LESS THAN 10 months after his shock departure from Channel Nine, broadcaster James Brayshaw is set to join Channel Seven's commentary team for the EJ Whitten Legends Game.
While it's initially being touted as a one-off, Brayshaw joining regular radio partner Brian Taylor in the commentary box could be seen as a sign of things to come.
Seven is expected to refresh its commentary team in 2018, with retiring champions Luke Hodge and Nick Riewoldt seen as key candidates for major roles, but what that might mean for some of its existing experts remains to be seen.
The former North Melbourne president is one of the game's most familiar broadcasters, known best for his work anchoring Triple M's main Saturday coverage.
Brayshaw last called football on television for Nine when the network held the rights to three AFL matches a week in the early 2000s.
He was also a regular on Nine's Legends Game telecasts.
Brayshaw left Nine, where he was as co-host of The Footy Show and a contributor to the channel's cricket coverage, at the beginning of this year after his contract came to an end.
However, he's no stranger to Seven, where he previously worked in the Adelaide newsroom and once hosted the network's coverage of the Ashes cricket from the United Kingdom.
Whether there's a permanent spot for Brayshaw on Seven's team is yet to become clear, but with the network broadcasting three AFL games most weekends, AFLW early next year and upcoming commitments to the Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games, he'd provide a big name boost to a potentially stretched play-by-play lineup.
EJ Whitten Legends Game
Friday September 1
All-Stars v Victoria @ Etihad Stadium
Sydney 7.30pm LIVE on 7mate
Melbourne 7.30pm LIVE on Channel 7
Brisbane 7.30pm LIVE on 7mate
Adelaide 7.00pm LIVE on Channel 7
Perth 5.30pm LIVE on 7mate