A who’s who of Australian sport and media gathered to farewell the legendary commentator Dennis Cometti at a state memorial service held at Optus Stadium on Monday. The event saw prominent figures from the AFL and media world, including Eddie McGuire, Matthew Pavlich, and Tom Harley, travel west to pay their respects to one of Australia’s most iconic sporting voices.
WA Premier Roger Cook extended the offer of a state memorial service for the veteran commentator to Cometti’s family following his passing in March this year. The public was invited to join in paying tribute, and hundreds turned up in the early afternoon to honor the life of one of Western Australia’s most celebrated sporting figures.
Speaking at the service, Cook admitted it was a difficult task to find the right words to honor Cometti. “How does one begin to honour with words one of the greatest orators in Australian history?” he asked the crowd.
“No one speech can do justice to a man whose voice and witticisms became the official soundtrack to a core pillar of Australian life. He enriched the lives of millions of Australians, and none more so than his family, his wife Velia, daughter Ricki and son Mark.”
Born in Geraldton in 1949, Cometti had deep ties to West Australian football. He played for the WAFL with West Perth, scoring 70 goals in 38 games for the club before returning as a coach in 1982. One of his former players, West Perth legend Les Fong, spoke on behalf of the club that Cometti cherished.
“At West Perth, Dennis was held in the highest regard,” Fong said. “He was a talented forward, tall and gangly, but full of promise. What stood out most from Dennis as a coach was his understanding of the game. He was humble, genuine and never likely to speak ill of anyone. He had empathy, wisdom and an ability to earn respect by always showing it.”
Cometti called the West Coast Eagles’ first premiership in 1992, and the media centre at Optus Stadium is named in his honour. He was also signed by Footscray in 1971, but injuries and media commitments prevented him from playing a senior game in the VFL.
However, it was his contributions off the field that made him a household name. His distinctive, understated yet unmistakable voice brought the voice of a sporting generation to the public, who quickly came to appreciate his unique style.
His media career spanned nearly five decades, covering AFL, Test cricket, and the Olympic Games, where he famously called Australia’s 4x100m freestyle relay gold in Sydney.
His long-time broadcast partner and close friend Bruce McAvaney delivered a heartfelt eulogy, sharing how many people had reached out to him over the past eight weeks to discuss their memories of Cometti. “He has certainly entered our vernacular,” he said. “He made footballers famous. We pride ourselves in Australia on the standard of our sport broadcasters.”
“Dennis is without a doubt the benchmark when it comes to AFL football. His passing has had a significant effect on me – we shared a journey. That grand final – the Bulldogs and the Swans – will always be my favourite game of football. Right until the end he had my back and I hope he knew that I always had his back as well.”
It was fitting that Cometti’s final televised AFL match as a commentator was the 2016 grand final, where his former side, now known as the Western Bulldogs, ended a 62-year premiership drought by defeating the Sydney Swans.
Cometti was awarded an Order of Australia in 2019 and inducted into the Football Australia Hall of Fame in 2020, joining the WA Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Basil Zempilas, WA’s Opposition Leader and former Channel 7 commentator, praised the state government for organizing the public memorial. “What a commentator, the ‘cork in the ocean’ and the ‘centimetre perfect’ – that he never really cared for,” Zempilas said.
“For Dennis, every game was a big game, whether it was a preseason match or the grand final, it was always a big game. He hated making mistakes, but if he made one he would demand a copy of the tape … and he insisted on watching that mistake he made back – that was the level of perfection that he demanded of himself. But his greatest gift was his ability to uplift … he always had time for people.”
Cometti’s signature phrases, affectionately known as “Cometti-isms,” became synonymous with the AFL. Some of his most famous quotes include “like a cork in the ocean” and “centimetre-perfect,” which are intrinsically linked to his legacy.
His seemingly off-the-cuff calls often became legendary, thanks to his attention to detail and passion for the game.
The memorial service featured a highlight reel of some of the greatest moments in Australian sporting history, with Cometti’s voice adding wit, humour, and gravitas.
Among his memorable quotes were: “Adam Yze, a terrific player … terrible scrabble hand,” and “Libba went into the pack optimistically and came out misty, optically.” These lines were discussed for years after the events on the field.
It seemed fitting that Cometti’s own words should describe his life and contribution to Australian sport. He once described Kieren Perkins’ victory in the 1500m freestyle at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 with the phrase: “Ladies and gentlemen, this is rare gold, the best kind of gold.”
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