CHANNEL Ten has shelved its two-year experiment with Kelli Underwood, the first female to call football on television.
Underwood has been relegated to boundary-line duties this year after being trialled by the network over the past two seasons.
The former 3AW reporter has polarised football supporters despite being hailed as a trailblazer.
She was dubbed the most annoying commentator in last year's Herald Sun Footy Fans survey, receiving 39.5 per cent of votes.
Michael Christian, one-time Collingwood premiership star, will return to a full quota of games this year after having his calling workload cut for Underwood.
She will remain at the network calling netball and working on the boundary-line. She will also call some games for ABC Radio.
It is a huge blow for Underwood, but she is still keen to develop her calling.
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It comes as the network announces two new shows as part of its football coverage on OneHD.
Anthony Hudson will host a Thursday night preview show The Gameplan, with Christian to front Sunday night review show The Final Siren.
It brings to four the number of football-based shows on Ten or OneHD, with the network in the last year of its football rights deal.
Ten's head of football David Barham said Underwood was being given more time to hone her craft.
"We tried her for a couple of years and she did a good job, but she needed to do it every week and we could only give her every second or third week. She needs to go and call (on radio) for two or three years," he said.
"It's not a never, and she was always calling on a trial basis. She never had a full-time calling gig, so she is not going to do it this year.
"She is doing netball and boundary-riding, so she is still part of our football team."
Underwood said yesterday she was undeterred in her bid to carve out a broadcasting career.
"It is disappointing but I am a pretty positive person and pretty resilient. I have done 12 games over two years," she said.
"I have put everything into it and loved every minute. I have a huge year ahead and still want to pursue my broadcasting career in AFL.
"I am commentating the tennis, the netball and will be working with the ABC in football. I was the first to do it but hope I am not the last. I would say to every girl out there you should go for it."
Underwood made her calling debut for Ten in the 2009 Adelaide-Geelong NAB Cup game
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