Sportsbet changes policy after Nick Foot backlash
sportsbet changed its programming rules this week after backlash over AFL umpire Nick Foot’s work with the company. A spokesperson said the wagering firm will no longer feature any serving sports administrators or officials in its programming.
That change forced Nick Foot to step down from his horse racing analysis role. It also put pressure on other AFL-linked figures who have taken part in Sportsbet programming while holding official sporting jobs.
Sportsbet and Nick Foot
On Monday, Sportsbet said Foot had appeared on its Get On racing coverage in a racing-only capacity. The same statement said the company wanted “clear separation from their official roles” and that it would no longer feature serving sports administrators or officials in its programming.
Foot’s name became the trigger for the policy shift. The company’s new rule reaches beyond one umpire and into any current sports official who also works in media or betting-related content for Sportsbet.
Kane Cornes and Kate McCarthy
Kane Cornes stepped down from his role as an AFL All-Australian selector to keep his Sportsbet work. On Tuesday, he said, “I really enjoy the work at Sportsbet” and, “Now that Sportsbet have made the policy change they did, there was no other option.”
Cornes hosts a Sportsbet weekly production with former AFLW player and Triple M commentator Kate McCarthy. McCarthy is currently a selector for the AFLW All-Australian team, and last year she was one of the five judges who awarded the Norm Smith medal to Will Ashcroft.
Luke Hodge in February
Former Brisbane captain Luke Hodge was appointed an AFL All-Australian selector in February while also working with Tabcorp. On Tuesday night, he said, “I haven’t had any notice of that [a requirement to step down] from TAB or any of their employees with any official role” and, “I only just heard of Kane’s [situation] before.”
Hodge’s position leaves the practical question of how betting-company programming will fit around official AFL roles. Sportsbet has already drawn its line, and Cornes has moved; McCarthy and Hodge now sit closest to the boundary the company set this week.
