Channel Seven lands BIG name in media war – snapping up a prominent TV broadcaster for a key role

Upheaval in the AFL media landscape continues with Channel 7 announcing that former Footy Classified host Craig Hutchison will be the front man for new show Agenda Setters.

Hutchison will host the Monday night show – and be joined by fellow Channel 7 signings Nick Riewoldt and Kane Cornes.

The show will go head-to-head with Nine’s Footy Classified. 

‘Seven is the home of free-to-air AFL, and has an unrivalled history, legacy and contribution to AFL football,’ Hutchison said on Wednesday.

‘These new shows will shape and set the agenda of the weekday discussion of football, which is at the heart of the game.

‘The media and opinions around the game is the zeitgeist of what fuels Australian football, and we will bring the game’s biggest names to the table and call it as it is.

Hutchison will host the Monday night show where he will be joined by fellow Channel 7 signings Nick Riewoldt and Kane Cornes

‘And on a personal level, to return to Seven where I spent many years earlier in my career is an honour.’

Plenty of change has been taking place in what’s been a pretty seismic television reshuffle, with some iconic commentators and pundits leaving their respective stables, while others have jumped ship to rival networks.

Earlier in the month, Fox Footy announced that AFL great Leigh Matthews would be joining their expert team.

He is set to link up with Shaun Burgoyne and Tom Hawkins, who have also recently joined up with the side, with Hawkins having hung up his boots earlier this year.

Seven is also launching a football program hosted by Hamish McLachlan called Unfiltered. It will run against the popular ‘Front Bar’ program, hosted by Mick Molloy.

The big announcement from Nine has been the signing of Bombers great James Hird, as part of a move to revitalise the network’s footy programming after some big-name departures.

Seven has gone big with signings and new shows after copping criticism for not doing enough outside of coverage on match day.

Seven’s Director of Sport, Chris Jones, said ‘The Agenda Setters on Mondays and Tuesdays will be appointment viewing, and together with Rainmaker, we’ve assembled an incredibly experienced production team for this show to complement our unrivalled on-air lineup.

Footy legend James Hird (pictured) joining Channel Nine’s football coverage

‘Unfiltered on Wednesdays is going to take us behind the curtain and give fans the opportunity to learn more about the person behind the athlete. With Hamish McLachlan at the helm, viewers will be granted the best storytelling possible with the biggest and most fascinating names in the game,’ he said.

‘At Seven, we can’t wait to bring footy fans more content than ever before, every week of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season on Seven and 7plus.

‘From mid-week footy analysis headlined by new signings Kane Cornes, Craig Hutchison and Nick Riewoldt alongside our existing group of AFL experts, to light-hearted footy content midweek, all before the first bounce on Thursday Night Footy, there has never been a more exciting time to be an AFL fan.’