A champion midfielder and leader during his playing days, Sparrow became known to later generations for his role in football media.
The son of fellow West Australian Football Hall of Famer Val Sparrow, he spent most of his career either as a centreman or across half back.
He started his career at his father's club, East Perth in 1943 during the underage period (due to the war, and won the F. D. Book Medal for their fairest and best in 1948 and 1952.
In 1957 he retired as a player but remained West Perth's coach, leading them to the final, before joining the media and becoming one of Western Australia's best known football commentator on both television and radio.
[2] A regular interstate representative, Sparrow played 17 games for Western Australia, most notably in 1951 when he was appointed captain and at the 1953 Adelaide Carnival where he achieved All-Australian selection.