A Tribute to Mark Fine

A shocking and terrible news hit me just after I had got off the work with an hour extension on Tuesday.

 

SEN sacked Mark Fine.

 

His great knowledge of footy was inspiring and analysis on footy was reasonable.

 

I enjoyed listening to Inside Football on Sunday mornings and Final Siren on Friday and Sunday nights during the footy season.

 

These shows were my entertainments and my audio books to improve writing skills in footy.

 

Finey could be controversial, but I liked him.

 

Also GBU crew on Wednesday nights on his evenings programme was what I really enjoyed. Even I have no or less knowledge of old footy stuffs, it was great, especially when Betty who barracked for the Roys was on.

 

Finey had touches with us too as our great friend Peter Flynn was on and Footy Almanac was featured a few years ago.

 

My emotion is mixture of anger, broken heart and sadness. My eyes were wet while walking in the city on Tuesday night.

 

Paul Roos is worried of negative footy journalism in his book Here It Is. I am with Roosy. SEN has created negative impact on sports journalism in the public. And the journalist whose company is said to marge with the parent company of SEN has negative attitudes in his reports with arrogance. Essendon champion who works alongside the journalist has lost many opportunities to speak up with interruptions made by the negative journalist.

 

I have no respect to this journalist and will never forgive him.

 

I have lost my heart to the radio station and uninstalled their App. They still have respecting journalists including Francis Leach and Rohan Connolly, but it would be hard to tune in when they are on.

 

All the best Finey and I hope to see him on Footyology with RoCo.

 

About Yoshihiro Imagawa

Love, passion and pride are seen on the footy that is the biggest part of my life. 1. St Kilda Club member: I am a passionate and crazy Sainter. Just hope we will win the second flag soon, especially after Dogs and Tigers having ended long premiership draughts. 2. The Osaka Dingoes Player and Public Relations Officer: Player number 44 that I chose to honour Stephen Milne with my wish being like a small forward like him. Lenny Hayes' hardworking attitudes are adopted on my trainings and practices. Nick Riewoldt's great plays are in my player audiobook too. 3. Writing: Here on the Almanac and also on the World Footy News. My skills utilise on great footy websites.

Comments

  1. Kasey Symons says

    A lot is happening with SEN at the moment – not sure how it is all going to pan out. I love Gerard Whateley and will follow him anywhere but they are letting go so many beloved characters that I don’t know how I feel about supporting them. My favourite was the drive home with David Schwarz and Mark Allen… they will be missed.

  2. Finey was a classic. Driving home from the footy, I used to love listening to him get stuck into drunk callers on The Final Siren. I can understand some of the other sackings, but I felt they should have kept Finey. He was part of the footy landscape of this town.

  3. I was never a lover of Finey – I can’t say I ever bookmarked his shows, however his knowledge of local footy and his consistent hard line on pokies were both notable. And the manner of his dismissal is brutal.

    Ox and Marco I was to shocked lose, especially the latter given his knowledge of golf. They had a more agreeable time slot, too.

    I’m honestly surprised this sort of move, an attempt to build a huge line-up, hasn’t come sooner from somewhere. I have wondered for ages why any radio or TV station wanting to be at the front of sports coverage didn’t just throw the cheque book at Gerard. It’s an absolute no-brainer. Why would you have Basil Zempilas doing your Olympic swimming, for example, while Gerard is working for loose change on the ABC? Ditto the footy.

  4. Phillip Dimitriadis says

    Well written, Yoshi.
    Finey was one of the few reasons I listened to SEN. Loved his fan talkback on Friday and Sunday nights. Finey’s knowledge of other sports, especially soccer, was also impressive. Bad move Hutchy…

  5. Hi all,

    It’s great to see your comments and much appreciated.

    Kasey – Yes indeed sadly… The Run Home was actually my favourite show on SEN. I have written a piece of sadness seeing Ox and Marko gone here on the Almanac. I heard Gerald was a good presenter and some friends including Facebook friends suggest me to give a go on his new show, but I am too emotional to tune in SEN… And I can’t support the journalist whose business owns the radio station and who is on Footy Classified. I vow never to watch Footy Classified indeed! Can’t stand him at all!

    DB – I enjoyed Finey handling well with drunken listeners on Final Siren show. You know my phone call two years ago was labelled prank as he might be surprised I was calling from Kyoto, Japan. I wanted to bite back him in July when I visit Melbourne again for St Kilda matches. I miss the post footy programme!

    JB – How SEN sacked Ox and Marko was disgraceful. Hutchinson has no cue on people and didn’t treat the popular duo as humans. They entertained the drive home. Gerald seemed to have loyalty to ABC but maybe lost to the pressures made by SEN?? Sadly money prioritises more than loyalty or humanity these days, but SEN lost big markets (listeners). Hutchinson will be the loser.

    Phil – Thanks for your compliment all the time. You are a good bloke! Same as you, I enjoyed his talk back on Final Siren show. I agree with you about his good knowledge of soccer. I hope Hutchinson is said bad call all the time on these issues on Footy Classified.

