Craig Hutchison's rise from Footy Show bombing to media mogul
Not only did he become the owner of a radio station, he also took over as the lead host of the iconic The Footy Show, thanks to James Brayshaw's contract war with Channel Nine.
Garry Lyon had already left the show in 2016 and Hutchison had been the host of the Sunday Footy Show and Footy Classified and was one of the most high-profile choices available in Nine's stable.
'Hutchy' was following in the footsteps of one of his idols in Eddie McGuire — taking the hot seat on one of the country's longest-running shows.
But the revamped version of the Thursday night staple bombed, and Hutchison was outed in July that year and McGuire back in the hosting chair, a stinging blow.
'To me Eddie McGuire was where he wanted to be, he modelled himself on Eddie,' Hutchison's former colleague at the Herald Sun, Jon Anderson, said.
The final straw was Hutchison's co-star Sam Newman delivering a silent protest after being muzzled by the network on certain topics.
'I've always been one of those polarising guys,' Hutchison said on SEN radio the day after his Footy Show sacking.
That blow may have however, helped create a media empire, as Hutchison expanded his SEN horizons, bringing on massive names across the country including Matty Johns in Sydney, Ian Healy in Brisbane, Adam Gilchrist in Perth and Garry Lyon and Tim Watson in Melbourne.
But the rise of SEN hasn't always been linear, with Sports Entertainment Group losing $9.2 million in a year and racing against a deadline to pay a $28 million Commonwealth Bank loan in late 2023.
Hutchison had been in preliminary meetings about selling the company before a buyer appeared for his NBL team, the Perth Wildcats.
The deal valued the Wildcats at $40m, with $21 million paid in August 2024, another $15m in to be paid in June 2026 and a final $4 million in June 2028, which wiped out the debt that may have crippled his company.
Hutchison is still in the hosting chair however, leading the way in Channel 7's revamped football coverage as the host of The Agenda Setters on Monday nights.
The move from Nine to Seven was not without creating some headlines, as Hutchison took with him the opinionated Kane Cornes and his long-time friend Caroline Wilson to spearhead a new era.
Wilson, who is one of the few people to call him Craig, often drove Hutchison home after filming Footy Classified each week for 17 years.
But that close friendship hasn't held the two back from their own on-air frost on set, with the two arguing about a joke Wilson recently made about Hutchison's brutal axing of talent at RSN.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Perth Now
Heath Ledger's final act of kindness to Perth chef revealed
Head chef Gurps Bagga of Sauma restaurant in Northbridge has rubbed shoulders with many acclaimed cooks and celebrities in his time, but no memories burn as brightly as his encounter with late Perth-born actor Heath Ledger in 2007. The Indian spice master recalled one busy Saturday night at his family's former Fremantle restaurant Maya, which he believes was likely Ledger's final dining experience in Australia before his death in New York in January 2008. 'He rang me. There was a phone call one Saturday, we were really busy, we had no table, and someone just said I was there. And they said, 'Hey, this guy wants to book a table, and he's saying he's Heath Ledger,'' Chef Gurps recalled. Aware the Dark Knight star was in town due to media buzz, and with Ledger's father Kim having dined at Maya previously, the chef made an effort to squeeze him in. Even if it was just a prankster 'taking the mickey', the chef said he felt it was worth giving the actor a couple of hours to show. 'We booked him a table, and yes, it was him. He came with his family, and he came to eat, and he was the loveliest, most polite guy,' he said. Chef Gurps Bagga of Sauma. Credit: Riley Churchman / The West Australian So vivid is the encounter, Chef Gurps can even recite the Oscar winner's order almost two decades later. 'He ordered a lamb rogan Josh, and he ordered a palak paneer. And his dad goes, 'I thought you were having lamb?' And he goes, 'Can't I order two?' the chef recalled. Enjoying their sumptuous meal, the chef told his staff not to approach the star or 'hassle him for anything' as there had been reports of his fragile mental state. However, to the contrary, Chef Gurps said the actor appeared in good spirits surrounded by loved ones. And he appreciated the restaurant's hospitability. 'Before he left, he turned back and he said thank you to all of us, shook all of our hands and he left, which was very nice of him,' the chef added. 'I rang up The Sunday Times. I said, 'He was eating at Maya. He was not sad. He was very happy with his family. He was laughing. We were joking around... And suddenly I started getting calls from all over the world.' Maya closed in 2016 after 26 years in the Bagga family. Pictured is a Goat Curry made by Chef Gurps Bagga. Credit: Riley Churchman / The West Australian Now at the helm of Sauma, Chef Gurps said Ledger's loved ones have followed him across and will occasionally reminisce about the wholesome dinning experience they shared all those years ago. With family remaining a strong value in his kitchen, the chef continues to serve dishes he would prepare as a child with his father in India, whom he sadly lost several months ago. Describing him as 'my mentor, my guru', Chef Gurps holds a special place in his heart for the family's goat curry recipe which he revealed is largely his father's creation.
The Age
12 hours ago
- The Age
Anatomy of a Saints heist: How the Demons' history-making horror show unfolded
In the early seconds of the final quarter, St Kilda's Jack Higgins got on the end of a pass from Max Hall. The small forward marked easily with no opponent really close to him; he shouldn't have been given so much space. He went back and from an angle of about 35 degrees slotted a nice goal from the right forward pocket. That cut the margin to 40 points with plenty of time left. But no one would have predicted what was to come. 'Higgins has been a bit of a ray of sunshine on a dark day for the Saints,' reflected commentator Alister Nicholson on Channel Seven. CLASSIC COOPER 6:16 elapsed (16.05 minutes left) A very good goal from a quality and rapid-fire centre clearance. Less than a minute after Bradley Hill snatched a goal from a tight angle, the Saints got another one. Hall took possession from the bounce, gave a sharp handball to Wanganeen-Milera who, in turn, offloaded to Zak Jones. Jones booted into the forward line where Cooper Sharman showed great ground-level ability to spin onto his left boot and kick it through. The margin was cut to 28 points with more than 16 minutes of game time to come; the Saints were well and truly in the hunt. A CONTENTIOUS PENALTY 22:57 elapsed (4.16 minutes left) Wanganeen-Milera stormed out of the centre and pinpointed a pass to Higgins. But was the kick touched by Harvey Langford before landing in Higgins' arms? The umpire didn't think so, paying the mark, and Higgins got a 50-metre penalty after being slung to the ground by Judd McVee. The Melbourne players desperately pleaded with the umpires, allowing Higgins to play on and run into an open goal. The Saints again had scored two goals in about a minute of play, this time cutting the margin to five points. 'I reckon the ball was touched, guys,' Nick Riewoldt said in commentary on Seven. 'I reckon it was touched coming in.' In any case, the umpires didn't pay it. Game on. DEES MISS A CHANCE TO SEAL IT (1.58 minutes left) Melbourne led by six points with little more than two minutes to play. All they needed was another score to virtually secure the win, and Clayton Oliver had the opportunity. A goal would force St Kilda to score twice to even level the scores; even a point would require two goals from the Saints to win. But the Demons midfielder couldn't deliver and his dodgy kick went out on the full. It was a horrible miss. To his credit, after Oliver handballed to Charlie Spargo (who dropped the ball), the Demon did do well to reclaim it, but he squandered his scoring chance. Where was his left foot? A free kick to St Kilda from deep in defence was the result. The moment symbolised a lack of composure for the dispirited Demons. EPIC MARK AND GOAL 29:50 elapsed (55 seconds left) It will be a mark that's replayed for years to come. An excellent left-foot kick from Mason Wood running down the wing (after a handball from Marcus Windhager) set up the moment for Wanganeen-Milera, who took his chance like few others would have done. The hottest talent in the game, who's weighing up whether to find a home away from Moorabbin next season, Wanganeen-Milera climbed over Bayley Fritsch (who crashed to the turf) and in front of McVee. The Saint took the mark with one grab, sending the crowd into raptures. How about Ross Lyon's reaction in the box! The veteran coach could barely contain his joy. But the Saint still had to kick the goal. And he did. The out-and-out AFL star went back and showed brilliant composure to split the big sticks. Scores level. The clock ticked down as he approached his shot at goal, leaving eight seconds before the final siren – and with a final centre bounce to come. THE DEMON NUMBER: A 6-6-6 HORROR SHOW (Eight seconds left) At the resumption, a nightmare for the Demons. With only Max Gawn, Christian Petracca and Kysaiah Pickett in the centre square, they had made the mistake of having seven forwards. Free kick St Kilda, for the 6-6-6 infringement. 'We had seven forwards, and two wingers,' coach Simon Goodwin confirmed later. 'It's a pretty simple process to get right. We'll have a look at why it happened, how it happened and make sure that never happens again.' The last centre bounce killed the Demons when it should have been the set-up they wanted The final seconds that killed Melbourne should have been the simplest part of what was to unfold. They just had to have six players in each of the three segments of the ground. Given the scores were level and so not a moment requiring all-or-nothing attack or defence, it should have not just been the rule requiring six players in each zone of the ground, it should have been the obvious plan for how they would want to be set up. Melbourne couldn't get that right. The Demons had seven players inside their forward 50 arc and only three players - Gawn, Petracca and Pickett - in the centre square and two wingers. They also had lots of finger-pointing and yelling. While Melbourne were arguing over who was in the wrong spot and trying to hastily move players, St Kilda's mids were huddled together contriving an NFL-style play for these vital eight seconds on the clock. Having already been warned for 6-6-6 earlier in the game, now, at the most important moment of the match, it was an immediate penalty against the Demons. Knowing it was a free kick, Melbourne players started streaming to the back line. Confusion continued because the umpire calmly, and rightly by the rules, demanded the players return to an official, orthodox set-up before the free kick could be taken. By the time the kick was taken by Rowan Marshall, the Saints had a plan, and Melbourne had panic. St Kilda got all of their forwards to move to the right side of the ground and their wingman run wide to the left to drag Demons defenders with them and so open a corridor on the left-hand side (as you