Channel 9 is reportedly hoping the popular Sunday Footy Show cast can breathe life back into its former flagship but now killed-off Thursday night edition.

According to Essendon legend Tim Watson, Nine has plans to trial the Sunday morning crew in a one-off evening edition on the eve of this year’s AFL grand final.

Live stream the 2019 AFL Premiership Season on KAYO SPORTS. Every match of every round. Live & anytime on your TV or favourite device. Get your 14 day free trial >

If it’s successful the network could consider installing the panel — made up Tony Jones, Damian Barrett, Nathan Brown, Billy Brownless, Kane Cornes and Matthew Lloyd — on Thursday nights next season and revive a show that appeared dead in that timeslot.

It means Nine is gearing up for an unprecedented back-to-back footy bonanza in the final week of the season.

A Footy Show farewell featuring longtime favourites Eddie McGuire, Sam Newman and Trevor Marmalade is booked to run on the Thursday before the grand final — before the Sunday Footy Show crew host a special on the Friday night.

Watson, a Channel 7 sport presenter and SEN Breakfast host, told the radio station on Monday morning Nine wants to test the waters with the Sunday Footy Show crew during a prime time slot.

“I ran into this bloke when I was away … and he whispered in my ear … there’s been a lot of discussion for the Footy Show, it’s coming back for the Grand Final Show,” he told SEN Breakfast.

“I can also tell you that on the Friday night before this year’s Grand Final, Grand Final eve, Channel 9 will have their Sunday Footy Show panel all together as part of a program on the Friday night before the Grand Final.

“The feeling is that if it goes really well and if it rates really well, there’s a possibility that that may be the replacement Footy Show next year. So the Sunday Footy Show moves into the Thursday night slot.”

The Sunday Footy Show has been a proven ratings winner for Nine, blowing Channel 7 rival Game Day out of the water.

Watson also said Channel 9 are set to consider running Monday night program Footy Classified over a number of nights, rather than a weekly slot.

“I’m also hearing … but I haven’t been able to confirm it … that they may be muscling up a little further with their footy programming. I’m hearing there’s a possibility that Footy Classified may be on three nights a week next year,” he said.

It remains unclear if any of The Footy Show’s 2019 panel will be included in the Footy Show Grand Final special after the brutal fashion in which the crew and stars found out about the show’s unceremonious axing.

While Nine has been rumoured to be reaching out to former members of the show, former host Garry Lyon said earlier this year he hasn’t ben contacted and wouldn’t be able to participate because of his contractual obligations with SEN Radio and Fox Footy.

FOOTY STAR GOES DOWN WITH ‘HORRIBLE’ INJURY

Jarman Impey’s AFL season could be over after the Hawthorn defender hyper-extended his right knee in the big win over Geelong.

Impey’s leg collapsed in a marking contest and he needed help from two trainers as he limped from the MCG.

“The players know. This will be a horrible watch,” David King said on Fox Footy.

“You’ve just got to hope for bone bruising,” Brisbane Lions great Jonathan Brown added.

Hawthorn's Jarman Impey walked off in the hands of trainers after this passage in the second quarter of #AFLCatsHawks. pic.twitter.com/zODcdjqfIL — AFL (@AFL) July 21, 2019

Despite losing the backman early in the second quarter, the Hawks held off their fierce rivals for a 24-point win.

It is their third-straight win and the Hawks are a game outside the top eight.

Coach Alastair Clarkson said they were unsure about the extent of the injury and compared it to the scenario around GWS star Stephen Coniglio a week ago.

The Giants also feared Coniglio would need a knee reconstruction, but despite still undergoing an operation, he might return for the finals.

Clarkson said Impey has lateral ligament damage and that could end his season.

The bigger worry is if there is damage to the anterior cruciate ligament, meaning a knee reconstruction and a much longer recovery.

“We’re at the mercy of the scan,” Clarkson said.

“If he’s torn a lateral ligament, that’s enough to miss a fair spell of footy.

“It’s hard to say, but we’re obviously just more concerned with whether or not it’s going to be a 12-monther, than what it’s going to do... right now.”

— with AAP

EAGLES AVOID DEAD CENTRE TAG

At three-quarter time in Alice Springs, West Coast appeared headed for an upset loss to Melbourne that would have pushed them out of the AFL’s top four. The Demons were up by 10.10 (70) to 10. 4 (64), after trailing by 32 points and would have led by more if they had not wasted their chances in front of goal on Sunday.

But the Eagles’ premiership stars lifted, with Elliot Yeo goaling to level the scores, Jack Darling kicking two goals and Dom Sheed sealing a 13-point win after somehow steering through a mongrel kick that bounced favourably. The Eagles are nicely placed in equal second on 12 wins and five losses, compared to the same stage last year when they were second with 13 and four. If they had lost a second consecutive match in the Red Centre they would have slumped to fifth and risked falling further down the ladder with Richmond and GWS on their heels.

It was a reflection of how even the competition was, coach Adam Simpson said. “It happens now more than ever, games are tight almost like basketball and you get to the last quarter and both teams can win,” the West Coast mentor told reporters.

“They were a top-four side last year, are getting some players back in and have been in a lot of games this year and probably more than most have lost the tight ones.

“We are really happy about today.” The 14.7 (91) to 11.12 (78) result was the seventh out of 12 defeats this season in which Melbourne have lost by less than four goals. Melbourne have played five matches there but it was the Eagles’ first match at Traegar Park, which had a sell-out crowd of 7164.

It is the AFL’s only outback fixture and only match where at least half the crowd is Indigenous with local Aboriginal culture and dancing performances and Melbourne’s them song played in the local language.

The Eagles played five Indigenous players in Sunday’s team, which equalled a club record set several weeks ago.

They were Liam Ryan, Willie Rioli - who was raised in the Northern Territory on the Tiwi Islands, Lewis Jetta, Jarrod Cameron and Francis Watson, who was a late inclusion and made his debut.

“I am really proud of that, especially playing here as well as it is such a great representative Indigenous community,” Simpson said.

“We loved coming here, there is a great support network here for the AFL and also West Coast, it is a shorter flight than Melbourne so we’ll take that.”

— AAP