His first voice on Dennis Cometti, the legendary Australian broadcaster, who has died aged 76. Known for his unique voice and thoughtful analysis, he was a giant of the profession. Live Sport Cometti’s career spanned decades. He went on to become perhaps the most loved sports broadcaster in the world, particularly for his role in promoting Australian Rules Football (AFL). Through his activism and scholarship, his contributions to the field have made a lasting impact on the sporting world and far beyond.
Cometti was born in Western Australia. He found a home on field with West Perth, and paved his career path off field as a long-serving WAFL coach. In 1984, he turned all his attention to media—where he’d make his most historic mark. In all, Cometti called close to 500 AFL games. Doing this with iconic broadcaster Bruce McAvaney established Dyer’s persona as one of the sport’s most respected figures.
Throughout his career, Cometti was recognised for his catchphrases and ad-libbing. One of his most famous calls came during the 2010 AFL Grand Final when he remarked on Heath Shaw’s smother of Nick Riewoldt, saying, “he came up behind him like a librarian, he never heard him.” This instant classic epitomized Cometti’s gift for conveying the joy of the sport with both levity and lucidity.
His commentary extended beyond football, most notably during the 1996 Olympics, where he called Australian swimmer Kieren Perkins’ gold medal victory. Reflecting on that experience, Cometti once quipped, “I wasn’t a swimming aficionado; the only reason they selected me was I had a pool in the backyard I think.”
Cometti’s influence on sports commentary was profound. He told the story behind it during his 2022 appearance on the BackChat podcast. He noted that the saying derived from “inch perfect,” a phrase he heard in his youth: “When I was a boy there was a saying called inch perfect.” His precision in thought and language soon established a signature style characterized by scintillating prose.
In recognition of his contributions to Australian football, Cometti was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2020. His retirement from television was no less significant, with Channel 7’s coverage of the 2016 AFL Grand Final his last. Yet even after he departed the small screen, his Australian Rules expertise remained accessible to all as he called AFL matches on Perth radio for a short time.
Bruce McAvaney, a fellow commentator and close colleague, praised Cometti’s legacy, stating, “The legacy that he’ll leave above all the other things is that one-liner that summed everything up so brilliantly and made us all smile.” McAvaney emphasized Cometti’s status as a benchmark for commentators: “There are a lot of very good commentators, many that have come before Dennis and there’ll be a lot that come after him, but I really believe he’s the benchmark.”
And to honour Cometti’s extraordinary career in sports broadcasting, a feature documentary called ‘Centimetre Perfect’ will be released. You can catch it on Seven and 7plus Sport later this year, a testament to his lasting influence on our industry.
