BRUCE McAvaney, one of Australia's leading football callers, has revealed he has cancer.

News Corp has reported the 64-year-old has leukaemia, but it won't stop him calling next week's opening round of the AFL season.

Channel 7 confirmed McAvaney will still host Thursday night’s season opener between Carlton and Richmond, as well as Friday night’s Collingwood-Western Bulldogs match. 

"It is quite strange to say I have leukaemia because I feel well,” McAvaney said.

"Look, it could be very serious. 

"It could jump out of the ground at any moment. I don’t expect it will. But I’m living a complete life with no restrictions."

McAvaney has a type of blood cancer called Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) and was diagnosed more than two years ago during a routine check-up. 

According to the Cancer Council website, CLL develops slowly and some people with the disease do not need any treatment.

"I can’t give the football up as it is 26 weeks of heaven," McAvaney said. 

"Every morning I wake up and there is a football match to look forward to, there is a race meeting, there is an Olympic Games coming up, it’s ridiculous, but it’s the way I live."

McAvaney said he was excited about calling the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Winter Olympics and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.