The post match pressers used to be an event at Channel Seven, headlined by the angst of Mick Malthouse and the quirkiness of Essendon era Mark Thompson.
They'd be hyped as a reason to stick around, yet these days even the commentators are talking them down.
"The coach's press conference room was an interesting vibe, wasn't it," Nick Riewoldt said from the winners' rooms on Thursday night.
"Pretty flat," Hamish McLachlan chimed in.
"Wasn't much happening in there," Riewoldt added.
"Rooey" and "Hammer" were just being honest, and good on them.
There were awkward delays, no flow and in the end very little of substance in the Swans presser.
A lot of the sizzles's gone out of the sausage, and it is due to a combination of factors.
Mainly, it's because there's less journos at games, and less journos in general. You can't blame the ones that turn up, it's just that they're doing it with less reinforcements.
Newsrooms aren't what they were. There was a time at the Herald Sun where we'd send four writers to cover a Friday night game - a match reporter, a colour writer and two more to quickly cover each of the winners and losers. All set roles.
The Covid era certainly didn't help. The crew of traditional news journalists has shrunk.
That takes me to Ross Lyon, the St Kilda coach, and his presser at Moorabbin on Thursday.
There were three journos there. Yep, just three.
Drew Jones from Fox, the everywhere man, led the way. Ed Bourke from the Herald Sun chipped in.
And without a weight of numbers, Lyon moved into smart alec mode. No more "Cuddly Ross" it seems.
"If you want 'normal', then you step to the other side of the microphone and the other side of the fence on the ground, and you pursue mediocrity in your life," Lyon said.
An interesting take on the other side of the fence and those with the microphones.
It was a weird vibe and I am told there was some frustration in the air.
At least Lyon is unscripted, compelling viewing. A nightmare for a media manager keen on set messaging ... and that's refreshing.
He talks in riddles, he avoids the usual cliches and is must-watch TV in a space that has too often become vanilla.
Jones and others should be applauded for regularly fronting up, for at times the rewards are low.
Ask a good question and the answer is on socials before you get back in the car. You have to take the small wins in a business saturated by quick grabs and updates on X.
The heated coach v journo exchanges are becoming less common by the year.
"Rooey'' and "Hammer" are correct in pining for the past, but it's just the way it is.
