Dennis Cometti, one of the most celebrated figures in Australian sports commentary, has died at the age of 76. Known for his incisive calls, silky voice and sharp wit, his career spanned 51 years with broadcasters including 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 after calling the 2021 AFL grand final. His signature one-liners, dubbed 'Cometti-isms', included 'Centimetre perfect' and 'Remember the name: [Adem] Y-Z-E – terrific young player; bad Scrabble hand'.
Before his commentary career, Cometti played 38 games and kicked 70 goals for West Perth in the Western Australian Football League, later coaching the team for 65 matches. He received the Order of Australia and was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2019 and 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 his last television call, the 2016 grand final, as 'simply perfect'.
