The Australian sporting community is mourning Dennis Cometti, with the broadcasting legend passing away aged 76.

Renowned as arguably Australian football’s pre-eminent caller, Cometti was the voice of the AFL for three decades, spearheading Seven’s coverage until his retirement at the end of 2016.

The man who coined the phrase ‘centimetre perfect’ among many other brilliant one-liners was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Cometti’s distinctive voice formed the soundtrack for many iconic moments in Australian sport.

He was behind the microphone for West Coast’s maiden premiership triumph in 1992, notable for describing Peter Wilson’s “like a cork in the ocean” goal kicked over his head. He called Kieren Perkins’ win from Lane 8 at the 1996 Olympics among three Olympic Games, and also called Test cricket, basketball and WAFL in his distinguished career.

Cometti was honoured with the naming of the media centre at Optus Stadium in his honour when the venue opened in 2018, and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia the following year.

Born in Geraldton in 1949, Cometti rose through junior football ranks to play 40 WAFL games for West Perth before becoming coach of the club in 1982.

But it would be broadcast where he would make his greatest mark, with a 13-year career with the ABC followed by joining the Seven Network in 1986 to coincide with West Coast’s entry into the then-VFL the following year.

Cometti spent five seasons at Nine from 2002-06 before returning to Seven when the network reclaimed the AFL broadcasting rights.

After finishing his TV calling career in 2016, alongside long-time on-air partner Bruce McAvaney for that year’s grand final, Cometti continued to call games locally for radio station Triple M until 2021.

Seven last month announced Cometti’s extraordinary career will be celebrated in a documentary called Centimetre Perfect, scheduled to air later this year.

Cometti’s voice will long live on in the hearts and minds of sports fans, including some of the most iconic AFL moments of the modern era.

In his final call for Seven in 2016, Cometti described Tom Boyd’s pivotal long-range goal to set the Western Bulldogs on a path to victory: “How will it bounce? The stadium holds its breath. It’s a goal. And the western suburbs erupt.”

He quipped that Heath Shaw “came up behind him like a librarian” when he produced a goalsquare smother on Nick Riewoldt in the 2010 grand final replay, while he described Cyril Rioli’s chase of fellow speedster Lewis Jetta in the 2012 decider as “a main event in any stadium in the world”.

Outgoing AFL Commission chair Richard Goyder was among many to pay tribute to Cometti upon news of his death breaking on Wednesday morning.

“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,” he said.

“From his start at the ABC, with a significant career there too as a high-quality cricket caller for Test matches in the 1970s, footy was the beneficiary for so long with his incredible skills. He was a master of calling everything – cricket, the Olympics, swimming and anything he turned his hand too – but footy was lucky to have him the longest for his greatest work.”

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said Cometti’s work would live on forever.

“Every fan of a certain age has their own catchphrase that jumps straight to the tongue, whether it’s ’cork in the ocean’, ‘centimetre perfect’ or Buddy sprinting down the wing at the MCG,” he said.

“We are privileged that so much of his greatest work calling our biggest games is easily available for all fans, and thank you Dennis for illuminating footy and your contribution across the country to bring that excitement into homes.”

More to come