George Ned Grljusich was an Australian sports journalist, commentator and former Australian rules football player.
Education
Grljusich studied Law at the University of Western Australia, where he graduated in the same year as the future Chief Justice David Malcolm, Solicitor-General of Western Australia, Peter Panegyres and Governor of Western Australia, Malcolm McCusker, but decided to remain in the media rather than practice law. In 1977 Grljusich stood unsuccessfully for the state Seat of Cockburn.
Career
Born in Wiluna, Western Australia, he played 12 games of football for the South Fremantle Football Club in the Western Australian National Football League in 1960, before quitting football to pursue a media career. Grljusich later became a radio broadcaster, commentating for Perth-based radio stations 720 American Broadcasting Company Perth and 6PR. He died in 2007 at the age of 68, from lung cancer. While Tom went on to play over 200 matches for the Bulldogs, George quit football at the end of the 1960 season to pursue a media career.
His journalistic career focussed on radio sports commentary including a long running stay as the main sports announcer at 720 American Broadcasting Company Perth.
From 1996 he worked at commercial radio station 6PR. In radio he commentated mainly on harness racing, soccer and football, as well as hosting weekly sports talkback radio, where his abrasive style often polarised his listeners. In 2004, the media box at the Fremantle Oval was officially renamed the George Grljusich Media Box in honour of the veteran broadcaster.
In October 2007, Grljusich retired from broadcasting after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He died at Street John of God Hospital in Murdoch on 6 November 2007, aged 68.
In November 2007, Radio 6PR announced the establishment of the The George Grljusich Sport Broadcasting Award for students of the WAAPA Broadcasting course.