RIP Drew Morphett

[scatman john]

Commentated in what most of us here agree was the greatest era of footy.
I'm sure his friends and family are proud of what he gave to our game.
RIP

 

[Page8383]

Yeah shocked and sad to hear this.
Was a key guy in what I reckon was a golden era of AFL broadcasting in the 90s when I was growing up.
Definitely left his mark as can be seen by the plaudits coming through
RIP


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[00Stinger]

Shocked. Drew Morphett. A true legend of broadcasting and a very sad day

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Deep]

Don't believe I ever had the privilege of getting to hear Drew Morphett commentate being 20 but clearly the guy was well loved and respected. 69 gone too soon. RIP Drew.

 

[Marc_Remillard]

That's really sad, 69 is way too young but when the candle burns brightly it often doesn't burn long

 

[krisholio14]

Was just reading something he'd written a couple of days ago and thinking he's still good enough to be in the media somewhere. A true legend of the commentary box, they don't make em like Drew any more

 

[Neese]

So sad, I enjoyed listening to him. A true professional

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

I remember wandering at Rod Laver after an NBL game in the 1990s, seeing Drew a few rows back and recognising him as the guy who did the AFL on TV. I went up and asked him for an autograph. He seemed a bit bemused, but said "Sure thing, young fella" or something similar and he couldn't have been nicer. That's the memory that stuck with me of him over the years. He just seemed like a true lover of sport and a thorough gentleman.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

The call of the Harry Madden goal in 93 was awesome.

 

[TheSunGod]

Sad loss. Will always fondly remember and associate Drew's voice with the greatest footy show ever "The Winners ".

 

[Leon]

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?

Correct!

Simple, but effective commentary.

 

[KickLongTackleHard]

Very sad, an iconic voice and great caller. RIP.

 

[Kramer1]

As others have commented,a voice of my footballing youth. Really appreciate callers like Drew, Sandy and Peter Landy when you think of the ill informed hyperbolic dolts forced on us now.

RIP Drew.

 

[stax on the mull]

Very listenable, clear voice. Someone who had the natural gift but also had trained up his skills - a rarity these days.

Very popular bloke. He was over at the WACA one year doing a test match and as he walked around the ground the crowd around him in unison started humming the theme music to "The Winners" to accompany his journeys to and from the commentary box.

 

[mouzer]

just heard the sad news, Drew Morphett was the first footy commentator I remember as a young boy trying to stay up late on a Saturday night to watch the winners on Channel 2. He and Clinton Grybas were my favourite footy callers. Both gone far too soon. RIP

 

[HBF]

RIP Drew.
Grew up listening to him calling footy back in the 80's.
A very very good commentator.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Him, Sandy Roberts, Dennis Cometti, Bruce McAvaney and Ian Robertson were the calling voices of my footy watching childhood.

Modern callers need a good hard look at themselves.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

One of my favourite callers. Always called a game with genuine enthusiasm, his love for footy shined through.

This. His enthusiasm brought you into the game. There was something about him that was humanising - whether it was a sly sense of humour or the real love he had for sport I'm not sure. But he was able to feel like a person of the people but still be a total pro which is an incredibly hard balancing act. He was very good at what he did and 69 is too young to die. Still sort of poetic that he died watching the footy - something he loved.

 

[Cookie]

Condolences to his family.

Back in 85, we played Rnd 1 at Princes Park against Carlton. Drew gave us a bit of a serve the night before on some preview show and tipped against us, of course.
We used to stand in front of the broadcast box on the northern wing. The box was open so you could hear the TV and radio guys calling the game. Anyway, we gave Carlton a touch up (the start of a great season for us) and shortly after the final siren, I turned around to the box and gave Drew the bird. He knew what it was about and he calmly shrugged his shoulders at me and we then both had a laugh.
He was a great sports caller and his family can be proud of him and his career.
RIP

 

[SterlingArcher]

One of the last few 'professional' commentators. RIP. Condolences.

 

[Mootsy]

An actual caller of the game with a very distinctive voice..

Didn't know he was unwell, Very sad.

 

[Macca81]

this is really sad

As a kid i remember Drew Morphett commentating VFL/AFL games along with great voices like Sandy Roberts and Ian Robertson. They called the game without all of the forced banter crap we put up with today.

My dads older than Drew... really shocking that weve lost such a well renowned sports commentator.

R.I.P

 

[Mootsy]

Yeah shocked and sad to hear this.
Was a key guy in what I reckon was a golden era of AFL broadcasting in the 90s when I was growing up.
Definitely left his mark as can be seen by the plaudits coming through
RIP


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

Absolutely the golden age of calling and not just AFL, but basketball and motor racing..

It was once a true craft.

It still is, it's just that a lot of current callers are spread across many stations.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Terrific broadcaster from a golden era from the ABC. You listen to the games from the Winners and realise how little words they used. Didn't need to say "picks it up and kicks it". Heyward, Booth, Leek, early Smoky Dawson, Lane.... they were all like that.

 

[Plugger35]

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.

Yeah I always assumed Drew was a Victorian when he hosted The Winners as he seemed to have a natural knowledge and love of VFL footy that you wouldn't normally associate with someone from Sydney.

That may have been one of the things that made him such a great footy commentator as he didn't have any particular bias to any team, he may have supported a team but you could never tell from any of his calls. He was one of those commentators who just barracked for the game rather than a team which is one of my main gripes with commentators today as they let their bias show in their commentary and openly barrack for teams, ex-players like Darcy and Ling are the worst offenders but even Bruce has been guilty of doing it in recent years.

As others have said the footy commentators around today could learn a lot from Drew Morphett and the way he called games, a true professional.

Was just reading something he'd written a couple of days ago and thinking he's still good enough to be in the media somewhere. A true legend of the commentary box, they don't make em like Drew any more

He was commentating AFL games on radio as recently as last weekend and unlike many commentators of his age he was still calling as well as ever.

I was actually surprised to hear he was 69 as he sounded no different to when he was in his prime back in the 80s and 90s, that's one of the reasons this news has shocked so many people as he seemed to be one of those evergreen types that showed no real signs of aging.