GERARD HEALY SIGNS-OFF AS ON THE COUCH HOST
THE ICONIC FOOTY ANALYST CELEBRATES 20 YEARS IN THE HOSTING CHAIR
After 20 extraordinary years at the helm, celebrated commentator Gerard Healy will hand over hosting duties of FOX FOOTY’S On The Couch in 2022.
Healy has hosted the award-winning Monday evening flagship AFL show since 2002, leading in-depth analysis and discussion around the game’s biggest news stories.
As host of On The Couch, the show has won awards almost yearly and was most recently voted the Best TV Program at the 2021 AFMA Awards.
An analyst and expert, Healy has had a profound influence on the football lexicon. After coining ‘Pagan’s Paddock’ in the late 1990s, he studied vision of Hawthorn in 2008 and their gridlocked 18-man defensive system, which he named ‘Clarko’s Cluster’.
And there were more, from the ‘Weagles Web’ to GWS’ ‘Orange Tsunami,’ Healy has been at the forefront of football terminology and analysis for two decades. It was On The Couch where he first presented these phrases, which were quickly adopted by others in the media and fans all over the country in everyday football language.
“While I look forward to remaining part of the FOX FOOTY team for another couple of seasons, I’ve for some time felt that after twenty years hosting ‘The Couch’, it was probably time for a change, both for me and the show,”
– said Healy on Friday.
“In discussions with management at Fox, they were of the same view and I thank them for being so supportive throughout.
“It’s been a great privilege for me to work with so many talented people on ‘The Couch’ both on and off camera, through two decades where the game has changed more than at any other time in it’s history. Right from the beginning with Mike and Wallsy it was exciting every Monday to learn, identify and explain how the game was evolving, to celebrate its many strengths, to address and debate perceived weaknesses, acknowledge the feats of the great teams, and of course the coaches and the thousands of players that have had the light shone upon them on a Monday night.
“I’m proud of what the program produced over a long period and that after 20 years it was still capable of winning the AFLMA TV show of the year which it did again in 2021. I look forward to it continuing to entertain and educate for decades to come, and yes, I’ll be watching at home on the couch.”
“Gerard Healy won a Brownlow Medal for his efforts on field, in the TV Studio he is just as wonderful and get this – he’s an even better bloke,”
– said Executive Director of FOX SPORTS, Steve Crawley.
An iconic and respected host and analyst, Healy is the longest running host of an AFL television show and will remain part of the FOX FOOTY family, continuing his expert commentary on gamedays.
Updates to FOX FOOTY shows and talent line-up will be announced ahead of the 2022 season.
