Footy Show set for major shakeup as stalwart ‘QUITS’ after backstage bust-up with Eddie McGuire 

AFL journalist Damien Barrett is not expected to return to Channel Nine’s The Footy Show following a heated exchange with Eddie McGuire.

Major changes are coming to the iconic football program, as rival show The Front Bar on Channel Seven soars in the ratings.

Veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson told Adelaide’s FIVEaa that the new-look Footy show will go to air next year without panellist Sam Newman or Barrett.

AFL journalist Damien Barrett (pictured) broke a story on AFL.com.au regarding a player who plays for McGuire’s team, Collingwood, involved in a drug scandal

A heated exchange between Eddie McGuire (pictured) and Barrett reportedly ‘shook the walls’ of The Footy Show studios before last week’s episode

‘I don’t reckon Sam Newman will be on the show,’ Ms Wilson said.

‘We know Rebecca Maddern won’t be on the show. And we know it’s going to be a completely new show but we believe Eddie McGuire will be the host.’

She also predicted that Barrett may look into doing some other work with his journalistic career.

‘I would imagine though that Damian Barrett will probably not be on the Footy Show next year,’ she said. 

The senior reporter’s uncertain future comes after the heated exchange with McGuire that reportedly ‘shook the walls’ of The Footy Show studios before last week’s episode.  

Tensions ‘boiled over’ when the pair clashed over a story Barrett broke a week earlier, regarding Collingwood player Sam Murray’s positive post-match drug test, the Herald Sun reported.

AFL reporter Caroline Wilson said  that the new-look Footy show will go to air next year without panellist Sam Newman (pictured)

McGuire, Collingwood’s president, was said to have taken issue with the story, which was originally planned to air on the show two Thursdays ago. 

Instead, Barrett broke it on AFL.com.au, saying he hadn’t confirmed the details in time to air on The Footy Show. 

‘I got a call on Wednesday night about the possibility around this Sam Murray story,’ Barrett, considered one of the best newsbreakers in the business, told The Sounding Board podcast last week. 

Tensions ‘boiled over’ when the pair clashed over a story Barrett broke a week earlier, regarding Collingwood player Sam Murray’s (pictured) positive post-match drug test

McGuire is the president of the Collingwood club, but insists he isn’t conflicted by his two separate roles

‘It came from a really good source, but it came in a extremely wishy-washy manner… I told the producer of The Footy Show on the Thursday, but also told him that I haven’t got anything to go with until I get more.’

When asked if he told McGuire of his plans to break the story, Barrett replied: ‘No, I didn’t.

‘That’s not unusual either because I had nothing. I couldn’t look him in the eye and say ”I’m about to go with this story” or ”should I go?” I had nothing more,’ Barrett said.  

Barrett said he had all but confirmed the story as he left The Footy Show two weeks ago.   

Barrett said he had all but confirmed the story as he left The Footy Show two weeks ago

‘I was walking down the stairs, felt the phone in my pocket go off, had a look at it when I got in the car after I turned it on,’ he said.

‘Then I was on the phone for about half an hour with someone, who didn’t confirm it – but made me think ”OK, this is right”.

‘So then I thought, ”well what am I going to do with it”… You’ve been in these situations when we can’t get it up for the Footy Show – you’ve got to get it up elsewhere.’

Barrett pitched the story to AFL Media the following morning.   

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk