Star Fox Footy trio, flagship TV program honoured at annual AFL media awards

Some of Fox Footy’s biggest emerging — and established — stars, as well as the channel’s flagship program, have been recognised at the annual Australian Football Media Association Awards.

Collingwood AFLW captain Ruby Schleicher took out the Clinton Grybas Emerging Talent award for her work and rise across various programs and broadcasts.

One of the most versatile broadcasters in the Fox Footy stable, Schleicher is an integral member of the AFL Tonight team as a newsreader, while she’s also stepped up to a boundary analyst role on Friday Night Footy on Fox match calls. She’s also a regular, popular member of the Bounce team, while also providing special comments on Fox Footy broadcasts of AFLW games.

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Schleicher paid tribute to Kate McCarthy — who was highly commended in the same award — for inspiring her while thanking Fox Footy bosses Mick Neill and Leigh Carlson and Simon Conway’s Fox Sports News team for backing in “a WA bogan who had no idea”.

“They (Fox Sports News) taught me everything. They threw me in the deep end and they were so patient,” Schleicher said.

Superstar Fox Footy play-by-play commentator Anthony Hudson was again named Best TV Match Caller, with Dwayne Russell highly commended in the category.

All entrants were judged on colour and flair, accuracy, use of language and innate ability to marry words with pictures, with Hudson the standout in a competitive field.

“It’s been a challenging year but an exciting year with the new rights,” Hudson said, paying tribute to Neill, Carlson and Steve Crawley.

“Our whole commentary team, I’ve got so much respect for them and I’m proud of how we’ve just jumped in to all nine games.”

Hudson also took out the Best Radio Match Caller award for his work with 3AW across the season.

And in its 15th season, AFL 360 took out another Best TV Program award.

AFL 360, hosted by star broadcaster Gerard Whateley and Australian Football Hall of Fame member Garry Lyon and overseen by respected veteran producer Tim Hodges, claimed the gong after another stellar year, with the additions of John Longmire, Adam Simpson and ‘Razor’ Ray Chamberlain complimenting the weekly coach and player segments.

Best TV Program entrants were judged on football insight, discussion depth, entertainment, analytical quality and relevance.

Whateley accepted the award on the program’s behalf and paid particular tribute to Lyon, who’s slotted in to the co-hosting chair with aplomb in his first season with the show.

“Garry Lyon wanted to do the show, which was sincerely gratifying for me … I’ve always wanted to work closely Gaz,” Whateley said.

“When he has the platform as the elder statesman of the industry, he knows how to use it.”

Lyon was also highly commended in the Best Individual Opinion/Analysis category — an award won by four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis.

In his sixth season as a full-time Fox Footy commentator — and first as an On The Couch panellist — Lewis took out the gong, which was judged on the most impactful and articulate opinion and analysis.

“I’d like to thank Fox Footy for providing me with the tools to commentate and be on air and be connected to the game I still love,” Lewis said.

Several members of the First Crack and Midweek Tackle team were also recognised for their work for the Herald Sun this season.

Chief football reporter Jay Clark won the Best Feature Reporting award, while colleague Scott Gullan was No. 1 in the Best Opinion/Analysis category. Jon Ralph and Glenn McFarlane also won the Best News Reporting award for their powerful story on Carlton legend Robert Walls’ decision to end his life using voluntary-assisted dying.

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