Respected VFL commentator Jason Bennett will return to the airwaves this season with the ABC, following his shock axing at Channel 7 earlier in the year.
The ABC and the VFL will join together for the 2026 season with one match each round to be shown by the national broadcaster, as well as one final in each of the first week of finals, both preliminary finals, and the grand final.
"I'm so grateful for the chance to remain involved with the VFL, which is a competition I hold in the highest regard, with players, coaches, volunteers and fans who invest so much into it," Bennett said.
"They’re all in it for the right reasons, and it makes for a league that bridges old-fashioned community footy with the elite level. It retains its raw, old-school appeal, but with a healthy dollop of elite AFL-quality talent that makes for some scintillating footy."
Bennett — long-regarded as one of the best callers in the game — shared his shock last month when he parted ways with Channel 7.
"Ultimately, I am just a fan who found his way into the commentary box,’" Bennett wrote on social media.
"So, I've always called through the eyes of a fan, tried to stay out of the way and let the moments speak for themselves. In my mind, the players and coaches are the heroes and always will be.
"The love I've felt on social media over the past 11 years has not gone unnoticed. Thank you — it means a lot."
Bennett will be joined on the coverage by experienced ABC caller Matt Clinch, football analyst Gemma Bastiani, and former Hawthorn player Daniel Harford.
The games will be aired on free-to-air television and ABC iview, and will also be simulcast to ABC listen and the AFL's distribution channels.
The ABC last broadcast the VFL in 2014.