Female commentators work well in other sports. So far I am not sold on the AFL's trial, but this could be something that gets better with time.

There are some hacks around of the male variety right now. If a female can come in and do a better job give her the seat.

At the end of the day, as long as they get it right that will do for me.

Hannabal; I'd keep arguing with you but I'm not sure we even disagree on anything more than the semantics of the word "sexist". You're saying it only covers active discrimination against someone based on sex, I'm saying it can also cover gender-based prejudice. I could scour the net for such a dictionary definition of sexism, but I don't think it would achieve much if I found one, other than proving my petty distinction more valid than yours. As I said, I don't think having a natural preference for male over female commentators is anything to be particularly ashamed of, I just think in the classic sense of the word, the position could technically be called "sexist".

Hoopla; I think the biggest issue with Underwood -moreso than her voice and timing, and even her lack of football nous- is that she doesn't really pay attention to what's going on. It's not just that she get's the players names wrong, or that she says things like "out on the full, the umpires throwing it in". You could put that stuff down to a slip of the toungue due to nerves and inexperience; she probably (hopefully) studied the replay of that game and heard herself do that, and was embarassed by it. What's more worrying is that she provides "insights" which fly in the face of reality. The example I made about Jamar sums her up nicely; she'd been watching and commenting on the ruck contests all day, and claimed in the final quarter that Melbourne had gone in without a back-up ruckman when we clearly hadn't. I get the impression that prior to the game, she probably made note of the fact that we havnt normally used a backup ruck this year, figured we'd do the same against North, and resolved to "point it out" as a special comment at some point during the game, and then somehow didnt even pick up on the fact that we were using Steph Martin in ruck contests. Even Andy Maher -who is easily my least favourite commentator in any sport- at least pays enough attention to the games he's calling that he doesn't say much that can be described as objectively and indisputibly wrong. It's par for the course with Underwood.

Edited May 5, 201015 yr by two sheds jackson

Hannabal; I just think in the classic sense of the word, the position could technically be called "sexist".

That's all great, but I've proven that it can't.

Not sure one would really notice once you get into the game.

I mean Tim Lane has been calling for years.

Kelly doesn't do a bad job but she is a kiwi. No kiwi unless they alter the accent should be on telly. They have the worst accent in the world.

And there are too many on TV at the moment.

At least she got Trengove's name right unlike bloody Luke Darcy, Rex Hunt and Eddie.

And her voice is deeper than Bruce's! Maybe she should come out with a female toned "speeeeecial" or "deeeeeelicious!" That'd get the male hearts racing wouldn't it!?