History of Dennis Cometti in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: March 24, 2026

Dennis Cometti was a highly regarded Australian sports commentator, known for his distinctive voice, dry humor, and quick wit. He also had a history as an Australian rules football player and coach. He covered the entire duration of the AFL national competition across three networks: Seven, Nine, and Broadcom. His 51-year career made him a memorable figure in Australian sports broadcasting. Cometti was recognised for his contributions with an appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2019.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

March 1949: Cometti was born

In March 1949, Dennis Cometti was born in Geraldton, Western Australia, to parents Dulcie (née Scarlett) and James Cometti.

March 1949: Dennis Cometti's Birth

In March 1949, Dennis John Cometti was born. He would later become a renowned Australian sports commentator and former Australian rules football player and coach.

1968: Started Media Career

In 1968, Dennis Cometti began his media career as a radio announcer in Perth at radio station 6KY, working as a Top-40 disc jockey.

1968: Best Year in WAFL

In 1968, Dennis Cometti had his best year in the West Australian Football League (WAFL), kicking 63 goals for West Perth under Graham Farmer.

1971: Made Senior List at Footscray

In 1971, Cometti made the senior list at Footscray in the Victorian Football League (VFL), but injuries and media commitments prevented him from playing a senior match.

1971: First Football Match Commentary

In 1971, Dennis Cometti commentated his first football match, a state game between Western Australia and Victoria at Subiaco Oval, alongside Ian Major for Melbourne station 3KZ.

1972: Joined the ABC

In 1972, Dennis Cometti joined the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) and focused primarily on sports broadcasting.

1973: First Test Cricket Game Broadcast

In 1973, Dennis Cometti broadcast his first Test cricket game for the ABC, becoming the youngest commentator in ABC history at age 23. He commentated alongside Alan McGilvray for the next 13 years.

1974: Premiership Win

In 1974, Dennis Cometti, as captain-coach of Maddington, led the club to win a premiership in the Sunday Football League.

1975: Second Premiership Win

In 1975, Dennis Cometti led Maddington to another premiership win in the Sunday Football League as captain-coach.

1976: Third Premiership Win

In 1976, Dennis Cometti captain-coached Maddington to their third successive premiership win in the Sunday Football League.

1979: Premiership Win as Coach

In 1979, after retiring as a player, Dennis Cometti coached Osborne Park and Kelmscott, winning a premiership.

1982: Appointed Coach of West Perth

In 1982, Dennis Cometti was appointed as the coach of West Perth.

1983: West Perth Finished Sixth

In 1983, Dennis Cometti coached West Perth, and the team finished sixth in the league.

1984: West Perth Finished Sixth Again

In 1984, Dennis Cometti continued as coach of West Perth, with the team again finishing sixth.

1986: Move to Seven Network and Broadcom

In 1986, Dennis Cometti moved to the Seven Network, coinciding with the formation of the West Coast Eagles in the VFL. He broadcast the first season of the expanded VFL competition on independent broadcaster Broadcom due to a television broadcast rights battle.

1988: Became High-Profile Commentator

In 1988, when Seven regained the VFL television rights, Dennis Cometti became the highest-profile commentator of VFL/AFL matches and presented the evening news sports segment in Western Australia.

1992: Commentated at Barcelona Olympics

In 1992, Dennis Cometti commentated at the Summer Olympics swimming competitions in Barcelona.

1996: Commentated at Atlanta Olympics

In 1996, Dennis Cometti commentated at the Summer Olympics swimming competitions in Atlanta.

1997: Back to the Place, Back to the Time Released

In 1997, "Back to the Place, Back to the Time" was released.

1997: Toured South Africa with Drew Morphett

In 1997, Dennis Cometti toured South Africa with Drew Morphett, covering the three-Test series on the Seven Network.

2000: Commentated at Sydney Olympics

In 2000, Dennis Cometti commentated at the Summer Olympics swimming competitions in Sydney. By this time, he had broadcast more Australian Olympic gold medals than any other commentator of the television era.

2001: Departure from Seven News

In 2001, Dennis Cometti stayed with Seven Network until they lost the rights to broadcast AFL matches, marking his departure as the main sports presenter for Seven News in Perth. He was then succeeded by Basil Zempilas.

