Legendary voice of Australian sport Dennis Cometti has died after a period of illness, his family and media outlets confirmed.
He was 76, and his passing on 4 March 2026 prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the sporting world, from broadcasters to clubs and fans who grew up with his sharp wit and distinctive delivery.
Cometti’s career stretched more than five decades, and he remained one of the nation’s most recognisable sporting voices.
He began in radio in the 1970s and went on to call thousands of Australian rules football matches, as well as cricket, Olympic events, and other major competitions, working for outlets including ABC, Channel 7, Channel 9, and the radio network Triple M.
Fans remember him as much for his timing and voice as for the endless one-liners that entered the everyday language of footy, the so-called “Cometti-isms” such as “centimetre perfect” and other flourishes that made even routine plays feel cinematic.
Before broadcasting, Cometti was a footballer in his home state. He played for West Perth in the WAFL, later coaching at the state level, and those early years informed a commentator’s eye that combined affection for the game with an incisive sense of humour.
He officially retired from full-time broadcasting after calling the 2021 AFL Grand Final in Perth, a final bow that summed up a long relationship with the game and its fans.
Honours reflected Cometti’s standing in Australian sport. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2019 for his services to broadcasting and the community and was inducted into both the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Perth’s Optus Stadium even named its media centre after him, a permanent reminder of the role he played in bringing the drama of AFL to screens and radios around the country.
Reaction to the news was immediate and heartfelt. The AFL described Cometti as an iconic figure whose calls “brought the game to life” and whose humour and warmth cut across generations.
Club statements, former colleagues, and broadcasters paid tribute to the way he mixed craftsmanship with kindness; Bruce McAvaney and other peers highlighted his generosity and the high standard he set for others in the trade.
Fans filled social feeds with favourite lines and game moments; the consensus was that his voice helped define the sound of footy for a generation.
Details about the illness he had been battling have not been released publicly. Reports say he had been unwell for several years, but the family and representatives have not specified a cause of death.
That privacy has not stopped memories and stories from surfacing: colleagues recall studio conversations, long nights on the road, and the casual humour that often followed a tense on-field moment.
Cometti’s style was deceptively simple. He could land a memorable phrase without overshadowing the match, finding a balance between colour and respect for the players and the moment.
That craft won him awards and deep respect inside the industry, and it made him a beloved figure among listeners who tuned in as much for his voice as for the scoreboard.
He wrote books, recorded commentary collections, and left behind a body of work that will be replayed and quoted for years to come.
He is survived by his wife, Velia, and their children, and by a huge extended family of listeners, colleagues, and athletes who remember him not only for the phrases he coined but for his warmth.
As tributes continue, broadcasters and clubs are already planning commemorations; the lines he left behind and the laughs he provoked will be part of the way the game remembers him.
Dennis Cometti’s passing closes a chapter on one of Australia’s great sporting voices. The stadium boxes, radio studios, and living rooms that listened to him will keep his calls alive, and the small, pointed wit he practised will remain part of the soundtrack of Australian sport for generations to come.
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