Sandy Roberts

Sandy Roberts (born 22 February 1950) is a sports presenter and commentator currently calling Australian rules football on television for Fox Footy and radio with Crocmedia.

Career

Roberts' career started at Perth radio station 6PM, after a short stint as a copyboy for the Adelaide News. Roberts then travelled extensively throughout Europe for two years, before returning to Australia, where he joined Radio 3CS Colac as an announcer. In 1971, he switched to television station BCV8-TV in Bendigo as a news presenter. He later joined the Seven Network in Adelaide in 1973 as a general announcer and presenter.

In 1980 Roberts was asked to be one of the commentators for the 1980 Moscow Olympics telecast after which Roberts moved to Melbourne to work for the Seven Network in Melbourne.^[1]

In his time with the Seven Network, Roberts commentated over 700 Australian Football League (AFL) games. Roberts also commentated on NBL games, the Australian Open, the Spring Racing Carnival and many major golf tournaments. He has also been involved in the coverage of every Summer Olympic Games from Moscow 1980 to Beijing 2008, including Sydney 2000 as well as many Winter Olympic Games.

Alongside Dennis Cometti, Roberts was a commentator during the famous AFL match between St Kilda and Sydney in 1993, when a pig was released onto the ground by a Sydney member with a number 4 and the nickname "Pluga" spray painted onto it (in reference to then St Kilda player Tony Lockett). Roberts became famous for his call of the incident saying "There's a pig at full-forward"

In January 2005, Roberts joined Seven News Melbourne after Beverley O'Connor resigned.

Outside of sports broadcasting, Roberts was an annual contributor to Seven's telecast of the Good Friday Appeal^[2] and also hosted gameshows It's Academic and The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime.

Despite this impressive resume, Roberts is often remembered for his gaffe in introducing the 1981 Miss Australia, Leanne Dick as "Leanne Cock" during a Mount Gambier Cup meeting. (Ironically, Dick's surname after marriage is Cockerill).^[3]

In early February 2013, Roberts was the subject of media speculation that he was leaving the Seven Network to work at another channel, Fox Footy.^[4] In November 2013, Roberts announced that he would be leaving the Seven Network after 40 years with Seven in Melbourne and Adelaide, to work at Fox Footy as a host-commentator.^[5] Tim Watson took Roberts' place as the weekday sports newsreader. Roberts last day reading sport news was Friday 29 November 2013, and he finished his hosting duties for Seven at the Australian Open golf tournament on Sunday 1 December 2013. ^[6]

Community work

Since July 2013, Roberts has been an ambassador for the non-profit-organisation The Beehive Foundation, a charity that runs free programs to develop resilience and coping mechanisms for youth via junior sporting organisations.^[7]

Personal life

Roberts grew up on a sheep farm in Lucindale, South Australia.

Roberts is married to wife Carolyn with whom he has son, Angus. He was previously married to Hazel, but the marriage broke down following the death of their 15-year-old son, Sam. Sam's death was a consequence of contracting HIV following a blood transfusion aged 10. He also has a son, Ben, from his first marriage. ^[8]

Roberts follows the St Kilda Football Club.

References