Dennis Cometti: Centimetre Perfect - Bruce McAvaney | Broadcasting Legend (23.09.26)
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Why is the Dennis Cometti documentary ‘Centimetre Perfect’ a must‑watch for Grand Final week?
He's nervous that bad. I tried it once, it didn't work, Patrick was tough. What did you do to commentate it? coming together, putting their egos aside and creating this amazing combination. Well it's like Lennon and McCartney, Kennedy and Macavani, it's got a ring to it, hasn't it?
One of the treats of Grand Final Week is Channel 7 screening of a tribute to Dennis Kometti, Centimetre Perfect. And there is no one better to set us up here than his long-term calling partner and broadcasting legend, Bruce McAveny. Bruce, welcome back to the program. Uh good to chat to you, Jordan. It's a special week, isn't it? It is, it is. What's in store for us with Centimetre Perfect?
Well, um I think you're gonna love it. Um i it in so many ways it's a tribute to broadcasting, Jared.
How did Bruce McAvaney become involved in the making of ‘Centimetre Perfect’?
Um it's about how one man went about it in a way found a way to, I guess, deliver his voice, um, and then entertain us for, you know, many decades and and leave a legacy. Uh it's about ambition, curiosity, it's about, you know, skill, ability and talent and uh and look he he he was a one off. So, um Very emotional, uh, in in parts. I mean it r it really is and I'm I'm obviously Yeah, closely connected. Um, but I think it's a wonderful, wonderful um tribute to a man that's gonna be remembered forever.
Have you seen the finished product or will you wait till it goes to a
I've seen I guess the not so rough cut. So I saw it a week ago with my wife Annie. And look it uh we were transfixed. I I you know, I had a fair idea of a lot of it. We were Yeah. sort of involved in in in bits and pieces but and obviously I was interviewed for it.
What new behind‑the‑scenes footage did Bruce discover while reviewing the film?
But it was come together incredibly well. It was a small group judged it was a tight budget. Channel seven took it on their own and uh you know it was a a move that was made before Dennis passed away. He he knew that it was coming. His his family obviously were, you know, supportive. So it's it was a project that didn't take a whole lot of time to get together. It was always going to be played in this week because we felt this was the right week for it to be screened. Uh and uh yeah, I've I'm very proud. Um you know there's a very small group, Josh Kay who, you know, we're Cassia producer, Josh and and Jarvis along with Chris Jones and and Gary O'Keefe have already driven it so it's been great.
So much of it is a shared heritage between the two of you. So inevitably d did it stir some memories?
It did, Jared. It really did. About relationships and humanity and and and about the craft and about ambition and about the way we go about it and and teamwork and and and I guess
Which moments from the 2016 AFL Grand Final sparked Dennis’s most memorable calls?
knowing your place in some ways in terms of, you know, th through a call, but there was a lot of footage I hadn't seen before and didn't really realise about that connection between the two of us when we were on air. And that sort of m moved me and and, you know, made me feel pretty emotional. Um I've said it before, Judah, we look and this is the ultimate compliment and I'm I know Dennis would say the same thing. We started as colleagues and finished as friends. And you know, i it it's a it's a lovely thing for me to think about. So there was a lot of stuff that was revealing, um, and I realised that One of the things, Julie, that I realised about our relationship over the years and and it it it changed
I I realise my ambition was more than matched by his. You know, I I'm driven. I I know that I'm obs obsessive. I I want to try and improve all the time. And it took me a while to realise that I was working with somebody who had exactly the same, I guess, ambition. uh determination. a and anxiety uh uh about the performance and and you know, insecurity.
How did Dennis’s ambition and style influence Bruce’s own broadcasting approach?
And yet at times, you know, could walk on water, so to speak. So I think I saw a lot of myself in Dennis, but it took me a long time to do that. And this sentiment of perfect certainly brings home A lot of truths for me. So it does feel personal. It's Dennis's story though. And it's your story too. It's it's you know Anthony Hudson's story, it's Hamish the story, it's uh anyone and you know Brian Taylor's anyone that wants to be a great caller and is a great caller, Tim Lane, etcetera.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
Why is the Dennis Cometti documentary ‘Centimetre Perfect’ a must‑watch for Grand Final week?
0:00–0:50
2
How did Bruce McAvaney become involved in the making of ‘Centimetre Perfect’?
0:50–1:41
3
What new behind‑the‑scenes footage did Bruce discover while reviewing the film?
1:41–2:36
4
Which moments from the 2016 AFL Grand Final sparked Dennis’s most memorable calls?
2:36–3:39
5
How did Dennis’s ambition and style influence Bruce’s own broadcasting approach?
3:39–4:19
6
What does Bruce say about the unique craft and emotional impact of Dennis’s commentary?
4:19–5:33
7
Why does Bruce consider the documentary a perfect addition to Grand Final week celebrations?
5:33–6:04
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Whateley
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