Every Monday is about to become Mad Monday on 7mate, with the launch of a new prime time AFL footy show set to bring all the weekend’s AFL antics to Western Australian viewers.
Mad Monday, premiering at 7.00pm this Monday on 7mate in Western Australia and streaming nationally via 7plus, will feature the AFL’s biggest stories, hardest hits, and controversial calls.
Former footy rivals and good mates, Xavier Ellis and Michael Barlow, will host the show, combining their high-level footy IQ and humour to provide fearless commentary and insightful analysis from inside the game. They will be joined weekly by Dean Margetts, known as the most opinionated man to ever blow a whistle, who will share his thoughts on contentious umpiring decisions. Midfielder Hamish Brayshaw will round out the Mad Monday team, offering his unique perspective on the weekend’s hits and misses.
Xavier Ellis, a premiership player, said the show would be “like Mum’s minestrone – a bit of everything for everyone.” He added that he enjoys Michael Barlow’s insights into the game.
Michael Barlow, a former Fremantle player, said the show would look into the weekly roller coaster of footy, providing informative content while always having fun. He also mentioned the friendly rivalry between him and Ellis, with the latter frequently reminding Barlow of his 2015 Derby performance.
Executive Producer Natalie Bonjolo stated that Mad Monday would be “exciting, fast, fun and a little different” from the usual footy chat show. She described the show’s format as “throwing together a couple of mates, who are former footy rivals, with an umpire who reminds them he’s been in more games than both of them combined.”
Mad Monday is produced by The West Australian newspaper for the Seven Network. Anthony De Ceglie, West Australian Newspapers Editor in Chief, highlighted that the show is part of the company’s efforts to boost its video and audience offerings, with The West Australian now reaching 4.4 million digital readers every month.
Will they be doing an SA version?