- Footy Classified may not air on Tuesday nights
- Broadcaster also considering last-minute hosting switch
Channel Nine’s Footy Classified could be pulled from air on Tuesday night after three panellists sensationally defected to Channel Seven ahead of the 2025 AFL season.
It would be a shock decision from the free-to-air network ahead of Saturday’s grand final between the Sydney Swans and Brisbane Lions, with network executives reportedly holding “crisis talks” to determine the best course of action.
Former Port Adelaide champion Kane Cornes, veteran journalist Caroline Wilson and media identity Craig Hutchison are all making the move, with the latter using his TV production company to support Seven’s football programming.
The trio were due to preview the AFL tiebreaker with Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd.
Lloyd will be frustrated about the situation. On Monday night he told 3AW Radio: ‘I’m deeply disappointed but no one is bigger than the show.’
Footy Classified has been moved to Tuesday this week, following the Brownlow Medal on Monday.
According to News CorpEddie McGuire, Geelong star Jimmy Bartel and football reporter Damian Barrett have been told to remain on standby while the broadcaster explores its options.
Hutchison was – along with Wilson – one of the original panelists on Football classified, now in its 18th season.
Channel Nine’s Footy Classified could be pulled from air on Tuesday after stars Caroline Wilson, Craig Hutchison and Kane Cornes (pictured left to right) defected to Channel Seven for the 2025 AFL season
The trio were due to get a taste of the AFL final with Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd (pictured) telling 3AW Radio he was ‘bitterly disappointed but no one is bigger than the show’
The likes of Eddie McGuire (pictured with his wife Carla), Geelong great Jimmy Bartel and football reporter Damian Barrett have been told to be on standby on Tuesday
Cornes, who is known for his outspoken views, announced his transfer in August.
He caused a bit of a stir at Seven before he even started at the network, following his recent brutal attack on Richmond legend Trent Cotchin.
‘It [criticism] “I have contacted you,” Cornes said on the Howie Games podcast.
‘She [Seven] were really upset about it (the segment where Trent Cotchin was parodied).
‘I felt a little guilty about that.’
That came after Cornes made a now infamous video in which he ridiculed Cotchin’s ball on camera in his new role as an AFL analyst.
“We just walked in on Sunday and I had seen this Trent Cotchin video. I thought it was an average product, to be honest,” he explained.
“Yeah, Trent is new (to the media), I personally wouldn’t have put that on social media after seeing what it was, so I think they [producers] To abandon Trent in this way.
‘Sometimes we prank each other, so I thought, is there anything we can do with this Cotchin video? I haven’t really reviewed the video.
‘We put our heads together… and we thought, why don’t we film you (Kane) in a similar style, and find the most boring piece of theatre of the year and reconstruct what happened.
“I think I said to Matt (our producer), is this outrageous? Is this too mean? And the consensus was, ‘No, it was a bit of fun.’
“Would it have been hard for Trent to watch? Possibly. Do I regret doing it? No. I would do it again.”
