No sign of any greyhounds...

**C-Train** · 22 June 2006, 08:25 PM

gotta be! 100% certian!

**robbieando** · 22 June 2006, 09:46 PM

Re: No sign of any greyhounds...

Originally posted by liz
He becomes eligible this year.

Wouldn't his eligabilty be pushed back 3 years because of his 2002 comeback??

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Roos only became eligible for the HOF last year (and was added first go around) after his 1998 retirement as a player therefore, Lockett would only be eligible for entry to the HOF this year on the basis of his 1999 retirement had he stayed retired. Therefore had he not made the 2002 comeback he would tonight be in the HOF, but he isn't eligible now under my understanding of the rules governing the HOF until 2009.

But as I said someone correct me if I'm wrong

**liz** · 22 June 2006, 10:15 PM

I think a player only has to be retired for 3 years. Lockett's 3 are up now.

Roos was eligible before last year. It is just that he didn't get elevated as soon as he was eligible. It is pretty rare for any player to get in as soon as they are eligible, such is the backlog of worthy candidates. However, holding the record for the most number of goals in AFL league history might just do the trick.

It is reported that Matera has been chosen this year and it is his first year of eligibility. Must admit that surprised me a bit in that I hadn't thought his contribution was considered to be that outstanding. I'd have put him about the same level as Roos in his standing in the game.

**robbieando** · 22 June 2006, 10:33 PM

Originally posted by liz
I think a player only has to be retired for 3 years. Lockett's 3 are up now.

Indeed it is. 3 years retired is the mandatory requirement for a player to become eligible, therefore what I had in mind was clearly a) wrong b) thrown by Roos getting entry to the Hall last year. As I said someone correct me if I was wrong and I was.

On a side note this is his first time up since the 2002 retirement of course. Had he not comeback in 2002 he would of been eligible in 2003.

Roos was eligible before last year. It is just that he didn't get elevated as soon as he was eligible.

For some reason I didn't know that so I believe last year was his first year for some reason. Yet I wasn't quite sure.

It is pretty rare for any player to get in as soon as they are eligible, such is the backlog of worthy candidates.

Hence Robert Walls finally getting in a decade after the Hall started.

However, holding the record for the most number of goals in AFL league history might just do the trick.

It would of been just plain stupid of the AFL HOF selection panel not to have selected him first time of asking. Goes without saying.

It is reported that Matera has been chosen this year and it is his first year of eligibility. Must admit that surprised me a bit in that I hadn't thought his contribution was considered to be that outstanding. I'd have put him about the same level as Roos in his standing in the game.

No doubt Matera should be there, but like you I think he should of been made to wait a year or two.

For the record the Hall of Fame Class of 2006 is

Darrel Baldock - St Kilda (Elevation to Legend Status)
Tony Lockett - St Kilda/Sydney
Craig Bradley - Port Adelaide Magpies/Carlton
Peter Matera - West Coast
John Murphy - Fitzroy/South Melbourne/North Melbourne
Wilfred 'Chicken' Smallhorn - Fitzroy
Steve Marsh - South Fremantle
Robert Walls - (Player) Carlton/Fitzroy (Coach) Fitzroy/Carlton/Brisbane/Richmond
Harry Beitzel - Umpire and Radio Commentator

**robbieando** · 22 June 2006, 10:39 PM

MEDIA RELEASE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

The Australian Football League (AFL) tonight announced that St Kilda premiership captain Darrel Baldock had been made a Legend of the Game.

Baldock, who played nearly 400 games across a 20-year career in Tasmania and Victoria and led the Saints to its only premiership in 1966, was named as the 20th Legend in the game's history at tonight's Australian Football Hall of Fame Induction Dinner.

A further eight people were inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame at tonight's dinner at the Palladium Room in Melbourne -- six-time Port Adelaide and Carlton Best and Fairest Winner Craig Bradley, the AFL's all-time leading goalkicker in Tony Lockett, seven-time South Fremantle / East Fremantle premiership player Steve Marsh, West Coast Eagles' inaugural inductee Peter Matera, six-time Fitzroy and South Melbourne Best and Fairest Winner John Murphy, 1933 Brownlow Medallist Wilfred 'Chicken' Smallhorn, three-time Carlton premiership player and 1987 premiership coach Robert Walls and former Grand Final umpire and long-time radio commentator Harry Beitzel.

The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996 and serves to recognise players, coaches, umpires, administrators, and media representatives who have made an outstanding contribution to Australian football.

