The Australian sporting community is mourning the loss of 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, 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.