isn't competing. They're biased, but they are genuine. They love footy, they live footy. They don't give earth shattering analysis, they don't attempt to unearth some hidden meaning as so many stupid commentators do (Cometti), and that's fine. Footy is momentum, and footy is emotion. They capture this most beautifully.
Clinton Grybas was an incredible caller. Once in a blue moon talent who could call the game and the essence. Every game was made more engaging and exciting by his describing it. He elevated football. Anthony Hudson can tend to do a similar job. But again, these are rare talents. It's why we so keenly feel the loss of Clinton. These guys do everything, they just have a knack, and we benefit for being on the end of their calls.
It is understood and expected that we are not going to see callers of this quality hosting every telecast. They emerge infrequently, we get that. But awkward compromises, individuals of limited competence, who don't necessarily love footy, but rather love footy as encapsulated by a particular club; those who in trying to say too much are less easily understood; these individuals should not be calling football. Dwayne Russell, Dennis Cometti, Basil Zempilas, they don't capture footy. They talk at us, and it's rarely pleasant.
What should stand in the place of these wastes of space are those who call the essence of the game. The ones who don't try (and fail) to be a Grybas or a Hudson, but who recognise that they sense and can turn the incredible sensation of football into vocal expression. No rare way with words, no special combination of attributes, just a genuine passion for football and an ability to project that emotional energy to the viewers. Those who come to mind in this category are Michael Christian and Stephen Quartermain. They, like others, have been roundly criticised. They don't describe the way the best do etc.. But they fire up. They love footy. This quality emanates from them. It's no coincidence that with the departure of these two from our television screens we find ourselves with an emotionally flatlining commentary landscape. Of course it's noticeable! Because guess what? Footy is at is best when you can feel the turn of the tide several times inside a contest, the crowd rising, the commentators just as keyed into it as you are. Voices raised, every contest a mini war to be won.
Footy is emotion and passion. The commentators to fill the landscape in with the special few should be the ones who can generate this. Not dead shit Zempilas, Russell and Cometti clones, the spuds trying to emulate an Anthony Hudson calibre of caller. I've never seen a commentary landscape so able to suck all the emotion and heart out of a game. Bring back the yellers.
A call as footy should be:
Give me heart ANY.****ING.DAY over Basil Zempilas taking about caviar at the races. **** me.
There are two basic categories of caller - those who call the game and those who call the essence of the game. The former dominates the landscape at the minute, which isn't good in itself. Footy is a tribal, emotion-charged sport and needs passionate callers to match imo. The 5AA calls, for all the criticism they cop from, quite frankly, losers, are very much in touch with the culture of this sport. The same goes for many local commentary teams across the country. They make you feel part of something, they make you feel excited about this game, even if your side isn't competing. They're biased, but they are genuine. They love footy, they live footy. They don't give earth shattering analysis, they don't attempt to unearth some hidden meaning as so many stupid commentators do (Cometti), and that's fine. Footy is momentum, and footy is emotion. They capture this most beautifully.
Clinton Grybas was an incredible caller. Once in a blue moon talent who could call the game and the essence. Every game was made more engaging and exciting by his describing it. He elevated football. Anthony Hudson can tend to do a similar job. But again, these are rare talents. It's why we so keenly feel the loss of Clinton. These guys do everything, they just have a knack, and we benefit for being on the end of their calls.
It is understood and expected that we are not going to see callers of this quality hosting every telecast. They emerge infrequently, we get that. But awkward compromises, individuals of limited competence, who don't necessarily love footy, but rather love footy as encapsulated by a particular club; those who in trying to say too much are less easily understood; these individuals should not be calling football. Dwayne Russell, Dennis Cometti, Basil Zempilas, they don't capture footy. They talk at us, and it's rarely pleasant.
What should stand in the place of these wastes of space are those who call the essence of the game. The ones who don't try (and fail) to be a Grybas or a Hudson, but who recognise that they sense and can turn the incredible sensation of football into vocal expression. No rare way with words, no special combination of attributes, just a genuine passion for football and an ability to project that emotional energy to the viewers. Those who come to mind in this category are Michael Christian and Stephen Quartermain. They, like others, have been roundly criticised. They don't describe the way the best do etc.. But they fire up. They love footy. This quality emanates from them. It's no coincidence that with the departure of these two from our television screens we find ourselves with an emotionally flatlining commentary landscape. Of course it's noticeable! Because guess what? Footy is at is best when you can feel the turn of the tide several times inside a contest, the crowd rising, the commentators just as keyed into it as you are. Voices raised, every contest a mini war to be won.
Footy is emotion and passion. The commentators to fill the landscape in with the special few should be the ones who can generate this. Not dead shit Zempilas, Russell and Cometti clones, the spuds trying to emulate an Anthony Hudson calibre of caller. I've never seen a commentary landscape so able to suck all the emotion and heart out of a game. Bring back the yellers.
A call as footy should be:
Give me heart ANY.****ING.DAY over Basil Zempilas taking about caviar at the races. **** me.
