“I love this”: Mooney a huge fan of potential changes to post-match interviews with AFL coaches

The AFL is rethinking how it conducts post-match interviews with head coaches according to the Herald Sun’s Jay Clark.

According to the report, one idea floated by the AFL is that Channel Seven and Fox Footy would have immediate access to senior coaches following the result of games, with a separate post-match presser for print media occurring after.

With immediate interviews more likely to generate emotional responses, SEN host and Fox Footy commentator Cam Mooney is a huge fan of the proposal.

He discussed the report with his SEN Breakfast co-host Sam Edmund, with the duo agreeing that the proposed changes could create better content than the traditional press conferences which often occur 20 to 30 minutes after the siren.

Edmund: “There’s a story in the Herald Sun today by Jay Clark that the league is considering a shake-up to the senior coach’s post-match press conference.”

Mooney: “I love this.”

Edmund: “Now this would involve giving quicker television broadcast interviews straight after the game. 

“Jay's reporting that the league has approached club officials and they're considering changes to the post-match press conference to suit the clubs, the broadcast partners in the print media. 

“One of the ideas is the senior coach immediately is made available to Channel Seven and Fox Footy straight after the games for their immediate reaction. Then there'd be a separate interview opportunity for the print media after.

“That would I guess avail itself to more emotion, more visible emotion, and perhaps better content.”

Mooney: “Some of the best coach interviews I've seen after a game is when Ken Hinckley's actually been interviewed on the ground by the boundary rider. It is fantastic. 

“You go out to the players, and some players are great., some players are boring.

“But coaches are fantastic because they know the game so well and what's happened better than the players because the players are so in the zone, where the coaches actually had the overall view. 

“I would love to interview more coaches walking off the field before they go in and sing their song.”

Edmund: “Otherwise there's sometimes half an hour of downtime, then it's a cliche-fest sometimes.

“It also got to the stage this year where press conferences were attended by one journo and the coach will get in there and say, ‘Where is everyone?’.

“If we get better content at the end of the day, that’s what it's all about. That's what broadcasters want and that's what they pay the record broadcast rights money for.”

The report revealed that the league informed club officials that changes were being considered last week.

The 2025 AFL season begins on Thursday, March 6 with reigning premiers Brisbane taking on Geelong at the Gabba.