There are few sports broadcasters more respected than Gerard Whateley. Based in Melbourne, Whateley is a distinguished sports commentator and writer renowned for his coverage across a diverse range of sports including tennis, soccer, horse racing, the Olympics, and the NFL Superbowl.
Whateley embarked on his media journey at the Herald Sun newspaper, where he spent six years conducting interviews with world-renowned figures and travelling the world. in 1998, he was promoted to senior writer for the newly released Sunday Magazine. Being a sport fanatic, Whateley began to focus more on sports, writing regular in-depth features. In 1999, Whateley took up the job as senior sport reporter for Channel Ten, where he would cover the AFL and horse racing. In 2001, Whateley became the chief reporter position Seven News before Channel Ten reclaimed Whateley to be a part the network's AFL commentary team. His journey continued as he became a full-time lead sports broadcaster for the ABC Radio AFL team in September 2004, providing national coverage across multiple sports.
In January 2018, Whateley made headlines with his departure from the ABC to join Melbourne's sports radio station SEN1116, expressing gratitude for his 13-year tenure at the ABC and anticipation for new challenges ahead.
"It has been an honour and a privilege to be part of Grandstand Sport, Offsiders and the broader ABC," Whateley said.
"I have never taken a day for granted and leave satisfied we have achieved much together.”
As a commentator, Whateley is articulate, well-researched and passionate. He has a genuine love for the game and has a way to capture a moment with his voice and use of words. He has a thoughtful approach on all topics and a good balance when broadcasting a game. His versatility of calling various sports also puts him as one of the great commentators. His narration skills, especially for big AFL moments creates a theatrical feel, whilst staying very professional. Every commentator however has their weaknesses. Whateley doesn’t have too many faults whilst commentating. Sometimes I think his tone can get tiresome and can be too strong on his own agendas that he wants in the public forum, however this is usually seen when he is in the media rather than commentating.
Throughout his illustrious career, Whateley has garnered numerous accolades for his exceptional articulation, passion, enthusiasm, and knowledge on sports. He was honoured as the Most Outstanding Radio Caller by the Australian Football Media Association during his time at the ABC and was recognised as the Best Sports Presenter at the 2023 Australian Commercial Radio Awards. This achievement is Whateley’s most significant award for commentary and shows just how skilful he is in the field of work.
Beyond commentary, Whateley co-hosts AFL360 on Fox Footy alongside Mark Robinson, Herald Sun's chief football writer. Since its inception in 2010, the show has consistently earned acclaim, receiving the Most Outstanding Program award at the Australian Football Media Association Awards in multiple years.
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