McAvaney leads Perthnow farewell for Dennis Cometti at Optus Stadium
perthnow: Dennis Cometti was farewelled at a State Memorial Service at Optus Stadium in Perth on Monday, with Bruce McAvaney, Basil Zempilas, Les Fong, Roger Cook and Mark Readings among those who spoke. The service drew colleagues and football figures to remember the broadcaster after his death aged 76 in March.
The memorial was held at the stadium where the media centre bears Cometti's name. Guests recalled his wit, professionalism, kindness and questionable fashion choices, while McAvaney told the service Cometti had "entered our vernacular" after a career that spanned five decades.
Optus Stadium memorial
Optus Stadium provided the setting for the farewell, tying the tribute to the venue that already carries Cometti's name in its media centre. That made the service more than a public farewell; it placed his career inside the building where his voice had helped define major sporting moments for years.
Mark Readings stood on stage at the start of the afternoon's proceedings and fought back tears before speaking. The service then moved through tributes from McAvaney, Zempilas, Fong and Cook, each offering a different account of Cometti's place in Australian sport and broadcasting.
McAvaney on Cometti
McAvaney used his speech to capture the reaction Cometti drew from colleagues and audiences. "I reckon he is in the make-up chair right now thinking, 'Yeah, the fuss is pretty good'" he said. He also said, "He inspired us. And every time someone's spoken to me about Dennis, they've had that reflective smile."
He added that "It is the measure of what he's given so many Australians over the years, and that enduring gift does elevate him beyond the confines of a heaving football stadium or a television set." McAvaney said, "He has certainly entered our vernacular," and recalled how "Often during a piece of commentary magic from Cometti, he would pivot slightly to the right and look me in the eye, just to give me that look, so that I knew that he knew how damn good that was".
From 6KY to 1996
The memorial also reached back to Cometti's early career, including the moment his mother was upset when he left a secure post office job to become a DJ at 6KY. Speakers linked that decision to the longer arc of a five-decade career that later produced one of his best-known calls: Kieren Perkins winning gold from lane eight in the 1500m final at the 1996 Olympics.
For those who worked alongside him, the service fixed those details in public memory alongside the tributes from his wife, Velia, and his children, Ricki and Mark. The memorial closed with the same message that ran through the speeches: Cometti's voice and manner had become part of the sport's language.
