Few voices in Australian sports broadcasting have drawn as much attention — both praise and criticism — as Kelli Underwood’s. Growing up in South Australia, she didn’t just dream of calling footy games; she ended up becoming the first woman ever to do so on radio and television. This article traces her trailblazing path, the backlash she faced, and what she’s doing now.
Born: 1977 ·
First female AFL commentator: Yes ·
Seasons covered: 20+ ·
Award: Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) ·
Employer: Fox Footy
Quick snapshot
- First woman to call AFL on radio and television (ABC News (public broadcaster))
- Received Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2025 (Governor-General of Australia (official honours))
- Currently works at Fox Footy (Fox Sports (sports broadcaster))
- Co-hosted The Back Page and hosted Offsiders (ABC News (public broadcaster))
- Exact reason for leaving ABC’s Offsiders program
- Relationship status and whether she has a partner
- Father’s identity and background
- Educational history (including any Princeton connection)
- 2008: Called games on 3AW radio (Radio Today (industry outlet))
- 2009: First woman on Channel Ten AFL commentary (Fox Sports (sports broadcaster))
- 2018: Became host of Offsiders on ABC (ABC News (public broadcaster))
- 2025: Awarded OAM on Australia Day (Governor-General of Australia (official honours))
- Continuing at Fox Footy in 2025
- Departing ABC’s Offsiders program
- Likely to remain active in AFL broadcasting
Six key facts, one pattern: Underwood’s career rests on a series of firsts that span both radio and television, all grounded in her South Australian upbringing.
The pattern is clear: her career is built on firsts across radio and television, emerging from her South Australian roots.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kelli Louise Underwood |
| Born | 1977 (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)) |
| Occupation | Radio and television sports journalist and sportscaster |
| Notable Achievement | First woman to commentate AFL on radio and television (ABC News (public broadcaster)) |
| Award | Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) (Governor-General of Australia (official honours)) |
| Employer | Fox Footy (Fox Sports (sports broadcaster)) |
What happened to Kelli Underwood?
Is Kelli Underwood still active in broadcasting?
- Yes — she remains employed at Fox Footy and has been calling AFL for more than 15 years (Fox Sports (sports broadcaster)).
- She has never retired from commentating and continues to appear on Fox Footy’s AFL coverage (ABC News (public broadcaster)).
What is Kelli Underwood’s current role?
- Underwood works as a sports broadcaster for Fox Footy, covering both men’s and women’s AFL (Fox Sports (sports broadcaster)).
- She has also been a regular host of the ABC panel program Offsiders, though she is now leaving that role (ABC News (public broadcaster)).
- She formerly co-hosted The Back Page on Fox Sports (ABC News (public broadcaster)).
Has Kelli Underwood retired from commentating?
- No — Underwood has not retired. She continues to call AFL matches for Fox Footy and was actively commentating as recently as the 2024 season (Fox Sports (sports broadcaster)).
Is Kelli Underwood still commentating AFL?
What AFL matches has she commentated?
- Underwood called her first AFL match on television in 2009 for Channel Ten (Fox Sports (sports broadcaster)).
- She commentated 14 men’s AFL games on Channel Ten between 2009 and 2010 (The Guardian (news outlet)).
- She has also called matches for ABC Grandstand radio since 2007 (ABC News (public broadcaster)).
How long has she been commentating AFL?
- Underwood has been calling footy for the ABC since 2007, meaning she has covered roughly 18 seasons (ABC News (public broadcaster)).
- Fox Sports describes her as having been in the commentary box for “nearly 20 years” as of her 2025 OAM recognition (Fox Sports (sports broadcaster)).
What is her role at Fox Footy?
- Underwood is a sports broadcaster and commentator for Fox Footy, covering AFL matches across the season (Fox Sports (sports broadcaster)).
- She also appears on Fox Footy’s panel and analysis segments (ABC News (public broadcaster)).
Underwood has the longest continuous career of any female AFL commentator — roughly 18 seasons and counting. Her longevity at Fox Footy suggests the network sees her as a core part of its commentary roster, not a symbolic hire.
Does Kelli Underwood have a partner?
Is Kelli Underwood married?
- Underwood keeps her personal life private. No publicly available information from any of the provided sources confirms whether she is married or has a partner.
- Her Wikipedia entry does not list a spouse, partner, or children (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).
Does Kelli Underwood have children?
- No confirmed information about children is available in the provided sources.
Who is Kelli Underwood’s partner?
- This question has no publicly documented answer. Underwood has not disclosed a partner in interviews or official profiles from the sources examined.
The absence of personal details in her public profiles is a deliberate boundary. For journalists covering Underwood, the lesson is clear: her legacy is built on what she has done in the commentary box, not who she shares her life with.
Who is Kelli Underwood’s father?
What is Kelli Underwood’s father’s background?
- None of the provided sources — including the Governor-General’s official profile, ABC interviews, Fox Sports articles, or Wikipedia — identify Underwood’s father by name or background.
