Gongs for star Fox Footy callers, analysts as greats honoured at annual AFL media awards

Some of Fox Footy’s biggest established — and emerging — stars have been recognised at the annual Australian Football Media Association Awards.

Herald Sun chief football writer and First Crack host Jay Clark took out the big gong, claiming the Alf Brown award as the best media performer of the season. He also won both best opinion/analysis and best news reporting by an individual for print and online.

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Clark broke arguably the two biggest football stories of the year: The Sydney Swans Pullman incident and the Geelong concussion saga surrounding a letter signed by Jake Kolodjashnij.

As well as his CODE Sports duties, Clark is an integral member of Fox Footy’s Super Saturday Live team and hosts First Crack alongside David King and Leigh Montagna.

It was also a successful night for Montagna and King, who claimed gongs themselves.

Montagna, a Fox Footy double threat as both a play-by-play caller and analyst, claimed best opinion/analysis award for TV, radio and digital, with King receiving a commendable mention in the same category.

King later shared the Lou Richards Medal — presented to a former or current AFL footballer now working in the media who shows the same qualities displayed by Lou Richards throughout his career on and off the field — with SEN colleague Kane Cornes. He also received a commendable mention for the Alf Brown award.

Fox Footy caller Jess Webster took out the Clinton Grybas emerging talent award after an outstanding 2026 campaign, which saw her call AFL matches for Fox Footy for the first time, as well as commentating the historic Australia-Ireland international match at North Sydney Oval.

Superstar play-by-play commentator Anthony Hudson was recognised for another excellent season behind the microphone, taking out the best TV match caller award. Hudson was also judged the best radio caller for his work with 3AW throughout 2026.

Fellow Fox Footy commentators Dwayne Russell, Corbin Middlemas and Gerard Whateley received commendable mentions. Russell in the TV caller category for his work on Fox Footy, with Middlemas (ABC) and Whateley (SEN) acknowledged in the radio caller award.

Whateley was also one of two footy media stars inducted as a Life Member of the AFMA. Hudson delivered a wonderful introduction speech for Whateley, reflecting on his early days as a Herald Sun movie critic, his first venture into TV at Channel 10 and calling alongside him at SEN and, more recently, Friday Night Footy on Fox.

AFL legend Leigh Matthews was also inducted as an AFMA Life Member during an interview with Caroline Wilson. Since finishing his brilliant playing and coaching career, Matthews has become one of the most respected voices in the football media. He’s spent the past two seasons with the Fox Footy team, making regular appearances on Fox Footy program On The Couch, as well as contributing to Fox Footy matchday coverage.

Several members of the Midweek Tackle team were also recognised for their work for the Herald Sun this season.

Jon Ralph and Glenn McFarlane also shared the Best Feature Reporting award for their powerful storytelling on the late Robert Walls and Essendon: The Lost Years.

AFL fans can watch both preliminary finals this weekend live on Fox Footy — via Kayo Sports and Foxtel — with no ad breaks siren-to-siren.

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