The smooth-voiced legend who defined the sound of Australian football
In short: With a dry wit and a signature phrase—'centimetre perfect'—Dennis Cometti became an icon of Australian broadcasting. His career spanned 51 years, making him the only broadcaster to cover the entire duration of the AFL national competition, from its expansion to its modern era.
Born in Geraldton, Western Australia, on 26 March 1949, Cometti’s journey began far from the commentary box. He was a talented footballer who played 40 matches for West Perth, notably scoring 63 goals in 1968 under Graham Farmer. While his professional football career included a stint on the Footscray senior list in 1971, injuries and media commitments prevented him from making a senior VFL mark.
His media career launched in 1968 as a radio disc jockey at 6KY. By 1972, he joined the Australian Broadcasting Commission, where he became the youngest person in the broadcaster's history to call a Test cricket match at age 23. Over the decades, he became a household name through his work with the Seven Network, the Nine Network, and Broadcom, often paired with legendary broadcasters like Bruce McAvaney.
Cometti was more than just a voice for football; he was a prolific sports commentator who covered the Summer Olympics in Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996), and Sydney (2000). Upon his retirement, no other television-era commentator had called more Australian Olympic gold medals than he had. His status was confirmed in 2021 through his induction into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Tragically, Cometti passed away in Perth on 3 March 2026, following a long illness. His colleague Basil Zempilas later confirmed that he had been living with Alzheimer's disease and a severe form of dementia.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Dennis Cometti
- Also: Wikidata — Dennis Cometti · CC0
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