One of Australia’s greatest sports broadcasters, Dennis Cometti AM, has passed away aged 76.
Cometti spent 26 years at Seven Network until calling his final AFL match in the 2016 Grand Final.
Widely regarded as one of the sport’s greatest callers, Cometti also covered three Summer Olympics for Seven, including Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000.
He was the voice behind iconic Olympic moments, including the gold medal heroics of Susie O’Neill, Kieren Perkins and Ian Thorpe.
It was in AFL where Cometti is best known, sharing the commentary box alongside his good friend Bruce McAvaney for 450 matches between 2007 and 2016.
“When I think about Dennis, one of the first things I think about is the amount of joy he brought to all of our lives,” McAvaney said.
“How many times did he make us laugh and smile? We would sit there and think, how did he think of that? He leaves a legacy that is undeniable, unique, and authentic.
“In many ways he was the benchmark for all of those that are following in his footsteps. We are a nation who prides itself in having so many of the all-time great sport commentators, and he was up there with the very best of them.
“Perhaps the most impressive thing about Dennis is that through his calling, he made footballers famous. That’s a gift.”
Born in the Mid West city of Geraldton, Cometti began his media career as a radio announcer in Perth in 1968, while also juggling a playing career with West Perth in the Western Australian Football League (WAFL), where he is revered.
He worked for the ABC between 1972 and 1985, Seven between 1986 and 2001, the Nine Network between 2002 and 2006, before returning home to Seven in 2007.
Famed for a silky deep voice, Cometti was famous for his on-liners and puns, referred to as ‘Cometticisms’.
These include:
- ‘Centimetre perfect!’
- ‘Wilson, like a cork in the ocean over his head. Oh my word!’
- ‘This is a virtuoso performance. He will leave tonight and get on the team bus with a violin case’
- ‘He came up behind him like a librarian. He never heard him!’
- ‘If Pythagoras is watching, explain that!’
- ‘The Saints have had more five-year plans than Fidel Castro.’
- ‘There’s Koutoufides — more vowels than possessions today.’
- ‘Remember the name: Y-Z-E — terrific young player, bad Scrabble hand.’
- ‘Hardie decides to have a bounce. Look at him go. Amazing. Not bad for a guy who’s built like a pirate’s lunch table.’
- ‘So it’s back to the old drawing board. Obviously a luxury that the guy who invented the drawing board didn’t have.’
It would not be a stretch to liken Cometti to the legendary and late darts commentator, Sid Waddell.
“While Den will forever be remembered for his iconic one-liners, he was by any measure a world-class caller who has entertained sport fans – especially footy fans – across the whole nation and all over the world,” Seven Network head of AFL and sport innovation, Gary O’Keeffe said.
“More importantly, off-camera, Dennis was a world-class person. Everyone who had the opportunity to meet and work alongside him, walked away from the experience a better person. His impact will be felt far and wide across the industry. We are so lucky to have known him.”
Seven will acknowledge the incredible career of Dennis at tomorrow night’s Opening Round match between the Sydney Swans and Carlton at the SCG.
Seven will also broadcast a documentary into the life and career of Cometti later this year, aptly titled Centimetre Perfect led by his great mate and Seven broadcaster, Bruce McAvaney.
“On a personal level, I feel like I’ve lost something truly precious,” McAvaney added.
“We shared an extraordinary journey. We were a similar age and at similar stages of our lives, and we both understood the pressure that came with the role – the effort it demanded and the vulnerability that came with trying to live up to expectations. We leaned on each other through that. We always had each other’s backs.
“While Dennis and I started our careers as colleagues, we ended as friends and I am so grateful for that.”
