Bruce McAvaney’s “selfish” confession
He’s got one of the most recognisable and beloved voices on Australian TV, so when Bruce McAvaney was forced to take time off earlier in the year to treat his leukaemia (notably during the Australian Open), his absence was felt country-wide.
Now, in a tell-all interview on cricket commentator Mark Howard’s podcast Howie Games, the 64-year-old legendary caller made a “selfish” admission.
“I didn’t miss me not saying something,” he said of missing being on the panel at the Australian Open. “But I missed that camaraderie and the feeling of being part of a team. I kept thinking ‘gee won’t the boys and girls be excited now that Federer got through to the semi-finals’. It was the perfect storm, it was incredible.”
“I’ve got to be honest, I went outside and cooked a BBQ for about 10 minutes because I couldn’t bear it – it was tricky. [I couldn’t bear] that I wasn’t there.”
Howard, a commentator for Channel 10’s Big Bash League, admitted he felt similar when watching matches without McAvaney’s iconic voice. “I hate to say it,” he said. “But I’m almost hoping it’s not a great game, because you want to be at the great game.”
McAvaney agreed, saying, “There is a selfishness to it, you can’t help it. I mean, I’ve gotta say I was thrilled and delighted at the [Federer vs. Nadal] final, but there was a little part of me that wouldn’t have minded Gilles Muller playing David Goffin.”
“You do have to get used to the fact you’re not going to be front and centre – and it’s not easy. But I think the first one’s always the hardest, so next summer I’ll probably be a bit more relaxed. It was tricky and not as easy as I made it out to be.”
“I’ve always had a bit of a philosophy that no-one can really impact on me, (either a) boss or a young one coming up. When I say they can’t impact on me, I respect them – all the people I’ve worked for underneath [Channel] 10 or Seven. I acquiesce to the philosophies of the network but there’s nothing they can do to me that will take any enjoyment away from me because there’s always going to be a Melbourne Cup.”
“That enjoyment is very personal. It’s mine, it’s for me. It’s a strange thing and it sounds very selfish, but it’s the way I’ve worked – it’s just the way I am.”
Despite his cancer diagnosis, McAvaney told News Corp in March he’s feeling “well”, and still plans to call at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Did you miss hearing McAvaney’s commentary during this year’s Australian Open? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Image credit: Phil Hillyard/Herald Sun.