AFL Finals Update: Geelong vs Hawks live to Sydney and Brisbane

The AFL has today announced that Sydney and Brisbane will be able to watch Friday night's preliminary final between the Hawks and the Cats LIVE... but only on 7mate, Seven's digital channel.
More updates to come...

AFL Finals Week 1 FTA Viewing Guide

Here's where you can catch all your favourite players and coaches in the lead up to the first week of the AFL Finals Series.


(This post updates)


Monday 


Geelong coach Chris Scott on One Week at a Time - One HD - 9:30pm


Thursday 


Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse on The Game Plan - One HD - 8:30pm


Friday


Preliminary Final - Geelong vs Hawthorn - Channel Seven -7:30pm LIVE 


Saturday 


Preliminary Final - Collingwood vs West Coast - Channel Ten Melbourne


Elimation Final - St Kilda vs Sydney - Channel Ten Sydney


Before the Game - TBA


Sunday


Elimination Final - Essendon vs Carlton - Channel Seven - 2:30pm LIVE

News: Seven to air its Week 1 AFL Finals Live

zimbio.com

According to the Herald Sun, Channel Seven will be going ahead with live footy for at least the first week of the AFL final series- which is exactly the way it should be, of course.

This means that the Geelong vs Hawthorn match will air live in Melbourne on Friday night (and 10:30pm in Sydney) at 7:30pm (with the match commencing at 7:45pm) NOT 8:30pm as it is advertised.

The Carlton vs Essendon will air on Sunday at 2:30pm (the match kicks off at 2:45pm).

AFL Guests: Before the Game Round 21: One for Dogs and Pies fans

In the penultimate round of the Home and Away AFL season, Before the Game has some good guests lined up.


This week on the show, see Bob Murphy from the Western Bulldogs who will likely have some interesting things to say about the sacking of former coach Rodney Eade, as well as the Pies' Travis Cloke.


Peter Helliar's Strauchanie will also appear (it seems Peter Helliar can only get work these days popping up on Ten's AFL programs after ironically leaving BTG for the Seven flop "The Bounce"... who knows what he will do next year when Ten will most likely drop its AFL programming).

There will also be Torp of the Week and Tool of the Week.

News: AFL Carlton v Hawthorn clash "very unlikely" to be live on Seven

In yet another case of the dollar winning out over public interest, Channel Seven looks "unlikely" to televise the clash between Carlton and Hawthorn live.

Even though they sit fourth and third on the ladder respectively (and the result will dictate who will claim third spot next, and possibly for the rest of these season), Seven seems to be sticking with its strategy of airing Better Homes and Gardens before the footy- even in the lead-up to the finals series.

Hamish McClachlan- host of Seven's AFL Game Day- recently said on Twitter that "Friday Night looks unlikely to be live" however, did signal that things would change next year, with the AFL's rights negotiations with Seven meaning it will have to air more games live.

Here's what he said:

Guests: Before the Game Round 19 - July 30

Tonight on Ten's Before the Game, Kangaroos star Andrew Swallow will be there to answer the tough questions over Friday night's loss against Carlton.

Beau Waters will also be on the show after the Western Bulldogs versus West Coast Eagles game.

The AFL Footy Show Guests: Round 19

Tonight on the Footy Show we hear from retiring Saint/Swan/Bulldog Barry Hall. St Kilda's Nick Dal Santo will be with Chris Dawes on the panel tonight- it is Dawes' first appearance on the show. Sam is promising an "explosive" Street Talk in Castlemaine. 

And after Andrew Walker's screamer on Saturday night versus the Dons, the team asks who should win mark of the year?

Damien Barrett will also appear to likely drop some bombshells regarding potential new Adelaide coaches.

And Shane Crawford gets on his bike after Cadel Evan's magnificent Tour de France win. 

Preview: AFL Footy Show Round 18 Guests

This week on The Footy Show, there will be a firm spotlight on Port Adelaide - is it a "club in crisis"? Matthew Primus will be in studio to answer his critics. Roughy (an injured Jarryd Roughead), Spike (Mark McVeigh from the Bombers) and Billy Brownless will be on the panel.


There will also be a discussion about Jonathan Brown - "is he too brave for his own good"? 


And this week's Street Talk is in Werribee, where Sam will ask about Richmond selling home games. 


There will also be the usual segments; Almost Football Legends, Sam's Mailbag... and a "visit from a world champ". 

Analysis: Before the Game to be handballed?

Today network Ten stated that they would not buy any games off Channel Seven for the 2012 season. This leaves a number of shows and network personalities up in the air.

AFL: Brad Johnson joins Fox Sports

[caption id="attachment_72" align="alignnone" width="246" caption="Source: AFL.com.au"][/caption]

In one of the many moves that occurs in the AFL off-season, Brad Johnson has joined the Fox Sports commentary team of Gerard Healy, Jason Dunstall, Alastair Lynch and Paul Roos (fresh from coaching the Swans in 2010).

Johnson was obviously an easy choice, what with his affable personality and considerable experience as captain of the Western Bulldogs.

He had previous experience of the commentary world during 2010 on Channel Seven, usually during his times on the sidelines due to injury.

Source: Fox Sports