How did her father influence her career?
- No information is available about her father’s role in her career. Public profiles focus entirely on Underwood’s own achievements and path into broadcasting.
Why is Kelli Underwood leaving Offsiders?
What is Offsiders?
- Offsiders is a Sunday morning sports panel program on ABC TV that covers the week in Australian sport (ABC News (public broadcaster)).
- Underwood became the host of Offsiders in 2018, taking over from the show’s original host (ABC News (public broadcaster)).
When did Kelli Underwood leave Offsiders?
- The exact departure date is not specified in the provided sources, but it is reported that she is leaving the program as of the 2025 broadcast season.
What is Kelli Underwood doing next?
- Underwood remains at Fox Footy and is expected to continue her commentary and panel work there (Fox Sports (sports broadcaster)).
- The reason for leaving Offsiders has not been publicly explained by Underwood or the ABC.
Without an official statement from Underwood or ABC management, the departure from Offsiders remains unexplained. For fans of the show, this leaves an open question: was it a career pivot, a programming decision, or something else entirely?
Confirmed facts
- Kelli Underwood is the first woman to call AFL on radio and television (ABC News (public broadcaster))
- She received an OAM in the 2025 Australia Day Honours (Governor-General of Australia (official honours))
- She works at Fox Footy and covers AFL matches (Fox Sports (sports broadcaster))
- She faced heavy early backlash directed at the sound of her voice (ABC News (public broadcaster))
What’s unclear
- Her relationship status
- Her father’s identity
- Why she is leaving Offsiders
- Her educational background (any Princeton connection)
- Exact year of her first AFL commentary (2008–2009 range)
Kelli Underwood has led the way for female sports journalists and broadcasters in Australia, breaking into a male-dominated industry and proving that a woman’s voice belongs in the AFL commentary box.
ABC Listen (public broadcaster)
Kelli Underwood is a South Australian radio and television sports journalist and sportscaster — the first woman to call an Australian Football League match on both radio and television.
Governor-General of Australia (official honours profile)
It was a pinch-myself moment. I never set out to be a trailblazer — I just wanted to call footy, the game I grew up loving.
Fox Sports (sports broadcaster)
The numbers don’t lie — women make their mark on AFL. Underwood’s career is proof that talent, not gender, determines who belongs in the commentary box.
Kelli Underwood’s journey from a South Australian kid who loved footy to the first woman to call AFL on television is a story of persistence, skill, and thick skin. She faced a wave of public criticism early in her career — much of it directed at the sound of her voice, as ABC News (public broadcaster) reported. Yet she kept calling games, year after year. Her OAM in 2025 recognized not just her longevity but what she represented: a door kicked open for every woman who wanted to call the biggest sport in the country. For young women in South Australia dreaming of a career in sports media, the implication is clear: the path exists because Underwood walked it first, and staying in the game matters as much as breaking in.
Related reading: AFL commentator Kelli Underwood wants more women in broadcasting · Kelli Underwood on commentating and hosting Offsiders
missingperspectives.com, omny.fm, theguardian.com, abc.net.au, mediaweek.com.au, mediaweek.com.au
Frequently asked questions
What is Kelli Underwood’s current role at Fox Footy?
Underwood is a sports broadcaster and commentator at Fox Footy, covering AFL matches across both the men’s and women’s seasons (Fox Sports (sports broadcaster)).
How did Kelli Underwood start her career?
Underwood began calling AFL matches on ABC Grandstand radio around 2007, then became the first woman to commentate AFL on television in 2009 for Channel Ten (ABC News (public broadcaster)).
What other sports has Kelli Underwood covered?
Beyond AFL, Underwood has covered a range of sports for Fox Sports and ABC, including appearing on the panel shows The Back Page and Offsiders (ABC News (public broadcaster)).
Has Kelli Underwood received any awards?
Yes — she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2025 Australia Day Honours for service to broadcast media (Governor-General of Australia (official honours)).
What is Kelli Underwood’s educational background?
Her educational background is not documented in the available sources. Some references suggest a possible Princeton connection, but this has not been confirmed.
Is Kelli Underwood active on social media?
Underwood maintains a public Instagram presence, though specific account details are not part of the verified sources reviewed here.
What is the significance of Kelli Underwood’s OAM?
The OAM is a formal recognition from the Governor-General of Australia for her “service to broadcast media” — in effect, an official acknowledgment of her role as the first woman to break into AFL commentary at the national level (Governor-General of Australia (official honours)).
How has Kelli Underwood influenced women in sports?
Underwood’s career opened the door for women in AFL broadcasting. By persisting through early backlash and building a career spanning nearly two decades, she demonstrated that female voices belong in the commentary box (ABC News (public broadcaster)).
Related reading: Kelli Underwood on commentating and hosting Offsiders · AFL commentator Kelli Underwood wants more women in broadcasting
Alex Chen is Editor-in-Chief at Australia Data, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections.