Rex Hunt Biography Quotes 11 Report mistakes

Early Life
Rex Hunt was born in 1949 in Australia and grew up in Melbourne's bayside suburbs, where two passions took root early: Australian rules football and fishing. Weekends often meant a rod on the piers of Port Phillip Bay and a football tucked under an arm on the way to local ovals. Those twin pursuits would define his public life for decades, shaping a distinctive career that bridged elite sport, broadcasting, and outdoor television.

Football Beginnings and Richmond
Hunt came to prominence in the late 1960s when Richmond recruited him to the Victorian Football League. Strong, combative, and versatile, he spent time at both ends of the ground, a rarity even in an era that prized adaptability. Under the stern but inspirational guidance of coach Tom Hafey, Richmond was a powerhouse, and Hunt developed among a cadre of celebrated teammates that included Kevin Sheedy, Francis Bourke, Kevin Bartlett, and Royce Hart. In that fiercely competitive environment, he learned the demands of professional preparation, resilience, and the value of team roles that change from week to week for the sake of the side.

Move to St Kilda and Mature Years
In the mid-1970s, Hunt transferred to St Kilda, where his game matured further. He was often used as a key defender, leveraging his strength and reading of the play to blunt opposition forwards. The Saints in that period were guided by influential figures such as coach Allan Jeans, whose emphasis on discipline and structure suited Hunt's evolving approach. While he was not the era's headline goal machine, his capacity to swing from attack to defense made him a strategic asset and a respected presence in the rooms and on the track.

Serving the Community as a Police Officer
Parallel to his football life, Hunt served with Victoria Police. Balancing patrol work with VFL training and match commitments required exacting time management and no small amount of stamina. The two careers informed each other: policing sharpened his situational awareness and interpersonal skills; football reinforced teamwork under pressure. Many colleagues from both fields would later remark that the traits he displayed on air were visible earlier in uniform and guernsey alike: direct, humorous, and unafraid to speak plainly.

Radio Commentary and the Rise of the Broadcaster
After his VFL playing days ended, Hunt moved into sports broadcasting and quickly became one of the most recognizable voices in Australian football. On Melbourne radio, notably at 3AW and at times other stations, he called games with a high-energy style that divided opinion but drew huge audiences. He popularized nicknames, colorful turns of phrase, and vivid descriptions that made listeners feel the crash of packs and the glide of a long kick. In the commentary box and around the ground, he worked alongside notable football figures and radio professionals, including Kevin Bartlett and Tony Leonard, whose roles and rapport helped shape the tone and tempo of Hunt's calls. Producers, boundary riders, and statisticians formed a tight crew around him, and together they built a program that became appointment listening for many fans.

Television and Rex Hunt's Fishing Adventure
Hunt's childhood love of fishing became a second act when he fronted a long-running television series, Rex Hunt's Fishing Adventure, on the Seven Network. The show mixed travelogue, technique, and character, with Hunt's exuberant on-screen persona made instantly recognizable by catchphrases and his habit of kissing fish before releasing them. He showcased destinations across Australia and beyond, from bays and estuaries to remote reefs, working with local skippers, guides, and scientists to explain species behavior and sustainable practices. The program's popularity helped normalize catch-and-release among casual anglers and sparked tourism in featured regions. Off screen, he contributed to magazines, books, and branded tackle projects, drawing on a circle of producers, camera crews, and fellow anglers who shared his enthusiasm for the water.

Style, Persona, and Influence
Hunt's public style blended larrikin humor with an educator's instinct. In football, he demystified tactics for everyday fans while still capturing the theatre of a big match. In fishing, he made technique approachable, encouraging young people to get outdoors and respect the resource. His influence is visible in the next generation of callers who adopted faster cadences and in fishing presenters who mix conservation messages with entertainment. Mentors and peers from his Richmond years, such as Tom Hafey and Kevin Sheedy, left a lasting imprint on his sense of discipline and performance; later, media colleagues refined his timing, production values, and audience engagement.

Personal Life
Behind the microphone and the rod, Hunt's life has long been anchored by family. His marriage to Lynne is frequently acknowledged in interviews, and he has spoken about the importance of close relationships in weathering the peaks and troughs of public life. Those who worked with him often note loyalty to friends and crew members: the drivers, technicians, and junior producers who kept shows moving and trips on schedule. Community ties extended to charitable appearances and support for police and angling organizations, reflecting both halves of his professional identity.

Challenges and Public Scrutiny
A figure as visible as Hunt was bound to attract scrutiny, and his career included periods of controversy and personal difficulty that played out in the media. He confronted criticism of his on-air style at times, and off-air challenges periodically made headlines. He has publicly reflected on mistakes and the cost of fame, using the platform he built to speak more broadly about accountability and the pressures that come with high-profile work. Support from family, old football mates, and colleagues in radio and television proved pivotal during those periods.

Later Work and Ongoing Presence
In later years, Hunt maintained a presence across broadcasting and outdoor media, returning for special football broadcasts, guest segments, and fishing appearances. He remained a sought-after speaker at club functions, fishing expos, and community events, where stories about Hafey's training sessions, the craft of calling a tight final quarter, and the magic of dawn on a quiet estuary continued to resonate. His connections to Richmond and St Kilda, to 3AW, and to the Seven Network formed a living tapestry of relationships that sustained his influence long after his weekly schedules slowed.

Legacy
Rex Hunt's legacy rests on a rare career that stitched together top-flight sport, community service, radio showmanship, and a television franchise that shaped Australian recreational culture. In football, he was part of a generation that set standards for fitness and versatility; in broadcasting, he helped reinvent the sound of the game for modern audiences. On the water, he championed sustainable fishing and turned weekend pursuits into shared national stories. The people around him at each stage, coaches like Tom Hafey and Allan Jeans, teammates such as Kevin Bartlett and Kevin Sheedy, and media collaborators like Tony Leonard and producers at Seven, were essential ingredients in that story, just as the family support of Lynne anchored it. The through-line is unmistakable: energy, authenticity, and an abiding love of sport and the outdoors that connected him to millions of Australians.

Our collection contains 11 quotes who is written by Rex, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Wisdom - Friendship - Nature - Knowledge.