One of the greatest goalkickers in AFL history will officially become the sport’s 32nd legend at tonight’s Australian Football Hall of Fame ceremony.
Hawthorn champion and Fox Footy favourite Jason Dunstall will be elevated to legend status as the headline act on Tuesday night, along with at least six new inductees spanning not just the V/AFL but other state leagues as well.
The first inductee of the night was inaugural Adelaide Crows AFL captain Chris McDermott.
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The first inductee of the night was inaugural Adelaide Crows AFL captain Chris McDermott.
Following a decade of success in South Australia with Glenelg, McDermott was considered the perfect fit as a natural leader to spearhead the Crows in the national competition.
McDermott was known as one of the competition’s toughest and most courageous midfielders and was among Glenelg’s best in their 1985 and 1986 premiership triumphs.
McDermott captained the Crows for four seasons and was the first player to reach 100 games for the club. In 1992 he won the Club Champion trophy and received an All-Australian blazer.
The inductees will be confirmed during tonight’s ceremony but the 59-year-old Dunstall, who became a Hall of Famer in 2002 as soon as he became eligible, was confirmed as the next Legend earlier this year.
Dunstall kicked 1254 goals, third only to Tony Lockett (1360) and Gordon Coventry (1299) on the all-time V/AFL list, in 269 games while winning four premierships in Hawthorn’s golden era.
The Queenslander played at just 188cm, making him shorter than current midfield stars Patrick Cripps and Nat Fyfe, and was self-deprecating of his chances of starring in the modern era when he spoke earlier this year.
“I wouldn’t get through pre-season, to be brutally frank,” Dunstall said.
“I don’t know if I’d be a good enough athlete, honestly. But you kind of think if you were brought up in a different time, you’d be physiologically a little different and better prepared to come into the game.
“Because they have such a great pathway now, which wasn’t really in existence back in the eighties.”
Dunstall will join the likes of Ron Barassi, John Coleman, Jack Dyer, Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer and former teammate Leigh Matthews as a Legend.
This article will be updated throughout Tuesday’s ceremony with news of the new Hall of Fame inductees.
Source Agencies
