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Dennis Cometti (born 1949) is a former Australian rules football player and coach for West Perth in the West Australian Football League and Footscray in the Victorian Football League but is best known as a commentator. In a career spanning almost 40 years, his dry humour and smooth voice have become his trademark. He remains the only television broadcaster to have spanned the entire duration of the VFL/AFL national competition (Seven Network, Nine Network, Broadcom).

Early career

He commenced his media career as radio announcer in Perth, Western Australia 1968 as a top 40 disc jockey at radio station 6KY. In the following 5 years he worked as an announcer on 6PM, otball.

Television career

Seven Network 1986-2001

In 1986 his surprise move to the Seven Network coincided with the formation of the West Coast Eagles in the VFL but because of a bitter battle over television broadcast rights (that excluded the 7 Network) Cometti broadcast the first season of the expanded VFL competition on independent broadcaster Broadcom. In 1988 when the 7 Network regained the VFL television rights Cometti immediately became the highest profile commentator of VFL/AFL matches (based in Western Australia where he presented the evening news sports segment). He stayed with Seven until 2001, as main sports anchor for Seven News in Perth, when they lost the rights to broadcast AFL matches.

In the late 1990s, he was among those to have been sent up by impersonator Andrew Startin on Live And Kicking. Actor Eric Bana was another to 'do' Cometti.

During his career with the station, he called eight AFL Grand Finals. He also commentated at the Summer Olympics swimming competitions in Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. Cometti has broadcast more Australian Olympic Gold Medals than any other commentator of the television era.

Move to Nine Network (2002-2006)

Cometti switched to the Nine Network in 2002 and alongside Eddie McGuire, Dermott Brereton and Garry Lyon has become one of the channel's leading Australian rules football callers. During those 5 years he was voted AFMA (Australian Football Media Association) television broadcaster of the year 5 times. In 2006 he was awarded the Alf Potter Award as the games foremost media personality. In a Melbourne newspaper Herald Sun annual poll he recorded increasing record percentages for fan popularity over his 5 years with Channel Nine. In 2006 48% of the papers readers named Cometti as their favourite commentator. A similar poll in South Australia by the Adelaide Advertiser put the number at 62%. In both cases his nearest rival was in single figures. Occasionally while at Nine, he returned to cricket commentary and in 2003/04 called an Australia A game. As at Seven, he read the sports report on the weeknight National Nine News in Perth.

His commentary had also been featured in video games such as AFL Live 2004, 05 and 06, AFL Trivia 2006 and AFL Premiership 2005.

Return to Seven (2007-)

While at Nine, Cometti was openly stated as one of the networks highest paid personalities, at a price Seven said they would not match. However, with Seven regaining the rights to broadcast AFL games starting from 2007, on December 8 2006 it was announced that Cometti resigned with the Seven Network to call AFL along side Bruce McAvaney.^[1] In addition, Cometti presents a special weekly segment during the sport report during the evening news.

Cometti currently resides in the Perth Suburb of Yokine.

