Bruce McAvaney | |
|---|---|
 McAvaney in 2025 | |
| Born | Bruce William McAvaney (1953-06-22)22 June 1953 (age 72) |
| Other names | Mr Olympics, Macca |
| Occupation | Sports broadcaster |
| Years active | 1976−present |
| Employer | Seven Network |
| Known for |
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| Children | 2 |
Bruce William McAvaneyOAM (born 22 June 1953) is an Australian sports broadcaster with theSeven Network. McAvaney has presented high-profile events including theAFL Grand Final,Melbourne Cup,Australian Open,Test cricket and bothWinter andSummer Olympics, as well as annual special events such as theBrownlow Medal. McAvaney is well known for his commentary ofAFL matches as well as covering everySummer Olympic Games from theLos Angeles 1984 Summer Olympic Games to theParis 2024 Summer Olympic Games.[1][2]
The son of anAdelaide accountant, McAvaney developed an early interest in sport and race calling.[3]After attendingWoodville High School[3] (and failing Years 10 and 12)[4] he spent five years as aTelecom clerk.[5] Then in 1976 during a day off from work, McAvaney travelled toKilmore, Victoria, to bet on some races. There, he met Kevin Hillier, an Adelaide race caller, who suggested McAvaney help him out back in Adelaide.[5] This launched his career in the sports media, joining Adelaide radio station5DN, calling horse races and later hosting a sports show.[3][5]
McAvaney moved to television in 1978,[3] when he joined Adelaide stationADS-7 to read sport news and produce the weeklyRacetrack program. His career received a boost when colleagueSandy Roberts covered the1980 Moscow Olympics for Seven,[6] and McAvaney was chosen to host the Adelaide end of the telecast for the station.[7]
From 1981 until 1983, McAvaney was the chief sports presenter forSeven News in Adelaide. He was also the lead commentator for Seven's telecasts of theSouth Australian National Football League competition, calling the1983 SANFL Grand Final with former playerRobert Oatey. He also hosted the league'sMagarey Medal telecasts.[citation needed]
In late 1983, he moved toMelbourne and joinedTen Melbourne to read sport news.[3] The following year he was the secondary host and commentated track and field events at the1984 Los Angeles Olympics for theTen Network.[7]
Between 1985 and 1988, McAvaney also called theMelbourne Cup and hosted various major sporting telecasts for Ten, including the 1986Edinburgh Commonwealth Games,[3] the 1987World Athletics Championships inRome[3] and the 1988IAAF Grand Prix inBerlin. McAvaney went on to co-host Ten's telecast of the1988 Seoul Olympics,[7] a role which won him significant acclaim.[3]
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 the1992 Olympics.[3]
Since his return to Seven, McAvaney has hosted and called a broad range of the network's sports coverage, including theMelbourne Cup, World Athletics Championships,Motor Racing, theAustralian Open Tennis,Australian Masters Golf and allSummer Olympic Games fromBarcelona 1992 to the2020 Summer Olympics. His extensive history covering Olympic Games has led to the nickname "Mr Olympics".[8]
In an interview with theHerald Sun,[when?] McAvaney announced informally that he would no longer commentate Men's games at theAustralian Open so that he could optimise his health over summer and for other sport events. McAvaney had been calling the Australian Open since 1990 and been chief caller alongsideJim Courier since 2005. 2017 was only the second time he had missed the tournament,attributing that later tohis cancer diagnosis.[citation needed]
McAvaney was the MC of theBrownlow Medal for over two decades (though at different time periods), between 1990 and 2018.[citation needed]
Since 2018, McAvaney has hosted Seven's coverage of Test cricket, interviewing some of cricket’s most interesting figures in the lunch breaks of the Melbourne and Sydney Tests.[citation needed]
In February 2021, McAvaney announced that he was retiring from calling AFL games because of a desire to reduce his workload.[9]
In July 2024, theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation announced McAvaney would be joining its Paris Olympics commentary team on ABC Radio stations.[2]
In April 2025,SBS Sport announced McAvaney would lead its coverage of the2025 World Athletics Championships.[10]
When asked between 2018 and 2024 to ponder the greatest and most memorable calls of his career, according to his own estimation, McAvaney has specifically cited—in addition to his various callings of AFL grand finals, specifically highlighting the2016 AFL Grand Final as his favourite Australian rules football call, his last co-commentary duty withDennis Cometti—his calling ofCathy Freeman's gold medal in the400 metres at the2000 Olympics,Winx's thirdCox Plate,Usain Bolt's multiple performances at the2008 Olympics,Carl Lewis's win at the1991 World Championships and1992 Olympics, andMakybe Diva's history-making third-consecutiveMelbourne Cup victory. Ultimately, McAvaney said on multiple occasions over this period that Freeman's 2000 victory was "probably the most important of my life as a caller ... and to be a tiny part of that is an incredible privilege".[11][12]
McAvaney was awarded aMedal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2002 for service to sports broadcasting, and to the community through charitable and sporting organisations.[13] He was also inducted into theSport Australia Hall of Fame in that year.[14]
In 2022, he was inducted into theTV Week Logie Hall of Fame, becoming the second sports broadcaster to be inducted.[15]
In June 2023, McAvaney was inducted into theAustralian Football Hall of Fame. He is the eleventh media personality to be inducted into the code’s Hall of Fame.[16]
In September 2025, McAvaney was awarded a Veteran Pin fromWorld Athletics.[17]
McAvaney's first marriage, to Merry,[4] lasted from 1983 to 1991.[3] He met his second wife Anne Johnson, a television journalist and producer, in 1993 while making the showSeasons.[3] With her, he has two children, Sam (born 1994) and Alexandra (born 1997).[18][13]He moved his family from Melbourne back to his hometown of Adelaide in 1999.[19]
In March 2017, McAvaney revealed he had been diagnosed withchronic lymphocytic leukaemia.[20][21]