THE Ten Network has had a simple business philosophy for many years – do things at the lowest possible price to maximise profits.
It’s a model that’s been followed by other networks, epecially Nine, in recent years, as the glory days of big-spending television were replaced by a hard-nosed corporate ethos that looked no further than the next profit/loss statement.
In terms of its AFL match coverage, this means Ten offers a no-frills coverage. More Brad Sewell than Lance Franklin.
It does what it does well, presenting a solid package that doesn’t try to push the envelope in terms of innovation.
Commentary-wise, Ten has one stand-out performer, an army of solid battlers and a couple who struggle to make the grade.
Malcolm Blight is the clear star of Ten’s match-day coverage. He is a rare special comments man who actually says anything special. His enthusiam for the game’s best bits is infectious and his candour when bagging the game’s worst bits is refreshing. Long may Malcolm reign.
Robert Walls is the other old stager of the commentary team. Robert simply needs to retire. He offers little insight into the game beyond his oft repeated call of “he’s a star”. Telling us that Gary Ablett, Matthew Pavlich and Scott Pendlebury are stars does not add greatly to the average footy fan’s knowledge base.
Matthew Lloyd and Luke Darcy have the advantage – and it’s a considerable advantage – of being fresh out of the game. They seem to have an intuitive understanding of what’s going on, rather than looking at the game through the prism of the 1970s or ’80s. For all that, they rarely say much that is worth hearing.
Those calling the play include Anthony Hudson, who is competent if a little smug. He does a good job of keeping the excitement levels up without becoming too gushing. He also has the valuable knack of keeping the special comments blokes involved in the coverage.
Tim Lane is seen as something of a wise old man; a champion of tradition and “the sanctity” of the game. For this reviewer, however, he comes across as an irritating bore whose pedantry and “holier than thou” attitude can spoil what’s happening on the ground.
Michael Christian is as good a commentator as he was a player. Very lucky to be there. But it is Steven “Quarters” Quartermain who best represents what Ten is all about. He is a solid talking-head who can handle the auto-cue better than most.
When he calls games, however, he is mediocrity personified. He doesn’t rise to the big occasion very well, nor does he manage to make the dull times that little bit more interesting.
He’s at his best when there is a little happening, but not too much.
Like Ten, Quartermain never fails because he never gets out of his comfort zone. For the same reason, he never soars to any great heights.
Saturday nights at the footy falls well short of a perfect Ten.
– Danny Buttler
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