Dennis Cometti has been remembered as the “Shakespeare of Australian rules commentary” at a state memorial service held at Optus Stadium on Monday.

More than 1000 dignitaries including the Premier Roger Cook, WA Governor Chris Dawson and AFL luminaries Eddie McGuire, Tom Harley, Matthew Pavlich and Ross Glendinning attended the service at the Riverview Room along with Cometti’s wife Velia, and their two children, daughter Ricki and son Mark.

The service, which was also broadcast live on Channel 7, struck a respectful balance of solemnity, reverence, humour and celebration of a West Australian icon.

Bruce McAvaney, his Channel 7 on-air partner for more than 450 AFL games, told the gathering Cometti was blessed with the “perfect cocktail”.

“A player, a coach and that golden voice, that curiosity, a sense of fun, ego and generosity,” McAvaney said of Cometti, who died in March, aged 76.

The Premier described Cometti’s famous work ethic, unrivalled wit and prodigious memory.

“But it was his warmth - that trademark gentleness – that resonated with everyone he encountered and that core trait flowed through to his commentary style as well, that gentle cheekiness, the sixth sense for the perfect one liner and the way that he rarely reached a shouting volume in the commentary box,” Cook said.

“His timing, judgement and execution were so sound that they simply commanded attention on their own.

“He produced phrases that became common vernacular – the Shakespeare of Australian Rules Football commentary.”

State Opposition Leader and former Channel 7 colleague Basil Zempilas said Cometti “made you laugh, he made you smile, he made you feel good” while recalling his commentary “genius”.

“Of course his lines, the cork in the ocean, centimetre perfect, he went in optimistically and came out misty optically, Gaspar and the unfriendly post or my favourite which didn’t get the same airplay but I thought showed the true genius of Cometti, during multi-cultural round,” Zempilas said.

“The 50 was painted with Chinese characters and as the player ran in to kick from right where that writing was painted on the ground, with magnificent timing Dennis went with ‘Careful, don’t slip on the mandarin’.”

Cometti famously called Kieren Perkins’ memorable win from Lane 8 in the 1500m freestyle final at the 1996 Atlanta Games among three Olympics, as well as cricket, basketball and WAFL in a long and distinguished career.

Zempilas recalled how he once asked Cometti whether he had ever spoken to Perkins about his famous Atlanta call.

“He replied, ‘I looked him in the eye, shook his hand and said Kieren, I couldn’t have done it with out you’,” Zempilas said.

Though better known for his work in football, Cometti also called cricket with the great Alan McGilvray on the ABC for 13 years, covering his first Test in 1973 at 23, the youngest in the public broadcaster’s history.

Born in Geraldton on March 26, 1949, as the only child of parents Jim and Dulcie, Cometti shared a close bond with his father that was tragically cut short when he was 18 and his dad died unexpectedly.

Cometti, a teen football sensation, was busy training with West Perth at the time, having kicked 63 goals the previous season playing alongside legendary captain-coach Graham “Polly” Farmer.

Cometti played 38 games and kicked 70 goals for West Perth over four seasons and briefly spent time on Footscray’s VFL list, stuck behind one of the Bulldogs’ greatest, Brownlow medallist Gary Dempsey.

He became West Perth coach in 1982 when the team won 15 home-and-away games, finished third on the ladder, and claimed a memorable first semi-final victory over East Perth with a record score before losing to Claremont in the preliminary final.

West Perth and State football great Les Fong recalled Cometti’s first year as West Perth coach, when he was his captain.

“From day one, we formed a strong relationship that continued long after his coaching years had ended,” Fong recalled.

“What stood out most about Dennis as a coach was his understanding of the game and, more importantly, of people.

“He was humble, genuine, and never one to speak ill of others. He was loyal to West Perth, proud of the club he loved the red and the blue, and above all, he was simply a champion bloke — on and off the field.

“And of course, Dennis had style. He introduced a fashion statement no coach before or since has quite matched — the famous vest.

“Among the playing group, there was always curiosity about what the coach would be wearing that day. He was a sharp dresser and carried himself with great class.

“Then there was that voice. Smooth, unmistakable, and iconic. His pre-match addresses always had that trademark calm authority — although, I must say, when we weren’t playing well, the tone could certainly change, as any good coach’s should.”

Cometti finished his TV calling career in the 2016 grand final, alongside McAvaney, when he fittingly provided the voice for the his old team, the Western Bulldogs in their 62-year drought-breaking premiership.

He left Seven viewers with one last moment of broadcasting brilliance, when Bulldogs forward Tom Boyd’s long bomb landed in the goal square: “How will it bounce? The stadium holds its breath. It’s a goal. And the western suburbs erupt.”

MC Mark Readings described Cometti as “intelligent, curious, and incredibly well-informed”.

“His memory for facts, stats and numbers was elite,” Readings said. “Beyond the humour, knowledge and wit was a family man who was incredibly proud of his children and loved his wife deeply.”

Readings also recalled Cometti’s deep love and knowledge of music.

“The sound of the 1960’s/70’s – Motown, The Four Tops, Boz Scaggs, Frankie Valli to name a few,” Readings said.

“Dennis often recalled how disappointed his mother was when he left his secure job at the Post Office to work as a DJ at radio station 6KY — a bold move that would shape not only the course of his career but also his private life. It was at 6KY that he met the love of his life, Velia, who was working in the record library at the station.

“Dennis proposed after only a week or two of dating — sharing a partnership of loyalty, patience, understanding, and more than 57 years of unwavering commitment.”

Zempilas ended his tribute with his great friend’s own words.

“Den was the main event in any stadium in the world,” Zempilas said.

“He was the heart of the lion in the heart of Dixie.

“When Dennis spoke the stadium held it’s breath. He was rare gold, the best kind of gold.

“As Bruce said as their final broadcast together ended in 2016, ‘No one is irreplaceable, but there’ll only ever be one Dennis Cometti’.”