References

^ http://7perth.com.au/view/releases/20061208152518/

External links

Template:SevenNewsAnchors

[1] ttp://7perth.com.au/view/releases/20061208152518/

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{unreferenced|date=August 2007}}
 '''Dennis Cometti''' (born [[1949]]) is a former [[Australian rules football]] player and coach for [[West Perth Football Club|West Perth]] in the [[West Australian Football League]] and [[Footscray Football Club|Footscray]] in the [[VFL/AFL|Victorian Football League]] but is best known as a [[commentator]]. In a career spanning almost 40 years, his dry humour and smooth voice have become his trademark. He remains the only television broadcaster to have spanned the entire duration of the VFL/AFL national competition (Seven Network, Nine Network, Broadcom).
 ==Early career==
-He commenced his media career as radio announcer in [[Perth, Western Australia]] 1968 as a top 40 disc jockey at radio station [[6KY]]. In the following 5 years he worked as an announcer on [[6PM]], [[3DB]] and [[6PR]]. He called his first sporting event in 1972.
+He commenced his media career as radio announcer in [[Perth, Western Australia]] 1968 as a top 40 disc jockey at radio station [[6KY]]. In the following 5 years he worked as an announcer on [[6PM]], otball.
-In 1973 he joined the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] and made his name nationally and internationally calling [[cricket]] as a 24 year old alongside the legendary [[Alan McGilvray]]. Although groomed for McGilvray's position Cometti's  devotion to Australian rules football took him in another direction. In 1986 he joined Channel 7 Perth to broadcast Australian rules. In the summer of 1986 he also began calling the first of 7 seasons of Test and One Day International cricket on [[Kerry Packer]]'s Sydney radio flagship [[2UE]] (alongside [[Richie Benaud]], [[Tony Greig]], [[Henry Blofeld]] and others) but his move from the ABC made it clear he had committed himself to football.
 ==Television career==
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 In 1986 his surprise move to the [[Seven Network]] coincided with the formation of the [[West Coast Eagles]] in the [[Australian Football League|VFL]] but because of a bitter battle over television broadcast rights (that excluded the 7 Network) Cometti broadcast the first season of the expanded VFL competition on independent broadcaster Broadcom. In 1988 when the 7 Network regained the VFL television rights Cometti immediately became the highest profile commentator of [[VFL/AFL]] matches  (based in Western Australia where he presented the evening news sports segment). He stayed with Seven until 2001, as main sports anchor for [[Seven News]] in Perth, when they lost the rights to broadcast AFL matches.
-In the late 1990s, he was among those to have been sent up by impersonator [[Andrew Startin]] on [[Live And Kicking]].
+In the late 1990s, he was among those to have been sent up by impersonator [[Andrew Startin]] on [[Live And Kicking]]. Actor [[Eric Bana]] was another to 'do' Cometti.
-Actor [[Eric Bana]] was another to 'do' Cometti.
 During his career with the station, he called eight [[AFL Grand Final]]s. He also commentated at the [[Summer Olympics]] swimming competitions in [[Barcelona 1992]], [[Atlanta 1996]] and [[Sydney 2000]]. Cometti has broadcast more Australian Olympic Gold Medals than any other commentator of the television era.
 ===Move to Nine Network (2002-2006)===
-Cometti switched to the [[Nine Network]] in 2002 and alongside [[Eddie McGuire]], [[Dermott Brereton]] and [[Garry Lyon]] has become one of the channel's leading [[Australian rules football]] callers. During those 5 years he was voted AFMA (Australian Football Media Association) television broadcaster of the year 5 times. In 2006 he was awarded the Alf Potter Award as the games foremost media personality. In a Melbourne newspaper [[Herald Sun]] annual poll he recorded increasing record percentages for fan popularity over his 5 years with Channel Nine. In 2006 48% of the papers readers named Cometti as their favourite commentator. A similar poll in South Australia by the [[Adelaide Advertiser]] put the number at 62%. In both cases his nearest rival was in single figures. Occasionally while at Nine, he returned to cricket commentary and in 2003/04 called an [[Australia A]] game. As at Seven, he reads the sports report on the weeknight [[National Nine News]] in Perth.
+Cometti switched to the [[Nine Network]] in 2002 and alongside [[Eddie McGuire]], [[Dermott Brereton]] and [[Garry Lyon]] has become one of the channel's leading [[Australian rules football]] callers. During those 5 years he was voted AFMA (Australian Football Media Association) television broadcaster of the year 5 times. In 2006 he was awarded the Alf Potter Award as the games foremost media personality. In a Melbourne newspaper [[Herald Sun]] annual poll he recorded increasing record percentages for fan popularity over his 5 years with Channel Nine. In 2006 48% of the papers readers named Cometti as their favourite commentator. A similar poll in South Australia by the [[Adelaide Advertiser]] put the number at 62%. In both cases his nearest rival was in single figures. Occasionally while at Nine, he returned to cricket commentary and in 2003/04 called an [[Australia A]] game. As at Seven, he read the sports report on the weeknight [[National Nine News]] in Perth.
 His commentary had also been featured in [[video game]]s such as [[AFL Live 2004|AFL Live 2004, 05 and 06]], AFL Trivia 2006 and [[AFL Premiership 2005]].
 ===Return to Seven (2007-)===
-While at 9, Cometti was openly stated as one of the networks highest paid personalities, at a price Seven said they would not match. On [[December 8]] [[2006]] it was announced that Cometti has signed with the Seven Network to call AFL along side [[Bruce McAvaney]]. [http://7perth.com.au/view/releases/20061208152518/]
+While at Nine, Cometti was openly stated as one of the networks highest paid personalities, at a price Seven said they would not match. However, with Seven regaining the rights to broadcast AFL games starting from 2007, on [[December 8]] [[2006]] it was announced that Cometti resigned with the Seven Network to call AFL along side [[Bruce McAvaney]].<ref>http://7perth.com.au/view/releases/20061208152518/</ref> In addition, Cometti presents a special weekly segment during the sport report during the evening news.
 Cometti currently resides in the Perth Suburb of [[Yokine]].
+==References==
-{{SevenNewsAnchors}}
+<references/>
 == External links ==
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 *[http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62968 Another collection of Comettisms (BigFooty.com)]
 *[http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21837741-11088,00.html AFL Song co-written by Dennis and James McKenna (http://www.jamesmckennamusic.com/)]
-{{unreferenced|date=August 2007}}
+{{SevenNewsAnchors}}
-==References==
-<references/>
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Cometti, Dennis}}