The busiest match day every week at Fox Footy – Foxtel’s most-watched winter TV channel – is Saturdays. The channel gives over the Saturday night hosting slot to Kath Loughnan and her team as they help viewers navigate coverage of the final games of AFL matches that started early in the afternoon.
The Saturday evening session on Fox Footy is branded Saturday Stretch and it recognises the time many viewers have put in watching the coverage. After the more serious analysis offered up on Thursday and Friday nights, the Saturday Stretch, and then Bounce on Sundays, offers viewers a little more fun mixed with footy insights.
“Saturday Stretch is my main hosting job,” Loughnan explained to Mediaweek. “We come on air before the main Saturday night game and then we return again at the end of the match and start a full wrap of the day’s games. We cover all the main talking points from what is usually four or five games. That number varies if there is Thursday night football that round or any Covid restrictions.”
The Saturday Stretch team includes Jordan Lewis, Brad Johnson and Tom Morris. “They are a very fun crew and we tend to loosen up a bit on Saturday nights,” added Loughnan.
The show’s host has just started her second year of fronting Saturday nights working alongside Saturday night “veteran” Johnson while the others are comparative newcomers to the evening. “We have formed a tight Saturday night family and we are pumped to do it again this year,” said Loughnan.
Loughnan presenting Saturday Stretch with Jordan Lewis and Tom Morris
“Last year none of us had anywhere else to go. So being able to come to work was a luxury. This year people have more options like going to the pub or catching up with friends.”
Loughnan has already notched up seven years of service at Fox Sports, landing her first job with the broadcaster when she was just 20, fresh out of university in Perth.
“I started with Fox Sports News before moving to Fox Footy in the winter and Fox Cricket in the summer.”
As to how someone lands a job with Fox Sports at such a young age, Loughnan explained: “I was purely lucky. I just send an email to a generic company email I found – I think it was [email protected] – asking if they had any work experience.
“The HR department miraculously got back to me. I got a week of work experience which led to some freelance work which then led to a contract.”
To take up the work experience offer Loughnan had to get herself from Perth to Sydney out of her savings. “I decided to stay in Sydney which was a bit risky when I look back at a 20-year-old who didn’t know anybody in the city.”
Her first roles on air were pre-recorded pieces to camera. “Nothing too hard,” she laughed.
“After [now executive director] Steve Crawley came to Fox Sports he said I would get to read the news on Saturdays as they were sending Jess Yates up to Townsville. I was thinking, ‘I can’t do this.’ But I couldn’t say no to an offer like that. Luckily I got through that first Saturday and I have been lucky to have Steve Crawley mentor me along the way.”
Watching Loughnan on air viewers quickly realise she knows her sports well. “I always try to make sure I am well-prepared and I am careful to make sure I do every opportunity and every show justice.
“I am an over-preparer. But as a sports fan, I watch a lot of sport, so it doesn’t always feel like you are working.”
In addition to the Saturday Stretch, viewers can see Loughnan on AFL Tonight on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. “That is the 30-minute Fox Footynews now leading into AFL 360,” she explained. “I will also be doing some Thursday night football hosting or working on the ground and then some pre-game hostings with the team on Sundays.”
As to what she enjoys most, Loughnan said it is hard to beat going to the ground to work on match coverage. “After a year of no footy in Melbourne because of Covid, it is very special to have games on again. But I do have a soft spot for Saturday Stretch where the four of us have built a good chemistry. We have dinner, watch the game together and go on air to talk about it. It’s a very cool gig.”
The former players and journalist colleagues she works with have all been very supportive, said Loughnan. “The best compliments I have had, separately from colleagues at Fox Cricket and Fox Footy, were asking if I grew up with brothers. To me that shows I understand the banter and being around sport.” Did Loughnan have bothers? Yes, two. “They were on the money,” Loughnan, the youngest of five children, laughed.
She added her parents, while concerned about her move from Perth to Sydney at such a young age, were nothing but supportive. “They are very sporty themselves, so they love my job and love chatting about footy and cricket.”
Loughnan hides it well which AFL team she supports. No surprise it is one of the Perth teams. “The guys have occasionally mentioned it on air. But I do support Fremantle. I got an interest in footy by going to Subi oval every second weekend to watch the Dockers with dad.” Liking the Dockers also means one other thing. “I used to always hate the Eagles when I was younger. And I hated the derby because the Eagles would always win. Remarkably I love West Coast now and I really enjoy watching them play and win. Adam Simpson is a major part of that. He’s a very likeable coach, very talented, and he has done an amazing job with the Eagles. I really enjoyed them winning the 2018 premiership.
“However the Dockers are on the right track and Justin Longmuir has proven himself to be a good senior coach after a year in the job. I am very excited to see what they do this year.”
Main photo: Kath Loughnan (right) with Fox Footy colleagues [L-R] Jonathan Brown, Sarah Jones, Nick Riewoldt, Eddie Betts and Garry Lyon
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