Sirens call with a new voice
By Alison Zell
Angela Pippos loves all things footy.
The journalist, television presenter and mad Adelaide Crows fan is the host of Sirens – a new panel show on the AFL website.
Joined by regular co-hosts, netballer Sharelle McMahon and comedian Kate McLennan, the three women are hoping to find a place amongst the typically male-dominated AFL shows.
“It’s been a long time in the making so I’m delighted it’s finally off the ground,” Pippos said.
“The idea first popped into my head three or four years ago while I was doing the lonely drive at 4.30 in the morning into breakfast radio and it just got me thinking, wow, what could I do with this great game?
“I’ve worked with men for the best part of 16 years and I thought gee, it would be great to co-host an AFL show with some women.”
After getting approval from AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou last year, it has been a long process for Pippos to develop the show to where it is now.
She pitched the idea to production companies and TV networks, but they were hesitant to give it the green light immediately.
“I got a really good hearing and lots of favourable reaction to it but they were just a little nervous to put a footy show with three women straight on air and I can understand that,” Pippos said.
“There were a couple of non-negotiables for me. One was the title ‘Sirens’ which I love and the other non-negotiable was the make-up of the panel. I always, always wanted journalist, athlete and comedian. ”
A compromise was born and Sirens will run on the AFL website for the last seven weeks of this season.
With McMahon in the final stages of pregnancy, Collingwood board member and winter Olympian Alisa Camplin was recruited for the inaugural show, which was filmed at the National Sports Museum at the MCG.
“The show to me is all about covering off serious issues in the AFL and having some fun as well,” she said.
“The banter between the three of us is crucial. I want it to feel like three women who meet in a café or go to the pub or go for a walk and talk about footy.”
Adelaide-born Pippos grew up loving sport and it was her versatility as a news journalist at ABC Television in Adelaide that impressed the Melbourne bureau enough to ask her to apply for a position as a sports journalist.
Within a few months she was presenting the sports segment at the 7pm News desk on weekends and was then promoted to weeknights alongside Ian Henderson.
In 2008, after more than ten years as sports journalist and presenter, Pippos became the first female woman to co-host Sport 927’s breakfast program when she teamed up with Michael Christian.
“It was a hard decision [to leave Adelaide] because I’m from a close family. I decided to go for it but I didn’t think I would be here this long. I thought I would be here a couple of years and then head back but I’m still here,” she said.
“That was 1997 and we [women] were rare creatures back then. It wasn’t unusual to be the only woman at a media conference. You really felt like you had to work doubly hard to prove yourself.
“It just takes time and I encourage women to go into sports journalism because it really is an enthralling career but you do need a thick skin and a really robust sense of humour.”
Pippos is now enjoying the freedom of freelance work and is hoping to see the Sirens picked up as a half hour television show next year.
“What I want to do is bring is a different energy, a different vibe, a different perspective, a different sense of humour,” she said.
“I just believe our panel shows don’t reflect what is going on out there. This is not going to tip the scales in favour of women but it’s a start to evening things up a little bit.
“I’m just hoping to be the last Siren standing at the end of September but a little bit nervous about giving a pledge that I would sing if the Crows won the Premiership.”
But first thing’s first and Pippos has just set her sights on seeing what the show can achieve in the next seven weeks.
“It feels great to see Sirens finally fly.”
To watch the first episode of Sirens click here.