2002: Switched to the Nine Network

In 2002, Dennis Cometti switched to the Nine Network, initially to call Sunday games. He replaced Tim Lane for Friday night matches, and became the channel's leading Australian rules football caller, working alongside Eddie McGuire, Dermott Brereton, and Garry Lyon.

2003: Returned to Cricket Commentary

In 2003, Dennis Cometti occasionally returned to cricket commentary on the Nine Network, calling domestic ING Cup one-day matches and an Australia A game.

2004: Voice-over for AFL Video Game Series

From 2004 to 2017, Dennis Cometti was the voice-over commentator for the AFL video game series.

2004: Centimetre Perfect: The Classic Commentary Released

In 2004, "Centimetre Perfect: The Classic Commentary" was released.

2007: That's Ambitious: More Classic Commentary Released

In 2007, "That's Ambitious: More Classic Commentary" was released.

2007: Signed with Seven Network

In 2007, with the Seven Network regaining the rights to broadcast AFL games, Dennis Cometti signed with Seven to call games alongside Bruce McAvaney on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons. Their pairing became legendary.

2008: Lead AFL Caller on 3AW

From 2008 to 2011, Dennis Cometti was the lead AFL caller on Saturday afternoons for 3AW, initially alongside Rex Hunt.

2009: Wrote for The West Australian

In 2009, Dennis Cometti wrote a fortnightly column and weekly blogs for The West Australian newspaper.

2011: Lead AFL Caller on 3AW

From 2008 to 2011, Dennis Cometti was the lead AFL caller on Saturday afternoons for 3AW, later alongside Brian Taylor.

2011: Removed From 3AW Lineup

In 2011, when Dennis Cometti revealed that he would be joining Triple M in 2012, he was immediately removed from 3AW's lineup to call the 2011 AFL finals series and was replaced by Dwayne Russell.

2012: Weekly Segment on Seven News

From 2012 to 2016, Dennis Cometti had a weekly segment with Basil Zempilas on Seven News in Perth during the AFL season, focusing on Perth-based games broadcast by Seven.

2012: Appeared in Carlton Draught Commercial

In 2012, Dennis Cometti appeared in a television commercial series for Carlton Draught's draught pick iPhone app.

2012: Voted Top AFL Radio Caller

In 2012, Dennis Cometti called Saturday afternoon games for Triple M with James Brayshaw, Danny Frawley, and Garry Lyon and was voted the nation's top AFL radio caller in a national News Ltd newspaper poll.

2012: "The Game" edited

In 2012, Dennis Cometti edited "The Game".

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2012: Joined Triple M

In 2012, Dennis Cometti revealed that he would be joining Triple M.

2012: Kick it to the Shithouse Foreword

In 2012, Dennis Cometti wrote the foreword to "Kick it to the Shithouse".

October 2013: Number One Ticket Holder of Perth Wildcats

In October 2013, Dennis Cometti became the number one ticket holder of the Perth Wildcats professional basketball club.

August 2014: Announced Retirement

In August 2014, Dennis Cometti announced that he would retire as an AFL television commentator at the end of the 2016 season.

2016: Weekly Segment on Seven News

From 2012 to 2016, Dennis Cometti had a weekly segment with Basil Zempilas on Seven News in Perth during the AFL season, focusing on Perth-based games broadcast by Seven.

2016: Retired from AFL Television Commentary

In 2016, Dennis Cometti retired as an AFL television commentator. His career was commemorated during Seven's coverage of the 2016 AFL Grand Final, his last AFL match on television.

2017: Voice-over for AFL Video Game Series

From 2004 to 2017, Dennis Cometti was the voice-over commentator for the AFL video game series.

2019: Appointment as Member of the Order of Australia

In 2019, Dennis Cometti was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Australia Day Honours.

2021: Retired from Broadcasting and Inducted into Hall of Fame

In 2021, Dennis Cometti announced his retirement from broadcasting after the Perth-staged 2021 AFL Grand Final and was inducted into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame.

September 2024: End of Number One Ticket Holder Position

In September 2024, Dennis Cometti's tenure as the number one ticket holder of the Perth Wildcats professional basketball club ended.

March 2026: Death of Dennis Cometti

In March 2026, Dennis Cometti passed away in Perth, Western Australia, at the age of 76 after a prolonged illness. It was later revealed he had Alzheimer's disease and a severe form of dementia.