George Grljusich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Grljusich
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|---|---|
| Born |
George Ned Grljusich
15 January 1939 |
| Died | 6 November 2007 (aged 68) Murdoch, Western Australia
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| Spouse(s) | Marlene Barbarich, Judy Grljusich |
| Children | 3 |
| Career | |
| Station(s) | 6PR (1996–2007) |
| Station(s) | 720 ABC Perth (1960–1996) |
| George Grljusich |
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George Ned Grljusich (born January 15, 1939 – died November 6, 2007) was a famous Australian sports journalist. He was also a commentator and used to play Australian rules football. George was born in Wiluna, Western Australia.
He played 12 football games for the South Fremantle Football Club in 1960. This was part of the West Australian Football League. After that, he decided to work in media. George became a radio broadcaster. He commented on sports for radio stations like 720 ABC Perth and 6PR in Perth. He passed away in 2007 when he was 68 years old.
Learning and Early Career
George studied Law at the University of Western Australia. He finished his degree at the same time as some important people. These included a future Chief Justice, David Malcolm, and a future Governor, Malcolm McCusker.
Even though he studied law, George chose to work in media instead. In 1977, he tried to become a politician. He ran for a state seat in Cockburn, but he was not successful.
Football Playing Days
George Grljusich made his first appearance in the West Australian Football League (WANFL) in 1960. He played for the South Fremantle Football Club. On the same day, his brother Tom also made his debut.
While Tom went on to play over 200 games for the Bulldogs, George stopped playing football. He ended his football career at the end of the 1960 season. He wanted to focus on his media career instead. Two more of his brothers also played at the WANFL level. These were Don for South Fremantle and John for East Fremantle.
Media and Broadcasting Career
George Grljusich spent most of his career as a radio sports commentator. He worked for a long time as the main sports announcer at 720 ABC Perth. From 1996, he moved to the commercial radio station 6PR.
On radio, he mostly commented on harness racing, soccer, and football. He also hosted weekly sports talkback shows. People often had strong opinions about his direct style of talking.
George covered many big sports events for ABC. He reported on six Olympic Games: Moscow (1980), Los Angeles (1984), Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996), and Sydney (2000). He also covered ten Commonwealth Games.
In 2004, a special area at the Fremantle Oval was named after him. It was called the George Grljusich Media Box. This was to honor his long career in broadcasting.
In October 2007, George Grljusich stopped broadcasting. He had been diagnosed with a serious illness. He passed away at St John of God Hospital in Murdoch on November 6, 2007. He was 68 years old.
In November 2007, Radio 6PR created an award in his name. It is called The George Grljusich Sport Broadcasting Award. This award is for students studying broadcasting.
