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21 years of Sam Newman (and The Footy Show)

The boys from the AFL Footy Show celebrate 21 years, and blame it all on Sam Newman.

footsThere were birthday greetings from Tony Abbott, Dennis Napthine, Lou Richards, Hamish & Andy and Gillon McLachlan.

But the plaudits at the AFL Footy Show‘s 21st Anniversary party last night at Crown were mostly directed Sam Newman’s way.

It’s Newman who remains the original cast member, and the man everybody credited with its Live television edge.

Joining the current cast of Newman, Garry Lyon, James Brayshaw, Shane Crawford, Billy Brownless and Damian Barrett were Eddie McGuire, Craig Hutchison, AFL faces Ron Barassi, Wayne Carey, Doug Hawkins, Warren Tredrea, Bob Skilton, Ted Whitten Jnr., Dane Swan, Adam Cooney, Bernie Vince, Chris Dawes and Nick Dal Santo.

Shannon Noll performed the show’s theme song.

Eddie McGuire recalled the show’s early beginnings with execs Ian Johnson and Harvey Silver.

“All we had was the logo and the song, with no idea what we were going to do. Channel Seven said ‘You can’t use any vision,’ which we kept for the Sunday Footy Show. I’d just found out David Leckie (then at Nine) said, ‘This show won’t work, you’ve got 6 weeks.’ But 21 years later the show in all its incarnations continues to go,” he said.

“But I remember the first segment took off and we got to the first break and I was proud. I remember thinking of mum and dad and, as Sam would say, ‘stuck up there in Broady watching the telly,’ and up came the first ever ad on The Footy Show. It was a 1 minute ad for Bar 20 strip joint. I thought ‘If anything we’ve at least contra’d the Sale Dept Xmas party!'”

But McGuire acknowledged the show’s impact on his career.

“I walked out that night and my life changed forever,” he said.

“I can honestly say…. with names like Graham Kennedy, Bert Newton and Paul Hogan, that Sam Newman is the most original, successful, talented and generous performer that I’ve ever seen on Australian television. In fact, the world. None of us would be here without Sam Newman.”

When Newman took to the stage he joked about the length of the speeches and excessive self-congratulations, but (reluctantly) returned the compliments.

“Eddie is the best compere, anchorman at what he does in the world. I’ve seen people work in the world without an autocue, without any idiot sheet, very little rehearsal, one take …the Frank Sinatra of television -he is the best,” he said.

Newman acknowledged current hosts Garry Lyon and James Brayshaw being “equally as good, in your way.”

“We allow people to walk over us, they allow me to walk over them. We take the piss out of ourselves first and then we think everyone else is fair game. Men, women, beasts. We make no apology for it. We don’t try to be malicious. We don’t try to be condescending, necessarily,” he continued.

“We get maligned mostly for what we do with our vox pops. But I would suggest, ladies and gentleman in this room, that I would be closer to the rank and file in the community than any of you people.

“If you watch carefully, Street Talk, we don’t belittle people. We don’t make fun of them. We chat to them. We ask them a question and they do the rest.”

3 Responses

  1. Is the shows theme song ‘More Than A Game’ still sung by Chris Doheny ?
    If so it seems odd they’d have Shannon Noll perform it at the 21st and not Doheny.

  2. Bit of hyperbole there Ed. As a Pies supporter, I love your work but placing Sam on the same pedestal as Graham Kennedy, Bert Newton and Paul Hogan is plain ridiculous. I gave up on the Footy Show years ago, mainly because of Sam.

    Still, my hearty congratulations of your longevity – no mean feat in Aussie TV.

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