Part 7 - The Hard Times
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New host Ken
Hose bravely smiles for the ESPN audiences as the show takes on a
different format.
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The
entire face of Australian Rules Football completely changed starting in 1987.
In the midst of the expansion of the VFL to include two out-of-state clubs (West
Coast and Brisbane), a new television coverage contract left the Seven Network
out in the cold for a season. Instead of Peter Landy or Sandy Roberts, we
now were greeted every week by Broadcom International's Ken Hose and Barry Breen
from the "VFL Sportscentre" on ABC. Instead of seeing the famous
Seven logo on the TV, we saw Sportsplay Limited's "Sportsplay" logo on
the field, on advertisement banners at all the fields, even on the goalposts,
and just a totally different look and feel to the sport - it simply wasn't the
same. Gone in the commentary box were the names of old. The only
member from Seven that carried over into the new format was Bob Skilton.
Other commentators such as Drew Morphett, Peter McKenna and Dennis Cometti (my
favorite of this group) were the new guys on the block for covering the VFL.
Though the quality of the hour telecast on ESPN wasn't as good as in years past,
at least the program was on consistently in 1987 and again in 1988 when the
Seven Network made its return on covering footy. The ESPN program format,
however, remained the same with Ken Hose doing the hosting. Ken did a good
job as host, however, he seemed a little nervous and didn't appear to be
comfortable in his position - although he did get better the longer he was on
the show. After 1988,
the true chaos began for Americans when we turned on ESPN in 1989 only to find
it no longer carried on the station that was a key in starting it all for us.
Just when I gave up
hope in 1989, I turned on Prime Sports and, to my surprise, found Australian
Football back on the air! Again, it was a new show with a new host who was
Stephen Quartermain. The show was more of a highlights format than it was
a "Match of the Week" style of years past. I found this program
interesting in that, for the first time, highlights of each game were shown in
addition to the featured match. Also a footy news and notes section
allowed the American to digest, again for the first time, insight into the game
such as trades, suspensions, statistics leaders, and general news around the now
AFL (as of 1990). I did enjoy the show - particularly as Collingwood
headed towards its first premiership since 1958. The show remained in the
same format for a few years afterward and then, with my relocation from my home
in upstate New York in early 1992, I lost total contact with the sport.
Sadly, it would be five years before I would watch another game of footy.
This period also
marked time that the VFL started touring the United States with
Foster's Cup matches. Although a date at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1987
was cancelled due to earthquakes, VFL footy was played at Joe Robbie Stadium in
1988 and a few years later in Portland, Oregon. Unfortunately, for me, I
was too young and too far away to see it in action. By the early 1990s, I
began a four-year stint in the United States Army that took me all over the USA
and included a fourteen month assignment in South Korea. While I made up
for the lack of footy with soccer, I truly wondered if I'd ever get to see
Aussie Rules ever again. Fortunately, for me, a glorious rebirth awaited
me in the future with the realization of dreams I never thought could come true!
Part 8: Footy Rebirth 
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