CHANNEL 9 has parted ways with sports commentator Simon O'Donnell after 25 years. O'Donnell, a former Test cricketer and St Kilda footballer, said yesterday that he was a victim of the network's salary cap.
Describing it as a sad day, he said he had great memories of his work with Nine, which started with a sports segment on Ray Martin's Midday Show.
O'Donnell was a cricket commentator for Nine, covered football and thrived in the network's Spring Carnival racing coverage.
He replaced James Brayshaw this year as host of The Sunday Footy Show.
"There was no room in the salary cap for me," O'Donnell said.
"We put a lot of commitment into the racing, but Nine don't want to be long-term players in it and that's the saddest part.
"We need racing on free-to-air television but I don't think there is the money in it for them and it's sad at the end of the day."
O'Donnell, who races and breeds horses, said he'd always had frank discussions with the network.
"And they've continued and it's a healthy way to have it," he said.
