Nine TV cameraman who caught the ‘coolest crowd cricket catch ever’ breaks his silence about the classic 1987 clip

EXCLUSIVE

It was a different era: the Prime Minister held a world record for skulling a yard of ale, Paul Hogan graced the silver screen in Crocodile Dundee and Kylie Minogue was well on her way to global stardom.

But nothing summed up the swaggering confidence and effortless cool of Australia in the 1980s more than a single moment of play during the World Series Cup final against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on February 8, 1987.

The late summer sun beat down on the players as the camera swivelled to the crowd, capturing a woman in a barely-there leopard print bikini bravely brandishing a sign which read ‘Go Aussies Go’ amidst a sea of Union Jack-waving Poms – more on her later.

Cut to Australia’s medium pace bowler Simon O’Donnell who was gearing up to deliver another ball to England’s talismanic and helmet-less all-rounder, Ian ‘Beefy’ Botham.

O’Donnell bowled hard but Botham struck it beautifully, the satisfying thwack of willow on leather stunning the crowd into a brief silence.

And then the travelling fans roared anew as the ball flew straight over mid-off, soaring high into the clear blue sky towards the member’s pavilion. 

But waiting calmly in the second row for his chance to restore Aussie pride, mullet flowing in the gentle breeze and a Peter Stuyvesant cigarette dangling from his mouth, was Channel 9 cameraman, Tony Fox.

Barely blinking behind his oversized aviator shades, he rose from his seat to pluck the plummeting ball from the air in an instantly iconic, two-handed catch over his left shoulder. 

Waiting calmly in the second row for his chance to restore Aussie pride, mullet flowing in the gentle breeze and a Peter Stuyvesant cigarette dangling from his mouth, was Channel 9 cameraman, Tony Fox (pictured)

Now, for the first time ever, the man responsible for the ‘coolest crowd catch ever’ has broken his silence in an interview with Daily Mail Australia (pictured: Tony Fox)

Without missing a beat, he fizzed the ball back into the field of play before nonchalantly sitting back down, taking a deep drag from his ciggie and silently accepting the adulation from the crowd with a sly smirk. 

Just to add to the air of ice-cool composure, he then blew a dragon-esque exhale out both nostrils as a passing colleague patted him on the shoulder.

The commentator’s knew exactly what they had just witnessed.

‘A magnificent catch by the Channel 9 cameraman down there! Cool as a cucumber,’ one gushed.

‘Well, that six seems to have rattled Simon O’Donnell but it didn’t rattle Tony Fox who in fact is just on a break down there. 

‘He’s usually our commentary box cameraman. Took it as cool as a cucumber, just with the cigarette still in the mouth – back down and taking a puff.’

It was a moment of brilliance that earned Tony instant kudos from his friends and colleagues.

But, in that simpler, pre-digital age, it was quickly forgotten.

It was a different era: the Prime Minister held a world record for skulling a yard of ale (pictured, Bob Hawke with a lager in hand), Paul Hogan graced the silver screen in Crocodile Dundee and Kylie Minogue (below) was well on her way to global stardom

That was, until a few years ago, when the clip resurfaced online and gained a viral afterlife as fans marvelled at Tony’s cool demeanour and the window into another era.

Now, for the first time ever, the man responsible for the ‘coolest crowd catch ever’ has broken his silence.

‘It’s crazy. I’m really quite embarrassed about it to be honest with you. I get people coming up to me all the time,’ Tony told Daily Mail Australia.

‘There was a time there where my wife and her daughters were contemplating making T-shirts because it was getting ridiculously out of hand in terms of people knowing about it.’

Almost 40 years later, Tony, who is now 66 and lives in Frankston in Melbourne’s south-east, relived the moment he achieved his 15 seconds of fame.

In his late twenties, he was working as the in-studio cameraman for Channel 9’s coverage, which was hosted by legendary cricketer-turned-commentator Richie Benaud. 

But during play there was nothing to do so, as a keen cricket player himself, he would often sit in the stand and watch.

‘I went and sat down in MCG stand in the sun behind one of the other camera operators, Michael Keogh,’ Tony recalled.

The late summer sun beat down on the players as the camera swivelled to the crowd, capturing a woman in a barely-there leopardprint bikini bravely brandishing a sign which read ‘Go Aussies Go’ amidst a sea of Union Jack-waving Poms (the woman, who was Tony’s housemate at the time, is pictured)

Without missing a beat, Tony fizzed the ball back into the field of play before nonchalantly sitting back down, taking a deep drag from his ciggie and silently accepting the adulation from the crowd with a sly smirk

‘I had just lit up, back in the grand old days when you were allowed to smoke in the members pavilion at the MCG.

‘When I saw the ball hit, I was actually more worried about Michael getting hit because it was coming straight at him and I was going to push him out of the way.

‘But it just kept coming straight at me and I didn’t have to move: the seat I got out of was the seat I sat back down in.

‘I played a pretty good standard of cricket in my time so a catch like that wasn’t foreign to me.

‘It actually came quite naturally and instinct took over, I guess.’

Tony was nicknamed ‘Buckets’ by former Australia cricket captain Ian Chappell after his iconic catch

Tony, who played a decent level of suburban cricket in Victoria before his job took over, received instant plaudits – and even an invitation to join a cricket team.

‘The crowd loved it. There were a couple of guys sitting a couple of rows back from me who were actually from a cricket club,’ he said.

‘They asked me whether I wanted to go play for them, which was a bit difficult given my job. So I had to say thanks but no thanks.

‘Once I sat down it sort of hit me. “Oh my God. What have I done?” I knew I was going to be on camera and that my internal reaction was like, “oh, no”. But anyway, it is what it is.

‘Bizarrely, the lady in the bikini at the start of the clip was actually my housemate in Richmond at the time.’ 

Tony had a hero’s welcome when he returned to the studio.

‘Richie (Benaud) had a good laugh about it because he was obviously hosting and Ian Chappell nicknamed me “Buckets” for a while,’ he added.

Tony went on to forge a long and successful career at Channel 9 before working on others such as the Derryn Hinch show, the Fox Footy channel and for Racing Victoria, and his moment of glory was soon forgotten.

That was, until a few years ago, when he was working at the Australian Open.  

‘One of the tech guys walked up and showed me the clip and asked if it was me.  And that was the first time I’d seen it,’ he explained.

‘That same guy said there’s women who want your phone number on Reddit and I asked, “What’s Reddit?”

‘I hadn’t given it a second thought for 25 years. But it’s come back and it’s come back and it’s come back…’

Just to add to the air of ice-cool composure, he then blew a dragon-esque exhale out both nostrils as a passing colleague patted him on the shoulder

Tony, who gave up smoking ten years ago, beat throat cancer last year and is still working, with plans to retire with his wife of 20 years, Sal, next year

The clip now has a cult following online, amassing hundreds of thousands of views on social media.

‘Still fairly sure this is the coolest a human being has ever looked,’ wrote one fan.

Tony has a more modest view.

‘If people get a laugh out of it then great. But for me personally it’s a bit embarrassing,’ he said. 

‘A lot of people have likened me to Kevin Bacon… which makes me feel sorry for Kevin Bacon.’

Tony has been invited to discuss his epic catch on Channel Seven’s sports show The Front Bar for every year for the last three years but has always politely declined, even when they had Ian Botham on the program.

‘The funny thing is that in intervening years, I’ve done a lot of work with Simon O’Donnell who bowled the ball,’ Tony said.

‘He worked at Channel 9 for a time and he’s worked at the races regularly.

‘I think he knows that I caught it but I’m not game enough to mention it to him because he got smashed around that day.’

Tony, who gave up smoking 10 years ago, beat throat cancer last year and is still working, with plans to retire with his wife of 20 years, Sal, next year. 

Is she suitably impressed with his viral moment of fame?

Tony laughed: ‘I think if she’d have known beforehand, she wouldn’t have anything to do with me!’

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