Dennis Cometti, one of the most revered figures in Australian sports commentary, has died at the age of 76. The West Australian broadcaster was known for his incisive calling, silky voice and sharp wit over a 51-year career with the ABC, Channel 7, Channel 9 and Triple M.
Cometti was best known for his work on Australian rules football, but also commentated on cricket and the Olympics. He retired in 2021 after calling the AFL grand final for Triple M. His witty one-liners, known as 'Cometti-isms', included 'Centimetre perfect' and 'Daniel Metropolis, kicking to the city end'.
Before his commentary career, Cometti played 38 games and kicked 70 goals for West Perth in the WAFL, later coaching the team for 65 games. He was awarded the Order of Australia and inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2019, followed by the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
AFL commission chair Richard Goyder said: 'Dennis was a voice for our game for more than 50 years, and he captured the moment perfectly every time and made it fun along the way.' AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon highlighted Cometti's final television call of the 2016 grand final as 'simply perfect'.
