Bruce McAvaney
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Bruce William McAvaney OAM (born 22 June 1953 in Ferryden Park, South Australia) is an Australian sports broadcaster with the Seven Network, well-known for his commentary of Australian rules football matches as well as covering every Summer Olympic Games from Moscow 1980 until Beijing 2008. He is noted for his animated enthusiasm and meticulous research.
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[edit] Early years
The son of an Adelaide accountant, McAvaney developed an early interest in sport and race calling.[1] After attending Woodville High School[1] (and failing Year 12)[2] he spent five years as a Telecom clerk.[3] Then in 1976 during a day off work, McAvaney flew to Kilmore, Victoria to bet on some races. There, he met Kevin Hillier, an Adelaide race caller, who suggested McAvaney help him out back in Adelaide.[3] It was therefore through a chance meeting that McAvaney launched his career in the sports media, joining Adelaide radio station 5DN, calling horse races and later hosting a sports show.[1][3]
[edit] Television career
McAvaney made the jump to television in 1978,[1] when he joined Adelaide station ADS-7 to read sport news and produce the weekly Racetrack program. His career received a boost when colleague Sandy Roberts covered the 1980 Moscow Olympics for Seven,[4] and Bruce was chosen to host the Adelaide end of the telecast for the station.[5]
In 1983 he moved to Melbourne and joined Ten Melbourne to read sport news.[1] The following year he was the secondary host and commentated track and field events at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics for the Ten Network.[5]
Between 1985 and 1988, McAvaney also called the Melbourne Cup and hosted various major sporting telecasts for Ten, including the 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games,[1] the 1987 World Athletics Championships in Rome[1] and the 1988 Grand Prix athletics in Berlin. McAvaney went on to co-host Ten's telecast of the 1988 Seoul Olympics,[5] a role which won him significant acclaim.[1]
In 1989, McAvaney negotiated a two-year premature end to his contract with Ten, and returned to the Seven Network on the condition that he could cover the 1992 Olympics.[1] At Seven, McAvaney established Sportsworld as an authoritative and high-rating sports program.
Since his return to Seven, McAvaney has hosted and called a broad range of the network's sports coverage, including the Melbourne Cup, World Athletics Championships, Motor Racing, the Australian Open Tennis, Australian Masters Golf and all Summer Olympic Games from Barcelona 1992 to Beijing 2008. His extensive history covering Olympic Games has led to the nickname "Mr Olympics".[6]
McAvaney also called AFL games for Seven from 1990 until 2001, when Seven was outbid for the broadcast rights. He remained with Seven, anchoring major sporting events and hosting Sportsworld, until 2007 when Seven regained the AFL broadcast rights and he resumed calling matches. He presently commentates all Friday Night games and all 2PM Sunday Games.
It is unclear if he will remain with Seven in light of the fact that the rival Nine Network has secured the broadcast rights for the 2012 London Olympics.
McAvaney co-hosted sunrise in 2007
[edit] Radio career
In early 2005, McAvaney appeared as a host on radio station SEN 1116 on The Insiders. He also returned to Stawell with the station and called a memorable Stawell Gift final which was won by Joshua Ross in 2005. After The Insiders was axed in the station's financial crisis, he quit.
He joined Melbourne radio station 3AW for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games to call athletics and co-host the nightly Sports Today show entitled The Games Today for the 11 days of competition. In this role, he provided an epic commentary of Craig Mottram's silver medal performance in the Men's 5,000m event.
[edit] Memorable moments
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McAvaney has commentated many of Australia's great sporting moments, from calling Ten's coverage of Empire Rose's Melbourne Cup victory, to Cathy Freeman's iconic gold medal win in the 400m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. When Freeman crossed the line, McAvaney said "what a legend, what a champion".
He rates nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis as among the finest athletes he has seen, and five-time gold medalist Michael Johnson gave McAvaney his shoe following his victory in the 400m at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics as a sign of respect.
He was also the lone caller when legendary AFL full-forward Tony Lockett kicked his 1300th career goal to become the all-time greatest goalkicker in the league's history, while playing for the Sydney Swans at the SCG in 1999.
When Gary Moorcroft took the mark of the year for Essendon against the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome in 2001, McAvaney remarked "that will go around the world on CNN" — and it did.
In an interview in 2002, McAvaney said the chance to front the coverage of a FIFA World Cup in which Australia was involved would top of his career as a broadcaster.
When Makybe Diva won the Melbourne Cup for the third time in succession in 2005, McAvaney dubbed it "the greatest victory in the history of the race".
In May 2006, he listed his top three sporting moments of all time as:
- Makybe Diva winning a third Melbourne Cup
- Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis in the 100m final at Seoul Olympics
- 1971 Mohammad Ali v Joe Frasier
In the Summer Olympics of 2004, over come with emotion after the win of Hicham El Guerrouj in the Men's 1500m Athletics Event, he quoted, "But he's coming back the champ, El Guerrouj is coming back...he is a legend. He has gone from the greatest never, to the best of all time."
In Athens 2004 he called swimming and athletics, including Ian Thorpe's wins in the 200m and 400m freestyle.
[edit] Awards
In 1999, McAvaney won the inaugural TV Week Logie for Most Outstanding Sport Broadcaster ahead of cricket commentator Richie Benaud, racing caller John Tapp and SBS soccer host Les Murray.
He was awarded an OAM by The Queen in June 2002 for service to sports broadcasting, and to the community through charitable and sporting organisations.[7]
[edit] Personal life
McAvaney's first marriage, to Merry,[2] lasted from 1983 to 1991.[1] He met his second wife Anne Johnson, a television journalist and producer, in 1993 while making the show Seasons.[1] With her, he had two children, Sam and Alexandra.[7] He moved his family from Melbourne back to his home town of Adelaide in 1999.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Aisbett, Norman (1998-02-07). "Run, Bruce, Run". The West Australian: p. 1.
- ^ a b Hunt, Nigel (2006-05-21). "Bruce McAvaney: Hedging his bets". Sunday Mail (News Limited): p. 46.
- ^ a b c Le Grand, Chip (2000-08-17). "Patriot Games". The Australian.
- ^ McAvaney, Bruce (1993-09-19). "Calling the games". Sun Herald: p. 27.
- ^ a b c Maguire, Tory (2008-08-11). "Spruce Bruce brings the Olympics to life". The Daily Telegraph (News Limited): p. 24.
- ^ Browne, Rachel (1999-08-01). "Bruce's Babes". Sun-Herald: p. 9.
- ^ a b Jameson, Neil (2008-07-26). "The call guy". Newcastle Herald: p. 12.
- ^ Vickery, Colin (2008-08-06). "The ultimate in 'special'". Herald Sun (News Limited): p. 8.
[edit] External links
- Bruce McAvaney - Seven Profile - retrieved 1/1/07
