The show was originally known by the working title Footy Confidential, before Foxtel later announced a gossip news show it was producing called Confidential, causing Nine to rename the show to Footy Classified. Footy Classified consists of four panellists: Craig Hutchison, Caroline Wilson, Chris Judd and Matthew Lloyd. Following discussions on controversial events during the weekend of football, a special guest will arrive in the studio for an in-depth chat – usually a high-profile coach or player. During its first season, Wayne Carey was the fourth panellist but was axed by Channel 9 after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend and police. The show was known for its confrontations between Wayne Carey and Craig Hutchison, and between all panel members in general. One notable stoush consisted of Craig Hutchison making a sign for Wayne Carey to hold up saying that he was "wrong" regarding Dean Laidley. Carey had previously stated that he wanted Laidley sacked because his poor media manner meant that he was not diplomatic enough to lead the club, North Melbourne. The team responded by winning four consecutive games and, eventually by making the Preliminary Final. Wayne Carey was sacked from the program and Channel Nine on 30 January 2008 after allegedly smashing a wine glass into his girlfriend’s face causing lacerations to her mouth and neck. Carey was replaced by recently retired ex-teammate Glenn Archer. For the 2009 season, Glenn Archer was replaced by former coach Grant Thomas. After leaving the show, Archer has continued his media work, writing for a variety of newspapers. It was reported on 21 September 2012 that Grant Thomas would not be returning in 2013. Nine announced on 28 November 2012 that former Essendon Captain Matthew Lloyd would replace Thomas in 2013. In March 2016, it was announced that Damian Barrett would join the panel on a full-time basis. He replaced Garry Lyon, who was addressing personal issues. In 2020, it was announced that the show would air on both Monday and Wednesday nights, with Eddie McGuire and Ross Lyon joining the Wednesday night edition as host and panellist respectively, while Sam McClure joins the show as resident news-breaker.
Segments
Good Call, Bad Call – introduced in 2009, this popular segment involves one of the panelists making a statement, followed by another replying with either "Good Call" or "Bad Call", and then explaining why.
Closing Cook – Matthew Lloyd criticises 'low profile' individuals involved in AFL for making small mistakes, or for other reasons. These may include timekeepers, members of the crowd etc. Has evolved into a gaff for the panelists to laugh at as the show reaches its conclusion.
Caro's Arrow – this was introduced in 2011, following Craig Hutchison stating that Caroline Wilson demanded her own segment. Within it, she criticises 'high-profile' individuals within the AFL administration, or AFL presidents like Eddie McGuire. The segment begins with an 'action hero' animation of Wilson.
Panellists
Current panellists:
* Craig Hutchison
* Caroline Wilson
* Matthew Lloyd
* Kane Cornes
* Eddie McGuire
* Ross Lyon
* Sam McClure
Former panellists:
* Glenn Archer
* Wayne Carey
* Grant Thomas
* Damian Barrett
* Garry Lyon
* Chris Judd
Guest panellists:
* Chris Judd substituted for Damian Barrett on multiple occasions.
* Damian Barrett - regular fill-in presenter
* Kane Cornes - fill-in panellist
Timeslot and ratings
Footy Classified rarely dominates the hotly contested and lucrative 10:30 Monday night time slot. After a rescheduling of programming in August 2009, this program now airs in Sydney and Brisbane at midnight on Tuesday. While the show airs during the AFL premiership season, occasionally it may air outside of the football season in the event of major news.
