Radio legend John McCoy to hang up the mic after 53 years

John McCoy will hang up the mic on his 53-year career in Brisbane sports broadcasting. He speaks to Grantlee Kieza about his most memorable moments in his long career.

John McCoy, who received an OAM in the weekend’s Australia Day Awards, has been a leading voice in Queensland sport for more than half a century. He will switch off his microphone at Radio 4TAB on Friday morning for the last time.

Working in sports has been a lifelong adventure for you. At 70 what does the future hold?

My wife Carmel and I just celebrated 47 years of marriage and we’re going on a cruise to Antarctica next month. I could never have done what I’ve done in my career without her. I never got to see our three kids play much sport because I was always working on weekends. Carmel had to do all the running around but now we can spend a lot more time together with our children and nine grandchildren. Carmel and some friends have a horse named Capital Connection, which is trained by Tony Gollan. He’s won five Saturday races in town. John Foote, the bloodstock agent who bought Makybe Diva, bought him for the girls and he’s proved to be a great sprinter.

John McCoy and his wife Carmel. Picture: Jamie Hanson

Not many people know that you christened the Brisbane Broncos?

I’d always been a fan of the Denver Broncos in American football. On March 4, 1987 I wrote a story for Rugby League Week, saying that the ‘Broncos’ would be a great name for the new Brisbane team. At the time Brisbane was getting ready to host the Expo and there was talk of calling the team the Brisbane Expos. But people liked the name Brisbane Broncos.

You must have broadcast over 1000 league games. What was the best?

Calling the first Origin match with Bernie Pramberg in 1980 is hard to top and I’m still amazed by Steve Renouf’s 90m run in the Broncos’ first premiership win in 1992. But the best game was the decider in the 1987 Origin series at Lang Park. Queensland won 10-8, keeping the second half scoreless. Michael O’Connor made a break and only had Wally Lewis to beat but Wally absolutely creamed him. The two of them had been on the Australian schoolboys rugby tour to Britain and Wally knew the way Mick stepped. I might be biased because Wally was the king at a great time in rugby league but he was the best player I ever saw. I called his games right from the days when he played for Valleys and Wynnum-Manly. He was always a couple of plays ahead of everyone else.

Valleys lock Wally Lewis makes a break from the scrum in 1980.

Your love of sport started early?

I was about eight when I got to see Don Bradman bat in a benefit game for the Australian wicketkeeper Don Tallon at Perry Park. Bradman had been retired for a few years and he only made two or three but I will always remember the roar of the crowd when he walked to the wicket.

Don Bradman in action late in his career.

What’s the best cricket match you ever saw?

I saw every ball of the Tied Test at the Gabba in 1960. Garry Sobers scored 132 against an attack that included Alan Davidson, Richie Benaud, Ian Meckiff and Lindsay Kline. Every four would hit the fence and bounce back 20m. The last over of the match from Wes Hall was breathtaking.

Wes played for Queensland after that?

At the end of his first season here we were taking a relative to the airport when we saw Wes heading home. I had an old cricket bat in the car and Wes signed it for me. I was 12. A Courier-Mail photographer was there and the photo appeared on the front page of the paper the next day.

The front page picture from The Courier-Mail. Wes Hall signs 12-year John McCoy’s bat in 1962.

Who were your heroes growing up?

Brian Davies was captain of my league team Brothers and also captain of Australia. The first Test I ever went to was with my Dad, Terry, at the Exhibition Ground in 1958. Australia v Great Britain. We sat on plank underneath Machinery Hill. Brian was the only Queenslander in the side. Vince Karalius made his Test debut for England and the great Alex Murphy stepped past Keith Holman to score a try that killed Australia.

Brothers and Australian rugby league captain, Brian Davies.

Queensland produced some great tennis players then, too?

I saw Rod Laver win an epic five setter against Neale Fraser for the 1960 Australian title at Milton. The Australian Open pays its winners more than $4 million now but Rod’s prize was a silver tea service. Margaret Court won the women’s final and was presented with an umbrella. In 1969 they both won the titles again at Milton. Margaret beat Billy Jean King which is ironic given their animosity now.

How did your broadcasting career begin?

My idol was a fellow on 4BC named Tom McGregor. I thought it would be fantastic to have a job like that. I was going to school at Gregory Terrace and my mum, Norma, was helping out in a little delicatessen next to the Lutwyche cinema. We were about to get the tram home to Kedron one day and two blokes walked into the shop. One was the sales manager for the group that owned 4IP and stations in Longreach and Mt Isa. That was mid-1966. He arranged an interview with (Sir) Frank Moore.

What was your first gig?

It was December 29, 1966 at 4LM in Mt Isa. I spent a year there before flying home to start work at 4IP. In June 1971, 4BC offered me a job calling sport after Tom McGregor passed away. Vince Curry, a wonderful friend, became my mentor there.

You called some great events early on?

I called the first cricket World Cup at Lord’s in 1975. Gary Gilmour bowled Australia into the final but the West Indies were brilliant, running out Greg and Ian Chappell and the opener Alan Turner. After that I went to Wimbledon where Arthur Ashe beat Jimmy Connors in the final. A couple of years later I was at the Centenary Test in Melbourne. I loved calling the cricket but the worst thing I ever saw on the cricket field was Viv Richards smashing a ball fair into the face of a Tasmanian bowler named Kevin Badcock. It was horrific, blood all over the wicket.

West Indies wicketkeeper Deryck Murray jumps for joy as Australia's Greg Chappell is run out for 15, during the final of the 1975 World Cup at Lord’s.

How did you end up calling rugby league?

In the 1970s 4IP had the rights to Brisbane club football but Ron McAuliffe, who ran the game in Queensland, was a dyed in the wool 4BC man, a mad punter. 4BC couldn’t broadcast the league because games were played on a Saturday and we had all-day racing coverage. McAuliffe invited me and Vince Curry to lunch at his unit in New Farm and asked us if 4BC would be interested in calling the games if he moved them from Saturdays to Sundays. The rest is history.

The Commonwealth Games in 1982 came during a great time for Brisbane sport?

I’m so proud that I called Tracey Wickham’s last race and Raelene Boyle’s last race. They both should have been Olympic champions. Straight after the Games I headed off to cover the Invincibles rugby league tour. Wally Lewis did his shoulder on a bitterly cold day in the First Test against France at Avignon. There wasn’t the support staff for players like today. The team doctor Bill Monaghan asked me to hold Wally while he popped his shoulder back in place.

You called some great boxing events as well?

A lot of big fights. Jeff Harding’s world title in Brisbane against Tom Collins, Hector Thompson, Neil Pattel, Steve Aczel, Tony Mundine. Tony was absolutely electric. He either knocked them out or got knocked out himself.

Swimmer Tracey Wickham celebrates at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane.

Actor Jane Fonda and her husband businessman Ted Turner, the man behind The Goodwill Games.

You have a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queensland University?

I received my degree in the mid 90s and I attended an International Seminar on Olympic Studies in Olympia, Greece. Through that I met some fascinating characters including a huge American named Rafer Johnson, who won the decathlon gold in Rome in 1960 and was one of the men who tackled Sirhan Sirhan after he assassinated Robert Kennedy in 1968.

You also met some great characters when Brisbane hosted the 2001 Goodwill Games?

I had just interviewed the billionaire Ted Turner and the Olympic great Michael Johnson when someone behind me piped up to say “Ted just loves it here in Brisbane’’. It was Ted’s wife Jane Fonda.