On Tuesday night, the Australian Football Hall of Fame inducted six new members into its very distinguished club and also added another AFL Legend.
Matthew Scarlett, David Neitz, Mel Whinnen, Bernie Naylor, Terry Wallace and Wayne Johnston were recognised for their playing and coaching careers that, between them, spanned almost the entire last 80 years.
Kevin Sheedy, the three-time Richmond premiership player and four-time Essendon premiership coach became the Australian Football Hall of Fame’s 28th Legend at the ceremony.
Rohan Connolly has discussed whether these appointments were appropriate.
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"Did the AFL get it right with their Hall of Fame selections? My answer to that would be most certainly," Connolly told Sporting News.
"It was a really good crop of inductions, and the highlight, of course, being Kevin Sheedy's elevation into official Legend status, some would say that's an elevation long overdue.
"Some champions of the game. As usual, a couple hailing from states and competitions outside the VFL and AFL, and this year it was a couple of West Australian legends in Bernie Naylor, a legendary full forward for South Fremantle, and Mel Whinnen from West Perth, a champion of the game through the 60s and 70s who racked up 370-odd games for the Falcons and won no fewer than nine best and fairest awards.
"VFL/AFL inductees included Wayne Johnston, the dominator from Carlton. I saw all of Johnston's career, he was an incredible player for the Blues, a dynamic half-forward with a real tough, competitive edge, and one of the best big occasion players the game has ever seen. A prolific contributor to Carlton's final performances and flags. He played in four and was a key to three of them.
"David Neitz, another inductee, a terrific player for Melbourne with more than 300 games, and a long stint at the top, over 16 seasons. Played a lot of footy early on down back, but for most of his career, he was a key forward and a prolific goal kicker for the Demons. 631 goals for the Melbourne footy club in a successful era for the club.
"Terry Wallace, another inductee some would say long overdue. Played over 250 games, mostly for Hawthorn but later on for Richmond and Footscray, and was a terrific player for the Hawks and the Bulldogs. Played in three premierships with the Hawks, a number of best and fairest awards, All Australian nominations. A really hard-working centre backman, a prolific possession winner, and a key to those great Hawthorn sides of the 80s.
"The other more recent inductee, Matthew Scarlett, of course, synonymous with that fantastic Geelong era of the mid 2000s. You could argue that perhaps he helped revolutionise defensive play, not only a great negator of some very good key-forwards but became a prolific possession winner, whose rebound is almost as valuable to the Cats as his defensive skills. Very smart reader of play, and a very tough, hard competitor.
"But, Kevin Sheedy the highlight of course. It's one of the great careers in football history, he is one of the most famous personalities in the game's history. A fantastic player in his own right even before he began coaching. 250 games for the Tigers, part of three premiership sides with them. Started off as a tough back-pocket, but was really a self-taught player. He became a very skilful player after not being naturally gifted, just worked himself to an elite level.
"Ended up being a very valuable ruck rover and occasional forward goal kicker with the Tigers, and then of course the coaching career. A staggering 27 seasons at the helm of the Essendon Football Club. That finished at the end of 2007 and long after people thought that may have been it for Sheedy, he came back and coached the first two seasons in the AFL with GWS. A pioneer to the end.
"It's his ambassadorial qualities with football that have helped round out the Sheedy legend. He's been a man who's lived and breathed the game. Happy to talk to anyone about football on the proviso that he can pick up ideas out of it. A real 'think outside the square' type of football person. Pivotal in the opening up of the VFL-AFL competition to Indigenous players in particular, a real missionary in terms of taking his club, Essendon, all over the country to play practice games and spread the gospel of the club.
"He's helped get the big event games, that are now an established part of the calendar, off the ground. Like the Anzac Day clash between Collingwood and Essendon, the Dreamtime game between Essendon and Richmond, which happens this weekend. The country game, which is a more recent innovation but is also gathering momentum.
"He's just been a wonderful contributor to the game and has a passion for the sport (that is) unmatched in any other person that's been involved in football in my lifetime. A wonderful honour for Sheedy, but one very much deserved. You couldn't help notice how popular that honour was when it was bestowed upon him at the Hall of Fame inductions."
