Who is commentating Friday Huddle on LiSTNR and Triple M for AFL Round 20?

Match date: 24 July 2026

Friday Huddle on LiSTNR / Triple M for AFL Round 20 is being fronted by Mark Howard, with Jason Dunstall, Nathan Brown and Damian Barrett joining the panel for the Friday, 24 July programme. The show sits alongside a busy Friday night in the AFL fixture, with Melbourne v Geelong at the MCG and Fremantle v West Coast Eagles at Optus Stadium both scheduled on the same evening.[1][2][3][4]

For listeners in the UK, the listed audio coverage is on LiSTNR / Triple M, rather than a British broadcaster such as BBC, Sky, ITV or TNT. That makes the programme part of the wider international media mix around AFL, which increasingly reaches audiences beyond Australia through radio, streaming and digital platforms.[1][6]

Mark Howard is one of Australia’s best-known sports broadcasters, with a long career across radio and television and a reputation for light, fast-paced hosting. His style suits a format like Friday Huddle, which mixes match discussion, analysis and personality-driven conversation. He is joined by Jason Dunstall, whose background as one of the AFL’s great goalkickers gives him strong tactical credibility, especially when assessing forward-line structure and scoring trends.[1]

Nathan Brown brings a different perspective: he is a former AFL defender and premiership player who has spent years in media, where he is known for straight-talking analysis and practical insights into team defence and match-ups. Damian Barrett, meanwhile, is one of the league’s most recognisable AFL journalists and commentators, bringing news-breaking instincts and a strong understanding of club politics, selection issues and the broader industry narrative.[1]

The timing of the show also lines up neatly with the Round 20 fixture. AFL listings confirm Melbourne v Geelong at 7:40pm at the MCG on Friday 24 July 2026, with Fremantle v West Coast following at 8:10pm at Optus Stadium.[1][2][3][4] That gives Friday Huddle a timely slot for previewing the first game, reacting to team news, and building up interest in the western derby later in the night.

The MCG remains one of the most significant venues in Australian sport, and the AFL’s 2026 fixture confirmation underlines how central marquee Friday night games are to the competition’s broadcast and fan strategy.[4][6] For global AFL followers, programmes like Friday Huddle are often the most accessible way to hear expert discussion around the round, especially when live match coverage is split across local services and platform-specific audio products.[1][6]

If you are searching for where to watch or hear AFL coverage in the UK, the key detail for this programme is that it is a LiSTNR / Triple M broadcast rather than a television simulcast on a UK terrestrial or pay-TV network.[1] For this Friday show, the main draw is the combination of Mark Howard’s presenting, Dunstall’s elite playing background, Brown’s defensive know-how and Barrett’s news-led commentary.

Article generated: 24 July 2026, 07:00 GMT