face the attacking goal). Wanganeen-Milera sprinted into this corridor and the kick, like a perfect five iron to the green, found him just inside 50. Once he'd marked the ball, the game was effectively done. -Michael Gleeson Amid the confusion, wise heads and flustered minds could be seen. Having called the 6-6-6 breach, the field umpire asked for players to get to their positions before the Saints could be given the free kick. In this time St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall and Wanganeen-Milera hatched a perfect plan to find a score. Gawn could be seen signalling to Jack Viney on the wing to come into the centre. But the damage had already been done. In complete contrast, the St Kilda unit showed composure as big man Marshall prepared to take the free kick. Once the umpire signalled time on again, Wanganeen-Milera ran strongly out of the centre into space on the forward flank. Marshall found him with a beautifully weighted kick. The Saint had too much time as Viney desperately tried to get to him. Wanganeen-Milera marked the ball comfortably with five seconds left, and took his set shot from about 40m out and after the siren. All he needed was a point to complete the heist; he kicked a goal anyway. Delirium. Pandemonium. Saints win by six points. Petracca looked stoney-faced. The Demons were left to ponder: what the hell just happened? Melbourne coach Goodwin was left gobsmacked. 'Late in the game we didn't handle the pressure, we didn't handle the moment, and we didn't handle the tight game scenarios like we should have, and that's on all of us,' he said. 'We'll own that together.' Lyon was delighted that his players prospered rather than panicked. 'That's why senior on-field leadership has never been more paramount,' he said later.
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- News.com.au
Wighton cops four-game ban in a huge blow for the Rabbitohs
Wayne Bennett's hopes of avoiding his first wooden spoon have taken a massive hit with veteran playmaker Jack Wighton slapped with a whopping four-match ban after he was found guilty of a grade two shoulder charge at the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night. The Rabbitohs have lost eight in a row and head into round 22 in last spot behind the Knights and Titans on points differential, but their hopes of causing a gigantic boilover against the Broncos have copped a devastating blow with their five-eighth sidelined. He joins a host of stars who are missing for the club including Cam Murray, Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker. Wighton could have accepted a three-match ban for the grade two charge that saw him sent to the sin bin for a tackle that knocked out Cronulla's Toby Rudolf on Saturday night but rolled the dice after he pleaded not guilty. The panel of Greg McCallum and Bob Lindner listened to the 75-minute hearing and deliberated for just 15 minutes before they unanimously found him guilty. 'It was a fair hearing,' Wighton said afterwards. 'We came here thinking we had a good case. We didn't get the result we wanted. 'I'll turn my attention to preparing my teammates and really helping everyone at my club the best way I can.' It was a reunion of sorts between Wighton and judiciary counsel Patrick Knowles, with the five-eighth asking him 'how many games of rugby league have you played?' during a fiery hearing in 2023 when he was banned for three matches for biting. Wighton didn't give evidence on this occasion, a point not lost on Knowles who suggested he could have explained why there were no other options available to him to make a different type of tackle. However, judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew reminded the panel that Wighton had no obligation to justify. Knowles described the contact as a 'textbook example of a shoulder charge' and that he twisted his body, the right shoulder led the forceful contact and that his left arm raised in a bracing motion but didn't attempt to wrap. 'The amount of force generated in a tackle that used no arms carries a significant risk of injury,' he said. 'The shoulder was the first impact and carried the primary degree of force.' Prominent Sydney lawyer Nick Ghabar represented Wighton and argued it was 'quite wrong' to suggest he propped and drove with the shoulder and that he did his best to avoid a head on collision. Ghabar argued that the right arm wrapped around Rudolf's left arm before contact and that the Cronulla forward generated the force by leading with his head and arms. 'Rudolf stepped 'violently' off his left foot,' he said, arguing that it was inevitable that there'd be a more violent collision if Wighton hadn't dipped his body. 'Wighton drops his body height to avoid the risk of a head clash. He's got a split second decision to make. He's attempting to tackle with his left arm but his right arm doesn't have the ability to swing around the back of Rudolf.' The referee's report from Belinda Sharpe included a quote from Wighton that said 'I couldn't get my arm out', while the medical report said the injury was caused by a 'head clash from opponent'. Ghabar suggested that the first contact was shoulder on shoulder, but that played into the argument it was an actual shoulder charge. Knowles refuted a number of those arguments and pointed out Wighton's right fist was clenched so it couldn't have been a conventional wrapping tackle and that he could've twisted the other way and made a conventional left shoulder tackle. Ghabar sought a downgrade that would have seen Wighton miss two matches, but it was dismissed after Knowles argued the force was moderate, it was careless and the risk of injury was moderate and that the risk came to fruition. Wighton will miss matches against the Broncos, Titans, Eels and Dragons and will return in the final round against the Roosters, with Lewis Dodd likely to start in the halves.