    Cheers

    Yoshi

  6. Punxsa-and-the-rest-of-it Pete says

    Finey sacked? Geez, that is horrifying. Love Finey. I reckon he’ll pick up a gig elsewhere. Hope he’ll be given the scope to do what he did at SEN wherever he lands

  7. Yoshi couldn’t agree more I loved Finey with Pults on a Wednesday night and yes listening to him with callers on Fri and Sat nights was a highlight yet another idiotic move by Hutchy

  8. Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt says

    It looks like Crocmedia have made a conscious decision to chase a younger demographic Yoshi, as is their right. Clearly the numbers haven’t been there for a long time, based on the quality of advertiser that SEN had (Sexyland, that ridiculous Carr-Gregg family thingo).

    Apart from their footy coverage, SEN has been barely one step above community radio.

    I listened to Finey most nights when I hit the hay, some of the regular spots were interesting, but how that unlistenable Steven Peak became attached to his orbit is anyone’s guess.

    Finey was “everyman” with his deep connections into local sport and also his championing of causes such as addiction which don’t get a regular airing elsewhere.

    He strayed off into vaudeville on occasions. His bar mitzvah story sums him up, pissing off to watch the Saints lose to Carlton instead of attending his own celebration – we can all relate to that.

    In the end he had a pretty good run for someone who came into the gig without a high profile.

    I’m still not inclined to listen to their breakfast show – Garry Lyon is damaged goods in my eyes and Sam McClure won’t be getting any of my ears in the evening.

    And as Angela Pippos lamented last night, any danger of a female voice or two (as long as they don’t bring back Rita)?

  9. Well played, Yoshi.
    I haven’t listened to SEN for a very long time. Just cannot stand the number of advertisements.
    I notice that “Hoggy” (former cricketer Rodney Hogg) has been moved on also.

  10. Luke Reynolds says

    Yoshi, of all the departures from SEN, this one surprised the most. To me, Finey WAS SEN. Especially the Friday night Final Siren, whether driving home from the game or at home, was brilliant late night radio. Will give Gerard Whateley’s show a listen and games that he calls, but not many of the other changes will attract me to SEN at this stage.

  11. G’day guys,

    Thanks for your valuable comments!

    Pete – Yes the sacking is horrible. I hope too he is landing a gig elsewhere. Who don’t take his great knowledge of footy and other sports? It’s so valuable, isn’t it?

    Rulebook – Cheers. I love you starting debates on the Facebook. Exactly in the response to another idiotic move by Hutchinson.

    Swish – Your points of views are good and what I didn’t see. However how Hutchinson handled with sacking and treated Ox, Marko and Finey was extremely horrible with arrogance and rudeness. How on earth he informed Ox and Marko that they didn’t need to come back in 2018 on their last day for the Run Home programme? And Finey was informed through a phone call? Hutchinson’s actions were not humanity at all! I am extremely angry with him!! And in response to your view that Hutchinson wants to attract young audience, I don’t see well because SEN kept KB who is in seventies. I only think his thoughts will be popular amongst old people. Young people will like Ox and Finey more than KB, I think. And Daniel Harford will be loved by youths too. Angela makes a good point too. I was audience when she had a debate of is footy is too much or not at the Sports Writers Festival in October !last year. Her expressing footy is not too much with women’s points of views was impressive and she would be a women’s footy ambassador. It’s really sad we can listen to Rita. I enjoyed her chats while she was on Casual Friday segment on the Harf Time show. I miss her and Harf…

  12. Smokie – Thanks for your compliment and further information about Hoggy.

    Luke – I am impressed with your story of your uncle Gerard. You must be excited to listen to his new show. Then SEN seems your under dogs??

    Cheers

    Yoshi

  13. Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt says

    Yoshi, Dr Turf is a Crocmedia shareholder (and also someone that this old bloke still enjoys listening too). He works best with an offsider, so keeping KB to pair with the Doc may be a move to partially shore up the older demographic.

  14. Thanks Swish for further information and your views on Dr Turf and KB.

  15. Jennifer Muirden says

    Hey there Swish, I can assure you Rita Panahi will not be returning to SEN anytime soon. She’s now joined 3AW and will be appearing alongside Nick McCallum and Darren James on the Sunday Morning (10am-midday). Off the bench Panahi, on the bench 81-year-old John-Michael Howson! Interesting days at 3AW with many females taking on presenting gigs during the non-ratings period. About time too, I reckon.

    Yoshi, losing Finey from SEN is a huge blow and came as a shock to me. I’ll miss Finey’s sharp wit and of course, Friday and Saturday night Finey’s Final Siren which was always extremely entertaining. The fact that Mark Fine is a fellow Saints tragic like me and yourself matters not. He and Rohan Connolly will no doubt continue on with Footyology and who knows where else they may pop up? No doubt Mark will continue his involvement and be umpiring with the Reclink Community Cup.

    Yoshi, I know you are devastated and grieving right now but, take it from someone who has worked in the media for many years, this is de rigueur in this cut-throat industry and, sadly, is commonplace.

  16. Hi Jen,

    Thanks for your comment and your point of view as a person who has worked in the media industry.

