Kelli Underwood comes up with AFL commentary clanger of the year as she FORGETS the GWS Giants’ name

AFL commentator Kelli Underwood uttered the undoubted clanger of the season last Saturday after referring to GWS Giants as the ‘orange team.’

Speaking on Fox Footy, Underwood lost her composure in the fourth quarter and produced a moment that would have left her red-faced.

‘Ever since Essendon kicked that goal early in the third quarter, it has been seven consecutive goals to the…orange team,’ she said.

‘What an extraordinary momentum shift.’

It didn’t take long for bemused footy fans to crucify Underwood on social media.

‘It’s actually embarrassing. How does she even get a gig commentating. Doesn’t matter what or who you are, your job is to know who’s playing and who which player is. Ridiculous,’ one wrote.

Speaking on Fox Footy, Underwood lost her composure in the fourth quarter and produced a TV moment that left her red-faced (pictured, action from  the Giants versus Bombers match)

Another supporter was equally ruthless, tweeting ‘Oh dear. She needs to never commentate again for the sake of the game.’

Last year, Channel 7’s James Brayshaw produced his own clanger for the ages, which left AFL fans shaking their heads.

In live commentary, he stated Collingwood forward Jamie Elliott ‘deserves a break’ after smashing bones in his ankle last March versus Carlton.

He was later ruled out for half the season.

Legendary Seven commentator Sandy Roberts is still remembered for an 1981 incident, where he introduced then Miss Australia Lorraine Dick as Lorraine Cock during a Mt Gambier race meeting.

Underwood is a veteran Australian radio and television sports journalist and sports broadcaster specialising in AFL, netball and tennis.

But she has copped plenty of flack for her AFL commentary, with fans attacking everything from her tone, her ability to read a match or her excitement levels during key periods of matches.

Kelli Underwood joined Network Ten’s AFL coverage in 2009 as a boundary rider and was soon in the commentary box, becoming the first woman to do so

Sarah Jones and Kelli Underwood (pictured right) at the 2018 AFLW season launch in Melbourne

Last month a change.org petition was launched online, with almost 2700 signatures calling for the 45-year-old to be removed.

‘She needs to learn the players’ names and understand how the game is played and that some of the calls she makes are terrible,’ the petition reads. 

Another said ‘other females (in AFL TV media) are great’ but slammed Underwood’s commentating.

‘This petition is to show Fox Footy that people do not want Kelli Underwood commentating games just so they feel more inclusive,’ it read. 

Not all AFL tragics think Underwood is stealing a living, with Aussie basketball legend Andrew Gaze tweeting in 2020 she formed a great on air combination with Mark Howard.

The same year, ABC Melbourne based journalist Catherine Murphy posted on Twitter she ‘loves listening to Kelli Underwood. Intelligence, class & hard work quite handy when it comes to commentary.’

Underwood recently received lifetime membership at the Australian Football Media Association (AFMA) 2021 awards and has been labelled a ‘global pioneer in the coverage of sports’ by respected broadcaster Gerard Whateley.

In addition to hosting Offsiders for ABC, Underwood is a regular panellist on Fox Sports’ The Back Page. 

In addition, she calls AFL and AFLW football on ABC Grandstand and Fox Footy.

She called her first AFL game for Network 10 in the round 16 match between Geelong and Melbourne at Kardinia Park in 2009, making her a trailblazer at the time.