HOW THE BIGGEST AFL STORIES ARE BROKEN: MITCH CLEARY, XANDER MCGUIRE AND TOM MORRIS REVEAL ALL IN NEW 7AFL PODCAST ON LiSTNR

There’s always more to a story than the headline. In an exclusive six-episode podcast series, LiSTNR and the Seven Network are taking AFL fans behind the scenes of the stories shaping the game with The Breakers, hosted by 7News’ Mitch Cleary, Xander McGuire, and Tom Morris.

Launching today (Wednesday, 9 September), The Breakers lifts the lid on the world of footy journalism, exploring how information is verified, sources are developed, and stories are broken, while discussing the personalities, pressures, and competition behind one of Australia’s most fiercely contested media beats. 

The series launches just as the AFL news cycle enters its peak through the AFL finals series, Grand Final week and the frenetic post-season trade period. Listeners will gain an insider’s perspective from three of the game’s top reporters: Mitch Cleary, Xander McGuire, and Tom Morris. 

Regularly at the centre of the footy news cycle and bringing breaking news as it happens, all three hosts bring extensive experience across Seven’s AFL coverage and The Agenda Setters. 

7NEWS chief football reporter and regular guest on The Rush Hour with JB & Billy, Mitch Cleary brings more than 15 years’ experience breaking footy stories, while Xander McGuire prominently features across Seven’s AFL and 7NEWS coverage, regularly appears on Triple M’s Mick in the Morning, and hosts 105.1 Triple M Melbourne’s Deadset Legends. Tom Morris brings extensive experience as an AFL journalist and 7NEWS’ Chief Cricket Reporter, having also worked with Fox Footy, the Nine Network, and SEN.

Sometimes, the story behind the headline is as interesting as the yarn itself. Combining 7NEWS AFL journalism with LiSTNR’s on-demand audio platform, The Breakers takes footy fans beyond the headlines. The podcast will be featured in LiSTNR’s 7AFL podcast feed, which also hosts every episode of The Agenda Setters, exclusive interviews, and iconic segments like ‘Roaming Brian.’

Xander McGuire said: “We spend a lot of time chasing the next story so it’s pretty rare for us to get the chance to stop and talk about how the story actually came together. The Breakers gives us the opportunity to unpack the calls, the decisions, and the process of how these stories are made, and I think footy fans will get a genuine insight into what happens behind the headlines.”

Chris Jones, Southern Cross Media Group’s Director of Sport – TV, Audio and Streaming, said: “There’s a huge appetite among footy fans to understand what happens behind the stories they consume, particularly as the AFL news cycle continues to move faster. The Breakers gives three of our gun AFL journos the opportunity to take listeners inside that process and have an honest conversation about the craft of breaking and reporting stories. It’s a high energy show including segments like unintentional cutting, story time, nugget and the media performer of the week. Bringing that perspective to LiSTNR and the 7AFL YouTube is a genuinely exciting proposition.”

Listen to The Breakers with Mitch Cleary, Xander McGuire, and Tom Morris on the 7AFL podcast feed on LiSTNR, and watch it on 7AFL and 7NEWS Australia YouTube, each week from 9 September. 

ENDS  

About Southern Cross Media Group  

Southern Cross Media Group (ASX: SXL) is one of Australia’s most prominent media companies, with a market-leading presence across broadcast television, audio, publishing and digital. 

The company owns some of Australia’s most renowned media businesses and platforms, including Seven, 7two, 7mate, 7flix and 7Bravo; 7plus; 7NEWS.com.au; LiSTNR; the Hit and Triple M radio networks; The Nightly; The West Australian; The Sunday Times; and PerthNow.