After 13 summers entertaining, informing and educating ABC Grandstand’s cricket audience, Kerry O’Keeffe will be saying farewell at the end of the SCG Test.
While his longevity in the commentary box pales in comparison to the likes of Alan McGilvray and Jim Maxwell, Kerry’s presence has nonetheless been profound.
Before going any further I should state that I am an unabashed fan having worked alongside Kerry on Grandstand’s coverage for ten seasons.
I first encountered Kerry when I was at the SCG to cover a NSW-WA Sheffield Shield match in the early-1990s and with a large rain delay I got plenty of time to have a chat and right from that point I discovered he was a natural raconteur.
Around the turn of the millennium he was invited to join the Grandstand team for international cricket.
Safe to say, he caused a degree of polarity among the audience as he was very different.
Yet it soon became obvious that the pro camp was way out in front.
There is no doubting that Kerry has brought a whole new audience to the ABC’s coverage – all of us who have been involved are testament to that having been told by so many of those new listeners, many of them women.
Kerry was a godsend to the ball-by-ball commentators who sat alongside him as he always kept you on your toes.
He could enliven a dull passage of play with his unique take on things.
And that is the real strength of Kerry.
Very early on he dubbed what he did ‘observational humour’.
And that is rare in the medium of radio and television sports broadcasting.
Dennis Cometti, one of the finest ball-by-ball commentators this country has produced, freely admits to carrying around a long list of witty one-liners that he has either read or dreamt up and waits for the right opportunity to inject them into his commentary.
Kerry is the complete opposite.
Everything he does is off the cuff as he can find humour almost at will with what he is witnessing or in a conversation with his fellow broadcaster of the minute.
The one big exception is the famous ‘Frog Joke’.
I was the poor sucker on air with him at the Gabba on Valentine’s Day 2006 for the third and deciding ODI final between Australia and Sri Lanka.
Two overs in Kerry told the audience he was going to read out an email from a listener.
What followed was one of the funniest pieces of commentary to ever go to air.
It of course finished with the trademark laugh – a laugh that often had me looking at him and wondering whether his gene pool should have had a lifeguard!
One of the things that the audience truly love is Kerry’s interactions with visiting commentators with Harsha Bhogle and Jonathan Agnew at the top of the tree.
Kerry has a way of taking them beyond their normal comfort zone with his wacky ways, especially with Harsha when it came to our quirky Australian lingo.
One fine example was this exchange at the SCG:
Harsha: How do you think Gillespie is looking this morning?
Kerry: Not too good. He looks stiffer than a triple scotch.
Harsha: Stiffer than a triple … scotch … did you say?
Kerry: Yeah, he’s that stiff.
Harsha: Kerry, how many stiff ones did you have last night?
As the whole commentary box dissolved into laughter, Kerry replied, “I am 54 Harsha … ONE!”
That same tour Harsha expressed to Kerry his desire to become more Australian to which Kerry replied, ‘You’re a teetotalling, vegetarian Hindu. I’m not a miracle worker!”
Kerry freely admits publicly that when the ABC approached him to come on board he was not travelling too well financially.
In the end the ABC-O’Keeffe marriage provided a win-win for both parties.
Kerry’s star took off as his diary filled with speaking engagements and the ABC’s audience numbers trended seriously northwards.
In many ways, Kerry will be remembered for his funny asides which is a great shame.
As an analyst he is superb.
He watches inordinate hours of international cricket and turns up to every broadcast with a stack of notes with regard to visiting teams and more often than not he will tell you what will happen with respect to dismissals and the likes before they happen.
He also watches a lot of domestic cricket at the SCG and has a better handle on up and coming players than most.
An example is the fact that he identified Nathan Lyon’s potential before anyone else did.
On various blogs and other social media fans have bemoaned the fact that Kerry’s voice and personality – and that laugh – will be gone from the airwaves.
I freely tell people that he was the expert I enjoyed working with most in my 21 years at Aunty.
We had a great rapport both on and off air.
At least I still got to listen to him after I resigned, but now alas …
Paul
Guest
Mark Waugh is brilliant on Fox commentary. Certainly would be great, has a great sense of humour.
Matthew
Guest
Im pretty sure I heard Drew Morphett wonder aloud if there was any way they could tempt Kerry back. His comment back was 'Maybe when my wife gets sick of me hanging around'. Even If Kerry only did the Sydney tests from now on that would be great. Kerry, you changed what ABC commentating was for me with your wit, your laugh and your insights into the game. You are not a person that will be replaced. The ABC needs to start the hunt now for someone who brings something.. different to the commentary. Someone mentioned Mark Waugh as a good commentator. He's a little too Sydney Biased for me.
