'Truly precious': Bruce McAvaney pays tribute to Dennis Cometti, who died aged 76 on Wednesday

Retired AFL commentator Dennis Cometti has died aged 76, after battling illness.

One of the game's most beloved callers, Cometti served as the voice of the game for multiple decades.

He retired from commentary duties in 2021, signing off after the Melbourne versus Western Bulldogs grand final in Perth.

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Born in Western Australia, Cometti played 40 games for West Perth in the West Australian Football League (WAFL), later coaching the team.

He got his first break as a commentator in 1971, calling a representative game between Western Australia and Victoria in Perth for Melbourne radio station 3KZ.

Cometti would become one of the iconic voices of Aussie Rules, working initially for the ABC across the 1970s and 1980s, before moving between Seven and Nine, depending on who had the broadcast rights, from 1986 all the way through 2021.

His partnership with Bruce McAvaney will be remembered as one of the sport's greatest pairings.

Cometti's charm and wit shone through in his many famous one-liners, which became synonymous with his commentary and the code itself.

"Centimetre perfect", became the most iconic of the lot, indicating a goal was kicked perfectly between the two posts. "That's ambitious", if someone bit off more than they could chew.

When Collingwood defender Heath Shaw smothered St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt, who was running into an open goal, during the 2010 grand final, Cometti's "he came up behind him like a librarian" became one of his great calls.

When Bulldogs star Tony Liberatore got cleaned up in a pack, Dennis quipped "(he) went into that last pack optimistically, and came out misty optically".

Tributes have flown in from all corners of the footy landscape, with McAvaney saying he has "lost something truly precious".

"I feel like I've lost something truly precious. We shared an extraordinary journey," the legendary commentator shared via 7AFL social accounts.

"We were a similar age and at similar stages of our lives, and we both understood the pressure that came with the role – the effort it demanded and the vulnerability that came with trying to live up to expectations. We leaned on each other through that. We always had each other's backs.

"While Dennis and I started our careers as colleagues, we ended as friends and I am so grateful for that."

Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton, who worked alongside Cometti for many years, saying the 76-year-old had been battling ill health for a while.

"It's a shock ... Dennis hasn't been in great health in recent times, but when it actually happens, it's still a shock. I'm still reeling from the news," Brereton told SEN.

"There's several things that go into making a great caller, and Dennis is at the top of the tree. One, the voice, two the understanding of the game, three timing, four the wit and Dennis would often say the best ad-libbed lines were well rehearsed and Dennis did live by that, but his wit was overriding that as well.

"He would have pages and pages of information about the most obscure mention of something. It might be a player's dog giving birth to eight puppies yesterday.

"If he was lining up for goal and there was a pause of time, he'd throw in that little bit of knowledge. If it didn't get used, he wouldn't use it the next week. He'd find something else. He was such an exhaustive preparer.

"But on top of that, the wit. I remember once we were calling a Richmond game and Darren Gasper had gone from Sydney to Richmond and it was a close game and it was one of those moments were a point was going to make it a two-score game, and Gasper had a shot at goal. There was no looking down at the notes, but Gasper had the shot at goal and it hit the post ... and Dennis went "Gasper, the friendly post!"

"And I just went 'what?' To put those aspects together. The name, Gasper, the friendly ghost, and the need of that point at that time, that's the wit he had. He was just brilliant. If you gave him time to prepare, he gave you brilliance; and if you put him on the spot, he delivered with brilliance as well. Just the nicest man as well."

Sydney great Jude Bolton posted: "Such sad news. What an iconic caller, dedicated to his craft and to taking the audience along for the ride. Not only was Dennis an old school gentleman, he was funny as hell & just truly a wonderful man. Rest in Peace, Den."

Speaking on 3AW, veteran broadcaster Hamish McLachlan said Commeti was a "giant of broadcasting".

"I think if you were to say who were the two greatest multi-sports broadcasters in the history of Australian sport, it would be Dennis and Bruce and they danced incredibly well together," McLachlan said.

AFL chief Andrew Dillon released a statement, mourning his passing.

"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," Dillon said.

Scroll below to see some of the tributes from the AFL community that have followed news of Cometti's passing: