Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

on indulgence—Today Australians right across this great sport-loving nation of ours will be mourning the passing of one of our best loved commentators. Dennis Cometti was a proud son of Western Australia, who played for West Perth in the WAFL. Yet he is much better known by being the voice, or one of the voices, of Australian sport. For five decades, he broadcast footy, three Olympics and virtually every other sport on TV and radio. We were very familiar with that velvet voice of his. He was elevated for us by having an eagle eye, a brilliant insight and a distinctive humour, which was the product of both meticulous preparation and spontaneous genius.

No tribute would be complete without giving a few quotes—not just the iconic 'centimetre perfect' or 'like a cork in the ocean' but those brilliant, offbeat observations that he made. He said:

The Magpies ought to be kicking themselves right now. But with their luck, they'd probably miss.

He said:

Barlow to Bateman … the Hawks are attacking alphabetically.

And he said:

Liberatore went into that last pack optimistically and came out misty optically.

He described the then young Melbourne Demons player, now Richmond Tigers coach, Adam Yze as a 'lousy Scrabble hand' but a 'very good young player'. He had a particular focus on people's names. He said at one stage:

There's Anthony Koutoufides, more vowels than possessions today.

Dennis inspired countless imitators, but he remained the best. A true original, he had a brilliant partnership and true friendship with the legendary Bruce McAvaney, and this was because Dennis's sense of humour was matched by a powerful sense of occasion, an ability to recognise the defining moment and rise to it. Dennis Cometti will be sadly missed by his family, by his loved ones, by so many colleagues who learned so much from his generosity and skill, but also, importantly, by Australians who've never met him but who loved him and enjoyed his contribution. He'll live forever in some of the happiest sporting memories of Australians everywhere. May he rest in peace.

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