Ian
Guest
Behind the banter is a great person. All that ribbing of the international commentators - I reckon there was a method in it. It is Kerry's way our Aussie way to say welcome. That was how he got such great rapport with people and some memorable radio. He has insight great technical knowledge,... all that but his humanity always came through. He was / is in his own words "so Aussie" smart funny mischievous generous and underneath all that cheek modest (no one forgets here he pulled on the baggy green for Aus) and maybe a little vulnerable. On his own good bloke scale this listener rates him a nine. I'll never forget Kerry quoting Eminen just before S Waugh got that ton at the SCG great stuff
Mark Pybus
Roar Guru
I will miss his often long-winded and hilarious stories about cricket tours he went on and the moments where he would start laughing while trying to spit out something he thought was really funny. Had you laughing well before the punchline was delivered. We had the pleasure of him come to a function at our cricket club once and he didn't disappoint. Tuning into ABC won't be the same without him.
Mick
Guest
Absolute star- pity it took so many,years to see the technical genius behind the brilliant entertainer that is KOK.I very much doubt that we will see the likes of him again- But how lucky we were!!! Enjoy your time Legend.
AlanKC
Guest
Have to agree, Tubby's awful. Good shot, roolly good shot... (which has now infected Healy) Enough said.
Bob
Guest
Bill Lawry would be a handy replacement
Geoff Lemon
Expert
This is the greatest comment on The Roar.
bryan
Guest
Hughes will cut himself shaving and Guptill will pop out and catch it
Nick
Guest
Loved listening to you both when together on air GM! You were the perfect straight man for him, and now he is going the ABC coverage will never be the same, or as good! Thanks GM and THANK YOU Skull!
Qlder
Guest
great article Glenn and to your own contributions over the years, I also liked the chemistry between you two. KOK had chemistry with everyone it seemed (well at least people who didn't take themselves too seriously!). Very gutted to not be able to hear his infectious laugh on Aunty ongoing. KOK got me through many a hot stinking day in St George Qld when working in 40 degree + heat!
Luke Smyke
Roar Pro
One of Australian sport's greatest personalities...Let alone cricket's. Truly a sad day. I never needed to down a triple scotch to get me through a day of Kerry's banter. As you put it, a natural raconteur- no question.
Glenn Mitchell
Expert
Spot on Geoff. He did more research in that regard than any other cricket expert I have ever seen. He truly loves the game and all of its various nuances. And it always comes through in his commentary.
Glenn Mitchell
Expert
Ah yes, the poor old weather forecasters in Darwin were often a subject of much mirth.
bozo
Guest
Agree with Davo. The description of Steve Waugh getting 100 can not be beaten. I was listening while on Noosa Beach and did not need to dash back to watch the TV in the room.
Retmock LHI
Guest
I forget the player but I had to pull the car over and laugh when Kerry described him of bowling "Rock Hudson's". The other commentator asked what he meant, to which Kerry replied: "they're not straight!!" Absolute GOLD!!
Sandy B
Guest
The classic commentary was........"Shahid don't like it - rocking the casbah, rocking the casbah" and the fact the ABC producer found the clash song within a minute for Kerry to sing along to. Would love to hear that one again.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
"If Phil Hughes gets a nick shaving tomorrow, Martin Guptill will pop out of the medicine cabinet with a Band-Aid." Always loved Kerry's humour, but I agree that his greatest strength was his technical analysis of the game. Of all those I've heard, he was the one who really made me feel I was learning about cricket by listening. Anyone can tell you that if So-and-So is swinging the ball away from the right-handers, there's a chance of a nick. Kerry would tell you what bowlers were doing with their arms and wrists, what individual quirks batsmen had with their foot movement or bat swing. He saw so much, and could accurately predict where they were likely to score and how, where wickets were likely to fall. "He'll get a lot of poles like that, P. Siddle," he'd say. You were always confident his theories were right.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Great stuff Glenn, Skull is really one of a kind and will be missed on the terrific Grandstand team. I'll be out there tomorrow so hope to see the great man !
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
From a Skull anecdote about 2005. K'OK : 'He was bowling Rock Hudsons'. Confused Co-commentator; Rock Hudsons?! K'OK following pause......'Well they looked straight'. Only Skull could get away with this. I'm glad that he did. Astonishing that there is a I Hate Kerry O'Keeffe Facebook site out there! Whoever set that up is pitiful.