Channel Nine vs Channel Seven as footy reporters get into blistering argument in the studio: 'Feels like a bomb has gone off'

The status of the new Tasmanian team has been at the centre of much controversy over the past week.

And now that has spilled over into the media as Channel 7’s Alister Nicholson and Footy Classified host Sam McLure exchanged words in the studios of Dylan Buckley’s podcast headquarters.

The two weren’t even on the way to take part in the same podcast; Nicholson was on his way to the Footy & Friends podcast as a guest while McLure was going to record the weekly Tradies.

It is reported that the confrontation started when Nicholson made a comment at McLure over his coverage of the new Devils team.

The Channel 7 commentator accused McLure of running an agenda against the incoming team.

Nicholson’s comments seemed to be aimed at McLure’s comments on 9FootyClassified where he told the panel that the Devil’s stadium deal had ‘blown out.’

McLure then got in a heated argument with Nicholson over his comments as the pair headed to their own podcast recordings

According to reports by the Herald Sun, onlookers were shocked at the argument that went on for around five minutes.

Tradies co-host Mitch Cleary missed the confrontation but heard about it and didn’t hesitate to ask McLure once the podcast started.

‘Everyone is flat in here … it feels like a bomb has gone off,’ Cleary said in reference to blow out. 

‘It’s been six or seven years since I have fired up like that,’ McLure responded.

‘Clearly as some people saw today, it (Tasmania) gets people’s tails up and people get passionate.’

This all took place before Nicholson took aim at McLure on the Footy & Friends podcast. 

‘I don’t know what Sam McLure has got in for it,’ Nicholson said. ‘I’m going to have to confront him on it, I cannot understand why he would continue to prosecute the case that this is not going to happen.

‘If you have got even a skerrick of care for your integrity or credibility as a journo, you are not going to press the case for this falling over.’

In his original reporting of the Devils stadium situation, McLure said, ‘They have rushed this thing, from day one,’ he said

‘They are going to push this thing through, without the guarantee of a multi-billion dollar asset, which scares a lot of people.’

‘Everyone sitting at home going, it doesn’t affect me yet, it will affect you if this asset doesn’t get built, and your Kayo subscriptions are gonna go up, your memberships are going up, going to the footy and buying a pint is gonna go up.’

‘That’s when people will start caring.’

Tasmania Devils also took aim at McLure over his comments about their future

But Nicholson was not the only one displeased with the reporting by McLure as the Devils themselves took to social media.

On Instagram the post was titled, ‘Sam McLure reports:’ and was edited to feature the Universal Studios film introduction, with the ‘Universal’ wordmark altered to ‘no one cares.

The caption read, ‘They won’t pick him Mitch,’ a reference to McLure’s well known blunder surrounding West Coast’s Harley Reid.

At the time, the sports reporter incorrectly claimed the Eagles would pass on Reid in the 2024 National Draft despite him being one of the highest anticipated talents of the century.