Veteran sports broadcaster Drew Morphett, known for his long career calling AFL, cricket and four Olympic Games, has died suddenly overnight at his Melbourne home aged 69.

Morphett started his career at the ABC in his hometown of Sydney in 1966.

He went on to work for the ABC for more than 30 years and also had long stints at Channel Seven.

Morphett became well known, particularly to Melbourne audiences, as a football commentator for radio and TV.

Former Carlton captain and fellow ABC commentator Mark McClure told the ABC's Coodabeen Champions Morphett died doing what he loved.

"He died in a way, in a space, watching the footy with a glass of red in his hand. What other way would you want him to go?" McClure said.

"He made a craft out of it [sports calling], he was superb."

Drew Morphett in the commentary box at the Gabba with Grandstand statistician Ric Finlay.

ABC Grandstand's Gerard Whateley said the commentary box was under a "deep pall of sadness".

"For 50 years Drew Morphett sat in these seats and many like them with headphones on, sharing with all of us the theatre and passion of sport," he said.

"Such a distinctive voice lost to us, but not soon forgotten."

Loading

Cricket commentator Jim Maxwell met Morphett at the ABC in the early 1970s and said his passion for sport and life allowed him to connect with the audience and with those he met on the job.

"Whether he was at the racetrack, following the ponies, interviewing the trainers and jockeys, or the old VFL, going back before it became the national competition — wherever Drew was, he drew people to him," he said.

After working in Sydney, Morphett then moved to Perth to work in the ABC's sports department, and later to Melbourne where he joined a documentary program called Sportsnight.

In 1977 he returned to sports calling and started a 28-year-run broadcasting VFL/AFL football.

For 10 years he produced and hosted a national replay program called The Winners.

Over an eight-year period he commentated every Test cricket match played in Australia when the ABC shared the rights with Channel Nine.

In 1988 he joined the Seven Network when it won back the rights to AFL.

In his 13 years there, he was also the caller on three series of International Rules between Australia and Ireland.

He has also commentated golf, basketball and many other sports, as well as four Olympic Games where his main sports were cycling and diving.

Drew Morphett with former Australian cricketers Dennis Lillee and Terry Alderman in 2009. ( Clint Wheeldon: ABC Grandstand )

Morphett tweeted a photo of himself last week sitting on a plane next to Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith, and he reportedly had plans to take a holiday soon with his wife Karen.

Sandy Roberts, who worked with Morphett at Channel Seven, said the news of his death came as a shock.

"It's very different when you lose someone that's been ill for a considerable period of time but when someone like little Peter Pan, aka Drew, passes on, it does leave you in a state of shock," he said.

"He was always a very happy person, there were never any long faces with Drew."

Loading...

Loading

Loading

Loading

Loading

Loading