RIP Drew Morphett

[Roysforever]

By my count his sad passing marks the fourth great Australian sports broadcaster to leave us this year. The others being Lou Richards, Les Murray and Harry Beitzel.

 

[84859300]

Sad to hear about Drew.

Great commentator and a decent, funny bloke. If you can get your hands on the passed Channel 7 Christmas tapes, you'll see some classic Drew.

Will be missed for his knowledge and experience.

R.I.P.

 

[Plugger35]

Sad news, one of the great old school commentators that had a great feel for footy and sport in general with a distinctive yet easy to listen to voice.

Anyone that grew up in the 80s like I did will remember him for hosting The Winners which wouldn't have been as good without him.

 

[Red Crow]

Very sad news to hear. He was an integral part of the soundtrack to my football upbringing during the 90s. One of the genuinely great callers of which the broadcasters no longer seem to value.

This short piece is one of my favourite Drew Morphett moments.

 

[outabounds]

Sad to hear, Drew was a pro -thats for sure. Its hard to hear that people of his era are passing- its too young.

 

[Ando727]

Damn, a sad loss. I remember him as a kid on "The Winners" - a VFL wrap up show on Sunday night. I used to sneak into the lounge and turn the TV on as quiet as possible after everybody had gone to bed so I could watch Drew talk about football. Sometimes I got sprung and got in terrible trouble, but I kept risking it because I loved that show and Drew. He was a great commentator on any station he was on. One of the all time greats. RIP Drew.

 

[go you pups]

Gone way too early

One of the greatest callers we ever had, didn't matter what sport it was either, he did it with distinction

An absolute role model that the new age boys club should look up to and emulate

#RIPDrew

 

[SSrixon]

Classic Drew. Terry Wheeler on the other hand...

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Very sad.

Another grand old commentator who made it about the game, not himself.

 

[raymond35]

The fact that he knew nothing about the game when he started on the wafl makes his career all the more impressive.
Was great on the abc in the 70s and80s and all class on ch7 in the 90s.
Well played Drew.

 

[pjcrows]

"SIREN! THE CROWS ARE IN THE GRAND FINAL!"

His Channel 7 call of the '97 Prelim still gives me goosebumps.

RIP Drew.

 

[benji2]

Shocked. The Winners was just about my only exposure to VFL football in the early 80s growing up in SA. He was always the professional and called the game at it should be called. RIP Drew.

On LG-K500 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[GreekLunatic]

I still remember drews call of daicos goal of the year when he said 3 kicks 3 goals

 

[cairo tiger]

SAd - the honest ones are gone now- a large piece of all of us have gone

 

[BF Tiger]

Did what he what he was meant to do - call the footy. RIP.

 

[pablo668]

Vale Drew Morphett.

Shame we don't have more decent commentators these days.

 

[Hawkie_McHawkHawk]

Really sad to hear. Voice of the 90s for me through my childhood. Was always hoping he'd get another gig commentating on tv. So much better than the hyperbolic rubbish commentary of today

 

[tugga]

Drew was a fantastic cricket commentator too. His partnership with Kerry O'Keefe was genuinely entertaining. He knew just to let Kerry go and sat back and chimed in when necessary and provided the cool head, but also didn't stifle Kerry's style and kept his own style of being the fun loving, but sane, member of the partnership. Also a wonderful ball by ball commentator.

 

[Port_Punter85]

The voice of my youth. Love listening to his commentary and the "around the grounds" score updates when you had to listen to the game on the radio if 7 seven wasn't playing your game at 12pm Saturday!

How times have changed. I digress, true legend of the game and will be sadly missed.

RIP

 

[Gibbsy]

Memorable commentary of Drew's that I remember:


"Three kicks...three goals!!"


"In the vicinity...magnificent!!"

Awesome caller.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the first one is Peter Daicos from the boundary line against Richmond, and the second one is Carey's banana getting pushed as he kicked, late 90s at the G?

 

[largebus]

The '99 Carlton-Essendon Prelim was one of my first memories of AFL. Him and Sandy were the best pairing.
RIP

 

[Bazza37]

Sad to hear of Drew Morphett passing. RIP Buddy



On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Catsace]

Gee what a rotten piece of news to wake up just now to. As a 49 y/o, the Winners and the ABC's footy coverage was just as anticipated for me to watch (and listen to) as Channel 7 back in the late 70's and into the 80's, and Drew's voice was an absolute constant in my footy watching life.

He was 69, but he always sounded so youthful and with an excitement and passion in his calling that few could match. I remember his call of the '94 PF and late in the game, when Barnes marked and handballed to a player who didn't even see the handball...he said to a question from another commentator asking why he had played on 'That's the way they play, Geelong....look at them go!'

Probably a sign of getting older, but so many voices of my footy youth have passed away, some quite old like Harry Beitzel, Bill Jacobs, Doug Heywood and the Three Wise Monkeys', but others as much younger men like Ted Whitten and now Drew Morphett...and of course almost 10 years to Clinton Grybas too.

We hear them almost daily in their prime, and it's that familiarity of hearing their voices on radio and TV calling our clubs for many years that makes losing one seem like losing a family member. Obviously death comes to us all, but it's always sad when it's a person whose voice was a huge part of one's footy life when you were a kid.

Vale Drew Morphett.

 

[Gibbsy]

Really sad to hear. Voice of the 90s for me through my childhood. Was always hoping he'd get another gig commentating on tv. So much better than the hyperbolic rubbish commentary of today

Same! I always thought if Sandy could have a 15-year absence then come back to TV, then so could Drew. I was really holding out for it. Such a shame.

 

[The_Ruffneck]

After Commetti he was my next favourite.
RIP.