    Two years ago, he was worried of our beloved Saints had issues on defence while he was on Final Siren. I didn’t hesitate to call SEN and they took my call, but I was not able to debate properly and I felt defeated. Even he recalled my phone call prank. I wanted to debate well again this year but he’s gone… I miss his passionate of talking footy and supporting our Saints.

    Presenters are also human beings and I understand that employers should have two-week notices to be dismissed from work. Why did this rule not apply to beloved radio presenters?

    I agree with you that media industry is tough…

    Thanks

    Yoshi

  17. Finey will be back somewhere. He is a gun radio person and this decision is stupidity beyond words. Perhaps he already has a gig on another station.. stay tuned..

  18. G’day Paul,

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Finey!

    I also hope another door is open for him. And hope RoCo follows the door with Finey. I want to listen to two blokes who have great knowledge of footy talking together on the radio.

    Cheers

    Yoshi

  19. I am shocked!!! Been listening to Finey for many years 10yr to be exact everynight..love when a team with Peakey..and Tuesday Initially speaking..also enjoyed the antics of Ox & Marko…you have lost me SEN Hutchy you’re a #### say no more..you’ve lost me …in protest .. i need to change stations & get back into my hobbies sayonara

  20. Hi Catman,

    I feel sad about shocking… Even Mick Malthouse lost his commentary roles on SEN. And now Tony Schibeci is followed. As I enjoyed his interviewing kids on Auskick shows on Sunday mornings, I feel so sorry for him too.

    SEN lost many listeners. Hutchinson has no people’s skill or knowledge of sports. I am extremely furious on him.

    I swear at Hutchinson strongly and leave SEN! Even I do not listen to their show from 9am not to midday Monday to Thursday.

    Cheers

    Yoshi

  21. Michael Nibaldi says

    Finey gets shafted by Gonzo the Clown Hutchison yet Frank Walker from National Tiles survives.
    Actually you’ve made my decision certain, now Finey’s gone, that I can turn off the Commercial kings of Melbourne radio (53 minutes of ads sprinkled with 7 min of chat every hour).

  22. Peter Flynn says

    I was listening to Finey one night in Galle after Geelong beat Collingwood by 16 goals.

    Finey’s last caller was a fuming Magpie fan blaming the loss on the central umpire’s inability to bounce the ball properly (mostly after a Geelong goal). His contention was that the bounce kept favouring Geelong.

    Hilarious.

    I worry about losing the platform for the voice of the maverick.

    PF

  23. Hi Michael and PF,

    Thanks for your comments.

    Michael – Their decision to sack Finey seemed the bombshell for many of us… It scared off many listeners to switch on the radio station. And your description of SEN is great. I agree with you that they are having too many ads. It’s not worth to spend time on listening to them.

    PF – The phone call you recalled is hilarious, lol. I miss Finey’s sense of humour too…

    Cheers

    Yoshi

  24. Good riddance Mark Fine. Hate his guts.

  25. Tom, I understand Finey is not for everyone…

  26. Jennifer Muirden says

    Tad harsh don’t you think, Tom Jones? Sounds like a bit of bad blood.

    More and more before I speak or tap out a few words I try to ask myself four simple questions … Is it true? Is it kind ? Is it necessary? Is it helpful?

  27. This comment has been removed.

  28. Hi Tom.

    Please stop sending in comments under nom de plumes. A personal vendetta against Mark Fine will not be published here. We have now trashed quite a few of those comments.

    JTH

  29. Jennifer Muirden says

    FYI, ‘Tom Jones’ of course I have always listened, and will continue to listen, to Darren Parkin who is not only a proud Saint but also a knowledgeable sportscaster. Copy that! Over and out.

  30. Finey and the boys were whom we hung out with
    each night ,funny and informative with personality. Can’t listen to SEN now it’s just BORING. It was radios front bar. Now it’s a croc of. .

  31. Tom Jones ..when you hate ..you have LOST! Finey got to you as you have issues you need to address….i bet Jennifer is a primary teacher haha well done on your 4 questions! Lucky the other Tom Jones is a superstar ..Finey was a legend and is still sadky missed ..brilliant broadcastor with a quick, dry wit!

  32. Finey will be missed alongside his a train Zantuck, Milnie,and SJ Peaks.
    Finey gave as good as he got and was always on the listeners side, hearing the show now that has replaced Finey unfortunately they pulled wrong reign and have lost the audience Finey worked so hard to entertain.
    All the best Mark Fine

  33. Guru Gus - Singapore says

    Thanks Yoshi for your thoughts, and good to see most of your readers agree Finey is a massive loss to SEN. His knowledge of all things footy, his wit and comebacks at strange callers like Jim from Hawthorn, and his passion for the Saints and the game will be sadly missed. Wish him all the best, and look forward to hearing his dulcet tones in the future.

    I hear that Robbo has also gone from SEN, another loss, as Saturday’s mornings Crunch Time is a wonderful post mortem to Friday night footy.

  34. dennis alexander says

    the main reason i would listen is mark fine
    he is the ultimate DJ for all things sport
    i am waiting for his next appointment. what dickhead gave him the sack ?