Shots fired as Footy TV war erupts over ‘rookie error'

News.com.au

5 hours ago

Matthew Lloyd couldn't help himself.
The Essendon legend and his Channel 9 crew couldn't resist taking a shot at veteran football reporter Caroline Wilson after an embarrassing moment on Monday night.
Channel 7's Agenda Setters has become a popular addition to the network's beefed up footy coverage this year after raiding Nine for some of its most notable on-air talent, including Kane Cornes.
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The Agenda Setters and Nine's established Footy Classified have gone up against each other on Monday and Tuesday night timeslots this year.
It's why Lloyd's light-hearted dig at his former Channel 9 colleague has caught the eye.
The Bombers goalkicker was happy to highlight two awkward moments on The Agenda Setters, which went to air before Footy Classified.
The Agenda Setters began in bizarre scenes with the Monday night panel — Wilson, Nick Riewoldt, host Sam McClure and veteran commentator Craig Hutchison — unable to be seen with the broadcast beginning with a lighting failure.
It got worse for Seven's new show when Wilson had the mortifying moment of having her phone ring live on air.
The veteran commentator was in the middle of a discussion about the future of Cats coach Chris Scott when her mobile started chirping.
'I'm sorry that's my telephone,' she said reaching into a bag.
'What a terrible time for that to happen.'
Hutchison, Riewoldt, McClure saw the funny side of it.
So did Lloyd and the team at Footy Classified.
'I'm a little bit nervous because they're all good friends of mine, but (I'm giving) a cook tonight for The Agenda Setters because when they went to air tonight, I honestly thought Hutchy had failed to pay his electricity bills,' he said with a grin.
'I think there was a little bit of trickery with their new set. I honestly thought he hadn't paid his bills.
'Ten minutes later, Caro... made a major rookie error.'
Hutchison's production company Rainmaker is responsible for managing the show.
Nine and many other commentators in the industry have been taking shots at Wilson this month since she first reported Saints gun Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was not considering the Crows as a future destination because of racist comments made by Taylor Walker in 2021.
Wanganeen-Milera was drafted by St Kilda later that year and the South Australian, who has emerged as a young superstar halfback, is now weighing up whether to return to his home state or remain at the Saints with lucrative offers looming either way.
Football journalist Tom Morris last week went against Wilson's report, saying Wanganeen-Milera had spoken to Walker over the phone to clarify with the Crows veteran that he had no 'lingering issues' with him.
Lloyd's jab was far from the only eyebrow-raising segment across Monday night's footy shows.
The Agenda Setters played footage captured by Fox Footy showing the bizarre sight of Fremantle having photos of AFL umpires hanging up in their Optus Stadium dressing room.
The mugshots of the four whistleblowers on the wall caught the eye of Saints legend Riewoldt.
'I saw this from the weekend, found it interesting,' Riewoldt said on Seven.
'They're clearly trying to arm the players with the umpires' names.
'They look like mug shots, those pics.
'But I reckon the players have got enough to worry about, don't they? Without trying to memorise umpires' names.'