George Grljusich

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George Grljusich (January 15, 1939 – 6 November 2007) was a sports journalist, commentator and former Australian rules footballer from Western Australia. Grljusich played 12 league games in the West Australian Football League for South Fremantle, debuting in 1964. His younger brothers are former star Bulldogs player, Tom Grljusich, and John Grljusich, former Mayor of the City of Cockburn.

His journalistic career focussed on radio sports commentary including a long running stay as the main sports announcer at 720 ABC Perth. From 1996 he worked at commercial radio station 6PR. In radio he commentated mainly on harness racing, soccer and football, as well as hosting weekly sports talkback radio, where his abrasive style often polarised his listeners.^[1]^[2]

Grljusich provided ABC coverage of six Olympic Games: 1980 at Moscow, 1984 at Los Angeles, 1988 at Seoul, 1992 at Barcelona, 1996 at Atlanta and 2000 at Sydney, as well as ten Commonwealth Games. In 2004, the media box at the Fremantle Oval was officially renamed the George Grljusich Media Box in honour of the veteran broadcaster.^[3]

Grljusich studied Law at the University of Western Australia, where he graduated in the same year as the future Chief Justice David Malcolm, Solicitor-General of Western Australia, Peter Panegyres and Chairman of the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia, Malcolm McCusker,^[4] but decided to remain in the media rather than practice law. In 1977 Grljusich stood unsuccessfully for the state Seat of Cockburn.^[5]

In October 2007, Grljusich retired from broadcasting after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.^[6]^[7] He died on 6 November 2007, the day of the 2007 Melbourne Cup, aged 68.