Vale Ian Day

[dedja]

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/le ... b63029a7b4

Legendary South Australian football identity Ian Day, who was a member of SA’s last SANFL premiership team in 1964 and a pioneer of footy commentary, has died, aged 90

Legendary South Australian football identity Ian Day has died, aged 90.

A member of South Adelaide’s last SANFL premiership team in 1964, Day is a SANFL Hall of Fame member who was a fine rover for the Panthers and West Adelaide from 1952-64.

He played 67 games and kicked 80 goals for the Bloods from 1952-60 and 68 games and 98 goals for the Panthers from 1961-64, winning club goalkicking awards at West in 1956 (29 goals) and South in 1964 (35).

Day captained South in 1963 and in its premiership side a year later he formed part of a powerful first ruck combination, along with recent Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee Peter Darley and the legendary Neil Kerley, who was captain-coach.

Day had the satisfaction of kicking the Panthers’ ninth and final goal in its 27-point grand final win against Port Adelaide - the season after it won the wooden spoon.

He earned SANFL life membership in 1965.

As good as Day was as a footballer, he is just as memorable for an outstanding, three-decade broadcasting career on television.

He joined Channel 7’s television commentary team in 1965 as a pioneer of league football television coverage with Blair Schwartz and Bob Jervis.

When Channel 9 later secured the broadcast rights, Day joined as its No. 1 football commentator, quickly earning an outstanding reputation for his professionalism, strong and clear voice and excitement when calling games.

He finished his commentary career with Channel 2, retiring in 1994, signing off by saying: “I was extremely lucky in that the year I quit playing football, Channel 7 decided to televise the game.’’

“They asked me to become a commentator and when I pleaded I’d never done it before, they told me no-one had, so we all learned together,’’ he said.

Inducted into the SA Football Hall of Fame in 2007, 10 years later Day was inducted into the Adelaide Oval Media Hall of Fame.

“I wasn’t the greatest,” Day said of his 29-season media career.

“I was just this bloke who loved my sport ... and lasted 30 years. To be in the Hall of Fame, when I never thought I did anything special, stunned me.”

Another SA sporting great, Ken Cunningham, who umpired the 1964 grand final, described Day as “the best footy caller of all time’’.

“Ian was a fantastic footballer who played an unbelievable role in South winning the 1964 grand final and he also was a talented cricketer, as a batsman, who had the potential to play state cricket,’’ Cunningham said.

“He became my idol when I started to get involved in footy commentary, being the best footy caller of all time.

“Ian Day was simply synonymous with SA football, his calling of our state games and his overall colour and enthusiasm.

“He started it all and when you think of Ian, you think of SA footy. He was one of a kind.’’

Sport is synonymous with the Day family.

Day’s younger brother, Robert, was a star footballer.

He played 137 games and kicked 50 goals for West from 1962-70 and 1973 and 38 games (12 goals) for VFL club Hawthorn from 1971-72, winning a premiership in 1971.

A triple Bloods best and fairest winner, Robert was an All-Australian in 1966 and represented SA 12 times.

Ian’s grandson, Sam, plays for the Brisbane Lions while Robert’s grandson, Will, is a rising star at Hawthorn.

Son Tim was a standout baseballer for the Adelaide Giants and represented Australia before working as a physical therapist at famous MLB franchise the Los Angeles Dodgers.

[RustyCage]

Sad to hear, vale Ian

[blueandwhite]

Sad news indeed. A great contributor to the SANFL as a player and very colorful commentator over many years.
The heroes of '64 are getting thin on the ground now...

[Jimmy_041]

Fabulous bloke.

Unfortunately, he had to bury his son Chris earlier this year which tore him apart

RIP Ian. Good innings

[am Bays]

There’s a snippet of his commentary played at every Glenelg home game this season.

The voice synonymous with SANFL footy, a sad day

“Ducks the chutney”, “tangos once tangos twice”, “ooh he was in more trouble than the early settlers”

[gadj1976]

I'm a bit sad. Another bit of my childhood passes away with him. I'm surprised to read that he thinks he wasn't a great caller. He and Peter Marker used to be mandatory listening on Saturday nights after the footy. And yes, as 'am Bays' says, 'ducks the chutney' was and is my all time favourite footy commentary saying.

[MannyK]

Met him when he ran the squash court in Norwood. Really nice bloke.

Like many of us we grew up listenning to his commentry over many years.

RIP Ian.

[Booney]

A voice many of us grew up with as we developed our love of the game and our clubs. Vale.

[FlyingHigh]

More than anyone, the voice of my childhood.

The best commentator IMO. Raised and lowered his excitement perfectly rather than the shouting of so many current commentators, and always seemed as accurate as anyone could be

The goal umpire goes galloping
Jarman couldn't, McDermott could
The Legs are doing it on the bit
Marshall has one bounce, two bounces, he can take the ball home with him

Remember reading an article during the '80's saying a winter Saturday was up early to play golf, then off to whichever ground to call the ressies, then the League. What a great way to spend a Saturday.