Famed footy commentator Brian Taylor has been bumped from his regular gig calling Friday Night AFL games for Seven.
The 62-year-old former Aussie Rules star, who has been working with the network since 2006, will instead feature as commentator during finals and the ANZAC Day big match.
Taylor’s popular Roaming Brian segment has also been punted, moving to Thursdays from its regular Friday night slot.
An AFL great, Taylor who played with Richmond and Collingwood in the 80s has been calling Friday night footy for Seven since 2017.
The dramatic moves come as Seven’s AFL coverage faces a new rival in Fox Sport, who will also be broadcasting the 2025 season with its own production team.
Previously, Fox simulcast Seven’s coverage, but as a fresh deal with the AFL comes into effect in the new year Foxtel will be showing the matches with their own commentary teams ad free.
Famed footy commentator Brian Taylor (pictured) has been bumped from his regular gig calling Friday Night AFL games for Seven
The dramatic moves come as Seven’s AFL coverage faces a new rival in Fox Sport, who will also be broadcasting the 2025 season with its own production team including Gerard Whateley (pictured)
Anthony Hudson (pictured) will join Whateley to call the Friday night match
The changes to the Seven AFL commentary box, will also see James Brayshaw, who usually teams with Taylor, likely remain on Fridays reported The Daily Telegraph.
Meanwhile, Fox Sport will feature Gerard Whateley and Anthony Hudson to call the Friday night match.
It will also be a new experience for Whateley, who will contnue to commentate for SEN on Thursday evenings and Saturdays.
The publication also reported on Friday that Seven will launch a segment called Extra Time to replace Taylor’s Roaming Brian.
The new feature will been on Fridays, while Hamish McLachlan has been tipped to partner with Taylor on Thursdays.
It comes after Fox announced last month that AFL great Leigh Matthews would be joining their expert team.
Matthews is considered one of the greatest players and coaches to have graced the game, having made 332 appearances for Hawthorn during his playing career.
The forward would help the Hawks to win four VFL premierships notably also winning the Coleman Medal in 1975.
An AFL great, Taylor who played with Richmond and Collingwood in the 80s has been calling Friday night footy for Seven since 2017
Whateley has poured cold water on claims that a rivalry could be growing between Seven and Fox.
‘I probably don’t think about that… choice is a great thing. It’s great in cricket. Now we will be able to do that in footy,’ he added.
Seven, meanwhile, will be streaming matches via 7plus when the 2025 kicks off in March.
It comes after Taylor came under fire for remarks made on air numerous times in the past.
He was suspended in 2014 for using a homophobic slur against then-Geelong player Harry Taylor.
Taylor was being chaired from the field last weekend after his 150th game when the popular Cat player did an unusual wave to the crowd.
While watching the vision on Channel 7’s Saturday Night Footy panel Taylor called him ‘a big p**fter’.
In 2023, the commentator was doing his ‘Roaming Brian’ section when he failed to recognise Australian Test cricket player Matthew Wade and asked Collingwood star if he was his brother.
Taylor faced criticism earlier in the season for his favorable commentary towards Essendon player Jake Kelly during the Anzac Day clash.
He also received backlash from fans for his biased commentary during Collingwood’s win over Melbourne in last season’s finals.
