AFL fans have made the call: Anthony Hudson and Daisy Pearce were their favourite commentator and special comments expert, respectively, for the 2022 season, respected for their insight, knowledge and fairness.
The AFL Fans Association received responses from more than 1250 fans as part of their annual survey. Respondents awarded Hudson, who has since moved to 3AW, for his play-by-play coverage on SEN and Fox Footy, while former Melbourne captain and AFLW pioneer Pearce was chosen for her special commentary on Channel Seven.
Daisy Pearce has been chosen as the fan-favourite for special comments in her commentary role for Seven in 2022. Credit: Getty Images
The result shows how highly regarded Pearce is by the football public amid the debate about her dual roles in the media and as an assistant coach for the Geelong men’s team, after two clubs banned her from entering their rooms after games.
Respondents were asked to pick their favourite commentators for play-by-play and special commentary.
Fans were asked: “Who is your favourite AFL/AFLW play-by-play commentator on TV and radio and why?” They were asked to pick from a list but could also nominate someone from outside the list.
The list was not exhaustive, and the survey did not ask fans to nominate their least favourite commentators.
Out of 18 choices for play-by-play commentary, Anthony Hudson and Gerard Whateley were neck-and-neck for the fan favourite. The pair called together during the 2022 season.
Hudson has since resigned from SEN radio after two decades, returning to Nine Radio’s 3AW where his career began almost 30 years ago. Nine also owns this masthead.
Hudson scored 15.71 per cent of the vote, with Whateley receiving 15.53 per cent.
Hudson was chosen by fans for his accuracy, engagement, and enthusiasm for the game.
“Anthony focuses on complementing the football, not complimenting the personalities in the commentary box,” one fan wrote.
Another said: “He conveys the excitement of the game without mangling the English language, which not everyone can do. Unlike some others, it’s about the game, not about him.”
Meanwhile, Whateley was complimented for his breadth of understanding of the game, authority and entertainment value.
Those who responded with “other” (coming in third at 8.2 per cent) were asked to list their answer in the comment section. The majority of those respondents said they didn’t have a favourite.
“She knows more about the tactics of the game than almost anyone else in it. And she is quick and concise. Daisy Pearce is an outstanding commentator.”
One fan’s comment
Many of those said they did not have a favourite because they believed commentators were biased, or that they preferred to watch the game without any commentary.
“Don’t know if anyone stands out. As they all can be very biased when commenting on certain games,” a fan wrote.
“I have none, as I find their commentary extremely Vic-centric. Interstate teams get a bad run in games commentary,” another said.
Hudson, entering his 30th year calling the game, said the basics of the calling the ball-by-ball hasn’t changed much since he began.
“The depth of analytics and tactics, and how we present the game graphically on TV, as well as the sheer amount of football that we cover are probably the biggest changes overall,” he said.
Hudson’s favourite calls were a tie between Stephen Quartermain’s “Leo Barry, you star!” at the 2005 grand final, and Mike Williamson’s now-iconic “Jesaulenko, you beauty!” in 1970.
“They are both spontaneous, simple, but brilliant,” he said.
‘Outstanding commentator’: Pearce leads for special commentary
The results were less tight for the special commentary award.
Fans were asked: “Who is your favourite AFL/AFLW special comments expert on TV or radio and why?”
Out of the 23 possible answer choices, Pearce came out on top with 14.96 per cent of respondents choosing the Channel Seven special comments expert and AFLW pioneer, who provided insights on Friday nights in 2022.
Fox Footy’s Nathan Buckley followed with 8.17 per cent vote, followed close behind by Seven’s Matthew Richardson (8.12).
“Daisy is insightful, intelligent and a welcome breath of fresh air from the usual group of ‘lads’,” one respondent wrote.
Another said: “She knows more about the tactics of the game than almost anyone else in it. And she is quick and concise. Daisy Pearce is an outstanding commentator.”
For those who listed “other” for special commentary, Jude Bolton and Dermott Brereton were listed most frequently. Jonathan Brown, Matthew Pavlich and Wayne Carey were the other names mentioned by fans.
Pearce’s commentary career kicked off in 2016, appearing as a panelist on Seven’s Game Day.
In 2021, she became the first woman to provide special comments for Seven’s coverage of the grand final. Her commentary was highly commended, and she joined the upstairs commentary box the following season.
After taking up a position under Geelong coach Chris Scott following her retirement from AFLW, Pearce moved from special comments on Friday nights to the same role on Thursday night broadcasts for 2023.
Her Channel Seven colleague, former Richmond star Richardson, is among those who have defended her dual roles, saying she has been singled out, while Age columnist Kane Cornes has argued she must choose one or the other, and is capable of becoming the first female senior coach in the AFL men’s competition.
Pearce declined a request for an interview.
