SEN Afternoons

SEN Afternoons is live sports talk with AFL sitting at the centre of the desk. The show runs on calls. Dwayne Russell opens the line, takes the complaint or theory seriously enough to test it, then trims it into a clearer football point. One minute the focus is Nick Dacos and whether any scepticism still makes sense. The next it is Carlton’s recruiting, Collingwood’s system, Craig McRae’s development environment, or whether a good coach is worth several ladder spots. It is not a quiet analysis show. It has the rhythm of a radio afternoon where callers, texts, sponsor resets, news updates, and expert cameos keep arriving. That pace works because the arguments stay practical. The show asks who can cover the ground, who fades late, who fits a structure, who has been developed well, and what a club should actually do with the information in front of it. Tom Hawkins brings post-playing perspective to conversations about versatile players, ruck roles, Joel Selwood, and Nick Dacos. Dermott Brereton adds the blunt football edge, especially around umpire respect, competitive insult, Carlton’s finish to games, and Collingwood’s running power. Sam Edmund’s news wrap gives the program its sharper tribunal and league-news spine, including Zach Butters, Lance Collard, St Kilda, Prince Harry at the Witten Oval, and fitness-test colour. The show can also step outside AFL without changing gear, giving Melbourne Mavericks coach Gerard Murphy room to talk through a win, a shaky third quarter, and a coming West Coast Fever match. Luke McDonald’s appearance brings a more reflective tone, with North Melbourne’s stability, Clarko, Toddy Viney, Cam Matthews, recovery systems, GPS monitoring, and the confidence of younger players all in view. There are lighter pieces too, including birthday notes for Daniel Rioli, Jacob Van Rooyen, Bill Belichick, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Henry Mancini, and Dusty Springfield. The program is warm with callers, but it rarely lets a loose claim sit untouched. Fan emotion gets airtime. Then it gets tested.