- This page is about the broadcaster. For the newspaper editorialist, see Ron Casey (editor).
Ron Casey AM MBE (28 December, 1927 - June 19, 2000) was an Australian rules football administrator, commentator and television pioneer.
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Radio roles
Casey was a Melbourne sporting commentator and radio presenter with 3DB Melbourne from the late 1940s to the late 1970s. He started out as a panel operator at radio 3DB and overcame a speech impediment to replace Eric Welsh as 3DB’s sports director. He became one of Victoria’s and Australia’s leading sports commentators on radio and television, especially in football, boxing and harness racing. His most famous radio broadcast was the 1968 call from Japan when Lionel Rose defeated Fighting Harada for the world title.
Television roles
Joining HSV-7 in 1956, he served as host of HSV-7's WORLD OF SPORT program for 28 years and became studio manager of HSV in 1969 and was General Manager of HSV from 1972 until 1987 when the station was sold to the Fairfax group. He served on the Board of the Federation of Australian Commercial Television Stations, chairing it for three terms. On Australia Day, January 26 1995 he became the first personality to appear on Australian PAY-TV.
Other
He served as many years as President and Chairman of his beloved North Melbourne Football Club. He was awarded the MBE in 1982 for his services to sport and journalism. In 1991 he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, and in 1996 was an inaugural inductee into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in the Media category. He died after a long illness on the 19 June 2000 aged 72 and was survived by his wife Pauline and daughter Joanne.
Trivia
He is not to be confused with the Sydney radio and television presenter also named Ronald Casey, who was involved in an on-air fracas with singer Normie Rowe in 1991.
