The Marngrook Footy Show

The Marngrook Footy Show was a sport panel show broadcast in Australia focusing on Australian rules football and aimed at Indigenous viewers. Debuting on television in 2007 after 10 years on radio, the show first aired on NITV and on Channel 31 Melbourne, moving to ABC2 during 2011 and 2012 before moving back to NITV. The show was cancelled in October 2019, replaced by Yokayi Footy in March 2020.

The Marngrook Footy Show
Created byGrant Hansen
Directed byDarcy Bonser
Presented by
Theme music composer
Opening themeIt's Marngrook
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons13
No. of episodes299
Production
Executive producerJay Estorninho
ProducerGrant Hansen
Running time90 minutes
Production companyToombak Indigenous Production
Original release
Network
  • NITV (2007–11, 2013–2019)
  • C31 (2007–10)
  • ABC2 (2011–12)
ReleaseJuly 2007 (2007-07) –
September 2019 (2019-09)

As of April 2021, the show continues as a weekly radio show on Saturday mornings on 3KND in Melbourne.[1]

Origins and format edit

Marn Grook ("game ball") is a name given to a range of traditional Aboriginal Australian recreational pastimes, which some historians claim had a role in the formation of Australian rules football.[2]

The show is the brainchild of Grant Hansen, who was tired of the lack of Indigenous football commentators and hosts on the radio and TV. It first aired in 1997 as a radio show in Melbourne, and with popularity increasing it was soon beamed across the country via satellite the following year. The first radio show was hosted by Hansen and Alan Thorpe, with correspondents around the country including Derek Kickett, Michael McLean, Gilbert McAdam, Chris Johnson and Robert Ahmat.[3]

After 10 years on the radio it was then developed as a television show and was shown in 2007 on C31 Melbourne and NITV.[3] It featured interviews, weekly tips, AFL Gripes and live music performances, as well as including local stories from around the country featuring indigenous footballers talking about their backgrounds, origin clubs and towns, heritage and current affairs.[citation needed]

Between 2011 and 2012, the program was broadcast on ABC2, and was shown live in 2012, but had its time-slot moved several times. From 2013 the show was produced by Toombak Indigenous Productions and broadcast on NITV/SBS.[4] The show was produced at the Burwood campus of Deakin University in its professional-standard television studio.

The show was cancelled in October 2019 after 12 years. In March 2020, it was replaced by Yokayi Footy.[5]

Hosts edit

Main edit

Supporting edit

Awards and nominations edit

Year Award Category Recipients and nominees Result Refs.
2015 Logie Awards of 2015 Most Popular Sports Program The Marngrook Footy Show Nominated
2016 Logie Awards of 2016 Best Sports Program Marngrook Footy Show Nominated [6]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Marngrook Footy Show". Facebook.
  2. ^ "A code of our own" celebrating 150 years of the rules of Australian football The Yorker: Journal of the Melbourne Cricket Club Library Issue 39, Autumn 2009
  3. ^ a b "AFL footy show with family appeal". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 September 2012.
  4. ^ Gleeson, Michael (1 February 2013). "Marngrook Footy Show gets SBS reprieve". The Age. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  5. ^ Quinn, Karl; Colangelo, Anthony (6 March 2020). "New Indigenous footy panel show Yokayi to replace axed Marngrook". The Age. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  6. ^ Knox, David (3 April 2016). "Logie Awards 2016: nominations". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 April 2016.

External links edit