Respected race-caller and former Malvern Bowling Club member, Clem Dimsey, passed away on 11 September.
Clem came to Malvern at my invitation to play in our night pennant team in 2004, an invitation he gladly accepted even though he was living in Dixon’s Creek a fair hike down and back for night pennant.
Clem fitted in immediately and with his easy-going personality became a very popular member of the side, not only with our players but equally with the opposition with whom he was always happy to recount racing anecdotes. And there was no shortage of punters playing who loved to have a chat about this good thing that got beaten or some other nag they had backed.
He was a genuine TV personality, instantly recognized by many, having called VFA football live on Channel 0, as it was then, on Sunday afternoons as well as his extensive career in race calling for Channel 10 and Sky Channel. He was widely respected as a very accurate race caller and an incisive interviewer.
Despite his fame he was a very humble person.
He was a great friend of Helen and I and a top bloke.
His one shortcoming was that he was a glued-on Collingwood fan, and a prominent one, evidenced by the following Herald Sun tribute:
DIMSEY Clem,. a wonderful friend and mentor, a great Collingwood man and professional. Wonderful days together at Ten. Eddie McGuire.
One of the last things we did together was being foolish enough to have a game of singles on a warm day at the Union Street tennis courts. Both of us were desperate to get off the court and both too proud to admit it until at about four all and both barely moving we looked at each other and without needing to say a word, grabbed a coke and slumped against the wire fence in the shade.
As usual we talked about the Magpies and the Blues, about the times we had shared in racing in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and one of our favourites, Oakbank, and about family all of which meant so much to us and we agreed we would never play singles again, well, not on a hot day at least.