Colourful AFL commentator Brian Taylor insists he does not care about audience feedback, and says his focus is firmly on turning Thursday night football into the marquee AFL timeslot.
Taylor, 62, begins his 14th season at Seven as one of the major – but polarising – voices of the game.
The man known as “BT” or “Bristle” joined Seven in 2012 but rose to prominence in 2017 when he replaced Dennis Cometti on the network’s Friday night football coverage.
Good call: Seven’s Brian Taylor hopes to make Thursday night football a ratings winner this season. Credit: Simon Schluter
As part of the fixture shake-up this year, with Thursday night football introduced through the entire home-and-away season, Seven has decided to split its lead calling team of Taylor and James Brayshaw. The latter heads up Friday night, while Hamish McLachlan and Taylor will be the main callers in the pivotal Thursday slot.
Seven enjoyed bumper ratings last year in the 14 home-and-away games played on Thursdays, averaging almost 627,000 viewers nationally. The average audience on Fridays was 635,000.
“I am loving the fact it’s Thursdays, I am loving the fact I think there are 23 of them this year, which is a real commitment, not just this year but in the years coming, and knowing it’s probably the main TV night because there is work and school the next day,” Taylor said.
“You know you are going to have a lot of eyeballs on it. And when I look through the fixture, I noticed that of most of the good games, I would say Thursday has the better run, in terms of quality games.
“I think it will definitely end up being the bigger-rating night. I think Friday definitely has its place, and it will always be a marquee night. But I think Thursday is going to come with some big numbers this year.”
Taylor’s bid for Thursday night supremacy on free-to-air TV will be challenged by Fox Footy, which now has its own commentary crew at all games under the new $4.5 billion broadcast deal. Fox will have Mark Howard and Matt Hill as lead callers on a Thursday.
Asked about the so-called footy broadcast wars, Taylor had a blunt response.
“I don’t give a shit about any of that. What I have learnt in this industry over a period of time, just do your job. Just do your job,” he said.
“If you worry about opposition, or what people think of you, you ain’t going to do a very good job.
“I am happy that there are two broadcasters calling footy. It means we have all got jobs, and if we fall out of one, who knows, we may fall into another. It just provides a great opportunity for people that are in my industry, having two broadcasters.”
BT backer: Luke Hodge says Brian Taylor is often unfairly maligned for his commentary.Credit: Jono Laird
Taylor has had his share of controversies and brutal social media feedback, including viewers questioning a perceived bias towards Collingwood. Others have criticised the way he called certain players, including Essendon’s Jake Kelly during last year’s Anzac Day clash. Kelly is the son of Taylor’s former teammate and current Magpies chief executive, Craig Kelly.
Taylor said he only took on criticism from Seven’s bosses, including head of sport Chris Jones, and his wife, Tania, whom he says quickly picks up the “vibe” of the call.
“It is a subjective sport, whether it’s the game or whether it’s the broadcast of the game. Everyone has got their opinion. To be honest with you, I listen to everyone within my stable here at Seven, and then I go home and my wife is the No.1 person I listen to, because she is the one that is prepared to give it to me between the eyes, saying ‘you were shithouse today’, or ‘you were good today’, or whatever it is, her honest opinion.”
Fellow Seven commentator Luke Hodge, the four-time Hawthorn premiership great, said Taylor was unfairly criticised.
“BT can say 99 things correct out of 100, and they will pick the one thing he made a mistake in. Everyone makes mistakes. People sitting at home forget about that. They go to their job and make a mistake, and no one is there to point it out,” Hodge said.
Taylor says he will continue to probe his expert commentators during a game on how the trailing team can get back into the contest. For fans of the team in front, Taylor admits this can be annoying. But he insists it’s no gimmick to try to hold on to viewers in lopsided games.
“I am giving the supporters of that team a reason why they could possibly come back. They could come back if they can do this, this and this. It’s got to be genuine,” Taylor said.
“If I think a side is being absolutely belted and outclassed, I am not going to say they can get back in this. If I think there is a genuine reason for a team to get back in it, I will say it.
“People don’t like that because, if their team is winning, that’s all they care about. They don’t care about the team that is five goals down. I do. I care about both.”
Taylor’s Roaming Brian segment will continue post match.
To a younger generation, it’s often forgotten Taylor played 11 seasons in the AFL, with 43 games and 156 goals for Richmond, before 97 games and 371 goals for Collingwood. He was the 1986 Coleman medallist, and was a selection heartbreak tale because of a dodgy knee in 1990, when the Magpies claimed a breakthrough flag.
“Even I have forgotten that I played, so I wouldn’t expect others to remember,” Taylor said.
