Footy and media great Rex Hunt diagnosed with dementia

Legendary footy commentator Rex Hunt, who has been dealing with a series of health issues in recent years, has been diagnosed with dementia.

Rex Hunt has had a legendary career in Melbourne’s media. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

TV and angling legend Rex Hunt has been diagnosed with dementia.

Rex, 74, an icon of footy broadcasting, has been battling health issues for a number of years.

His wife, Lynne, confirmed Rex’s diagnosis on Wednesday.

“Rex has recently been diagnosed with dementia,” Lynne told the Herald Sun.

“We are dealing with this as a family and are giving him love and support.

“He is fit and in good spirits and looking forward to going fishing again soon.

“Thousands of families around Australia have loved ones living with dementia and we are no different from any of them.

Rex has previously spoken out about his mental health in the hope that his story could help others. Picture: Alex Coppel

“We are so very grateful for the constant support of Rex’s doctors and our friends.”

Lynne said she and Rex particularly wanted to thank staff at Monash Medical Centre, Clayton and Monash Dandenong.

“They have been so supportive, caring and helpful. They were such an incredible support to Rex and myself in recent months. I could not recommend them enough,” she said.

Dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities.

Dementia often involves memory problems and that can be one of the early indications of the condition.

Rex’s friend of half a century, Sam Newman spoke of Rex’s dementia diagnosis on his You Cannot Be Serious podcast on Wednesday, describing him “as a world class fisherman and … a world class broadcaster.”

Hunt was a ring announcer at a recent boxing match Picture: Michelle Winters

Rex Hunt in the 3AW studio in July 2021 with his dog, Jack. Picture: Supplied.

“It is a thing that grabs people at various stages of their life,” Newman said.

“I have been out to see Rex a couple of times and he is up and down in his mental acuity, but if he gets his meds right he is fine, so we wish him well.

“We wish him well, we really do, because he had been – probably still is – a very great contributor to entertaining.”

Newman acknowledged the care and support that Rex received from Lynne.

Rex and Lynne were one of the it couples of Melbourne when they wed in 1972.

They were introduced by Kevin Sheedy in the very early 1970s at a dance at the Powerhouse in Albert Park.

Lynne has supported her colourful, brilliant and sometimes controversial husband throughout his sporting and media career and remains by his side as he adjusts to living with his dementia diagnosis.

Rex Hunt in the Richmond rooms after a match in 2017, the club where he was a premiership player. Picture: Michael Klein

Rex has previously spoken out about his mental health in the genuine hope that his story could help others dealing with mental illness.

“It is a big thing in your life and it is a big thing to talk about,” he said in May this year.

“If I can help somebody to understand that you can be what is normal, or quite normal in your particular mind, and the next moment you are in a straight jacket down in a facility.”

Rex said his health had started to decline seven years ago after he became hooked on pain killing opioids following surgery for a debilitating neck injury.

A former policeman, Rex was a premiership player with Richmond in 1969 and 1973 and played alongside Newman at Geelong in 1974 and 1975.

He finished his playing career at St Kilda in 1978.

He went on to become one of the greatest football broadcasters in Australian sports media history and hosted the hugely successful TV show Rex Hunt’s Fishing Adventure which was seen around the world.