Scoop in September: Finals fracas or a simple contract? Seven and Fox at odds over grand final clause

Seven have exclusive rights to the grand final. Once the game is over, as per the contract, Fox is allowed to show a replay on Fox Footy and Kayo. The replay can include their own commentators.

So Fox politely asked the AFL if they could use a commentary box at the MCG, for their team to call the game from the ground as if live, but air the match later.

Uh oh. The contract stipulates in black and white that during the grand final, no one from Fox is allowed inside the MCG.

Seven – via the AFL – has reminded Fox it is absolutely allowed to call the game from its studio in South Melbourne. I mean, it’s not as if Fox hasn’t done that before this year. Just ask Brian Taylor, who has taken every opportunity to call out the opposition when they have commentated games remotely.

When approached for comment, Seven assured Scoop in September there was no finals fracas, because there is nothing to fight about. The contract is the contract.

“We look forward to bringing every moment of the 2025 grand final to all Australians from 7am AEST through to the post-match celebrations live, free and exclusively on Seven,” said the network’s football boss, Gary O’Keefe.

The AFL, which wouldn’t respond publicly, told this column that only a gesture of goodwill from Seven would grant Fox entry to the ’G.

Seven has sent a pretty clear message. Like Gretchen Wieners in the comedy blockbuster, Mean Girls: “You can’t sit with us!”

But we don’t think Seven is being mean.

Unless the host broadcaster has a change of heart (highly unlikely) or the AFL changes its position, you won’t see any of Fox’s commentary team at the MCG on September 27.

You’ll see Seven’s James Brayshaw calling alongside “BT”, with special comments from Kane Cornes and Luke Hodge.

At least Fox’s marquee caller, Gerard Whateley, will be there if, as expected, he’s calling for SEN. But fellow Fox commentators such as Anthony Hudson, Dwayne Russell and whomever Fox chooses as its special comments pundits – Garry Lyon, Nathan Buckley, Jason Dunstall, Jonathan Brown and Jordan Lewis – are likely to be locked in a studio down the road.

OK, so we’ve used a little creative licence with that quote, but you get the picture.

What is absolute fact, though, is that Hawthorn president Andrew Gowers, CEO Ash Klein and a few more senior Hawks staff members were invited for a celebratory drink back at Kirribilli House.

While a couple followed the prime minister’s official convoy, a few others, including Gowers, had to Uber. Quick side note: imagine typing Kirribilli House into the Uber search? (Surely, you have to order Uber Black.)

Anyway, about halfway from the Giants’ home ground in Western Sydney to Albo’s residence, Gowers became anxious.

“I can’t come empty-handed, can I?” Gowers thought. So he asked the Uber driver to make a quick detour to a bottle shop.

Now consider, if you will, being on the way to the prime minister’s house for drinks. What do you buy? A nice Blanc de Blanc, perhaps? Maybe you go all out and try to impress him with a bottle of Grange? (Sorry, Hutchy, last time, I promise).

Well, not Gowers. He buys a slab of Victoria Bitter. Yep, that’s right. The president of the Hawks rocks up to Kirribilli House and hands the PM a case of Green Demons. You couldn’t make it up.

“When you are a guest of someone’s house, you should take something,” Gowers told Scoop in September.

“I thought to myself, what better than some Victoria Bitter to give the Sydney and Canberra-based prime minister?”

Unfortunately, the VBs were not opened. Instead, the PM served his own beer. Literally. The “Albo Pale Ale” (made by Willie the Boatman) was the beer of choice that day, among some other fine wines, we’re told. The Hawthorn guests were astonished by the sheer beauty of the location, including the unique view of Sydney Harbour.

Suddenly, Albo darted inside and returned to the balcony with an Eveready torch. “Come with me,” he said. And when the PM gives you an order, you follow.

So, with the sun fully set, the small party descended on the illustrious lawns of Kirribili, with Albo leading the way.

Eventually, after fossicking through some trees, they found the PM’s secret spot, with arguably the best and unarguably the most exclusive view in NSW.

At this point, a Hawthorn staff member commented at his surprise that there weren’t more security members present.

“Oh, they’re here,” the prime minister said. “You just can’t see them.”

We approached the PM’s office for comment on the adventurous night, and while they enjoyed the retelling of the story, they politely declined to comment.

All in all, it was a special night for the Hawks, the prime minister and even his family. Albanese’s son, Nathan, who’s in his mid-20s and, like his father, is a keen Hawthorn supporter, also joined the festivities.

And maybe there’ll be another Hawks party this week. Word has reached us that Albo hasn’t ruled out darting to Melbourne this Friday to catch Hawthorn’s preliminary final against arch rivals Geelong.

Maybe he’ll even get to finally have a VB.