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Australian sporting community in mourning after legend's sad death

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·6-min read
Ron Reed, pictured here with his wife and son.
Ron Reed is being remembered as one of Australia's greatest sports writers. Image: Adam Reed/Twitter

The Australian sporting community is mourning the death of legendary journalist Ron Reed after his death at 74.

Reed was the former sports editor at the Herald Sun and covered nine Olympic Games, the Tour de France, international and domestic cricket, tennis grand slams and the Melbourne Cup.

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Reed's son Adam broke the sad news on Friday, writing on Twitter: "RIP to a loving father, accomplished journalist, and a great man - Ron Reed.

"He fit a lot of life into his years, and will be deeply missed."

Nicknamed 'The Hound', Reed's main passion was AFL and he was a die-hard Carlton fan.

“Ron Reed was a great Carlton man and a top cricketer with the Plastic XI,” Peter Jones, a Carlton premiership ruckman, told the Herald Sun.

“He was always in the Carlton rooms after a footy match. The mighty 'Hound' will be sadly missed.”

Reed won the Australian Sports Commission’s lifetime achievement award in 2014 and was named Sportswriter of the Year in 1998.

He famously had a World Cup match between Australia and Sri Lanka cancelled in 1996 after a newspaper article he wrote urging the Aussies not to travel to Colombo.

A column he wrote headlined “Don’t Go’’ urged the Australian team not to travel to Colombo after a bomb went off at the national bank building near the hotel where Reed was staying.

Cricket Australia chairman Denis Rogers later admitted that Reed's column was the main reason Australia decided not to go to Colombo for the match.

Reed's final work will be published after his death. He recently finished a book about Pat Cummins’ first year as Australia's Test cricket captain.

He also wrote a biography about Australian tennis great Frank Sedgman.

Sporting world pays tribute to Ron Reed

Sam Newman said on Friday: “Sad to hear of the Hound’s passing.

“I grew up with Ron’s coverage of sports in Australia – and afar – in The Sporting Globe and Herald and Weekly Times publications.

“Fair, accurate, noble and affable, Ron did great credit to his profession, that in many cases today, is lacking.

“Wishing his family and friends well, in this time of reflection of the great Ron Reed.”

Tributes have also been flooding in on social media.

"RIP Ron Reed. Friend, mentor, captain, colleague, fellow traveller in newspapers, on cricket tours and often at lunch," tweeted fellow journalist Greg Baum.

"Gruff outside, warm, fair and generous everywhere else. The most underrated sports journalist, indeed newspaperman of his time. Time for a well-deserved spell."

Jim Wilson wrote: "I’m so sad to hear this news, Hound was one of the best and my dad Bruce loved him. Thoughts with family."

Peter Blunden wrote: "Deeply saddened today by the sudden passing of one of Australia’s greatest sports journalists, Ron Reed.

"Ron’s deep knowledge and authority, combined with rare writing talent, earned him universal respect. It was a privilege to work with the journalist, and the man. Vale Ron."

While Ashley Browne added: "Sorry to hear of the passing of Ron Reed. He was one of the last of what you would call a newspaper man.

"Deep knowledge of so many sports and could write the heck out of all of them. Enjoyed life post deadline as well. RIP Hound."

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