AFL and Eddy on fire
THE 2012 Toyota AFL Premiership season bounces off, literally, on Saturday and Eddie McGuire has a lot to be excited about.
The Collingwood club president is busier than ever this year, thanks to his work on AUSTAR and Foxtel's new 24-hour AFL channel Fox Footy.
All of this season's AFL matches will air live and uninterrupted on Fox Footy, with any conflicting matches aired on sister channel Fox Sports 1.
Not only will McGuire be a commentator and call many of the live matches, he also hosts his own weekly show Eddie McGuire Tonight.
"Obviously in the lead-up to any football season there's plenty of work, but when you're launching a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week channel there's a lot of work, a lot at stake, a lot of pressure and deadlines," he said.
McGuire said he's conscious of not "promising too much" when it comes to establishing his new show, Eddie McGuire Tonight.
"People know what my reputation with footy shows has been over the years," he said.
"We'll have the key decision makers. We want to entertain people.
"The show could be a different looking show every week depending on what's happening that particular week.
"What's important for us is that it's nimble and entertaining.
"That's the bottom line in television.
"You can get caught up in formats and run-downs, but when people sit down they want to be entertained."
McGuire said it's about time footy fans were able to watch every AFL match live on TV.
"Football means so much to so many people. The one thing you want to do is add to people's enjoyment," he said.
"We're acting as a conduit to the supporters at home watching it.
"We have to respect the game and the people involved.
"The old saying is 'take the game seriously but not yourself'."
The 2012 season starts on Saturday with Greater Western Sydney taking on hometown rivals the Sydney Swans.