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME 2006 INDUCTEES:

Craig Bradley
Played 98 games for Port Adelaide (SANFL), 1981-85, kicking 104 goals.
Played 375 games for Carlton, 1986-2002, kicking 247 goals.
Played 15 games for South Australia, kicking eight goals.
Port Adelaide Best and Fairest 1982, 1984, 1985.
Carlton Best and Fairest 1986, 1988, 1993.
Fos Williams Medallist 1986, 1991, 1993.
Michael Tuck Medallist 1997.
All Australian 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997.
Carlton captain 1998-2001.
Port Adelaide premiership 1981.
Carlton premierships 1987, 1995.
Port Adelaide's Greatest Team 1870-2000 (wing).
Carlton Team of the Century (wing).
Number Four All Time VFL / AFL All Time Games Played.

Tony Lockett
Played 183 games for St Kilda, 1983-94, kicking 898 goals.
Played 98 games for Sydney, 1995-99 and 2002, kicking 462 goals.
Played 5 games for Victoria, kicking 19 goals.
St Kilda Best and Fairest 1987, 1991.
Sydney Best and Fairest 1995.
Brownlow Medallist 1987.
EJ Whitten Medallist 1995.
Coleman Medallist 1987, 1991, 1996, 1998.
All Australian 1987, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998.
Club Leading Goalkicker 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999.
St Kilda Team of the Century (full forward).
Sydney Team of the Century (full forward).
Number One All-Time VFL / AFL Leading goalkicker.

Steve Marsh
Played 226 games for South Fremantle, 1945-56.
Played 39 games for East Fremantle, 1957-58.
Played 19 games for Western Australia.
South Fremantle Best and Fairest 1950, 1951, 1952, 1956.
South Fremantle premierships 1947, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954.
East Fremantle premiership 1957 (captain-coach).
All Australian 1953 (inaugural team).

Peter Matera
Played 253 games for West Coast, 1990-2002, kicking 217 goals.
Played 5 games for Western Australia, kicking four goals.
West Coast Best and Fairest 1997.
Norm Smith Medallist 1992.
All Australian 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997.
West Coast premierships 1992, 1994.
Indigenous Team of the Century (wing).

John Murphy
Played 214 games for Fitzroy, 1967-77, kicking 326 goals.
Played 23 games for South Melbourne, 1978-79, kicking 40 goals.
Played 9 games for North Melbourne, 1979-80, kicking 8 goals.
Played 11 games for Victoria, kicking 11 goals.
Fitzroy Best and Fairest 1968, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1977.
South Melbourne Best and Fairest 1978.
Fitzroy captain 1973-77.
Fitzroy leading goalkicker 1971, 1976.
South Melbourne leading goalkicker 1978.
Fitzroy Team of the Century (centre).

Wilfred Smallhorn
Played 150 games for Fitzroy, 1930-40, kicking 31 goals.
Played 7 games for Victoria, kicking 0 goals.
Brownlow Medallist 1933.
Fitzroy Team of the Century (wing).

Robert Walls
Played 218 games for Carlton, 1967-78, kicking 367 goals.
Played 41 games for Fitzroy, 1978-80, kicking 77 goals.
Played 4 games for Victoria, kicking 7 goals.
Carlton premierships 1968, 1970, 1972.
Carlton captain 1977-78.
Carlton leading goalkicker 1975, 1976.
Carlton Team of the Century (interchange).
Fitzroy coach, 1981-85 for 60 wins, 54 losses, 1 draw.
Carlton coach, 1986-89 for 56 wins, 28 losses.
Brisbane Bears coach 1991-95 for 30 wins, 78 losses, 1 draw.
Richmond coach 1996-97 for 17 wins, 22 losses.
Carlton premiership coach 1987.

Harry Beitzel
VFL Umpire 1948-60, officiating in 153 games.
Umpired 6 State Games.
VFL Director of Umpiring 1980-81.
3KZ Commentator 1961-71.
3AW Commentator 1972-88.
3AK Commentator 1989-91.

Darrel Baldock (Legend)
Played 71 games for East Devonport 1955-58.
Played 158 games for LaTrobe 1959-61, 1969-74.
Played 119 games for St Kilda, 1962-68, kicking 237 goals.
Played 4 games for New Norfolk 1975.
Played 10 games for Victoria, kicking 23 goals.
Played 15 games for Tasmania.
Played 20 games for NWFU.
East Devonport Best and Fairest 1955, 1956, 1957.
St Kilda Best and Fairest 1962, 1963, 1965.
St Kilda premiership 1966.
LaTrobe premierships 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972.
St Kilda captain 1963-68.
St Kilda leading goalkicker 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965.
Wander (NWFU) Medallist 1957, 1959, 1969.
All Australian 1961, 1966 (captain).
St Kilda Team of the Century (centre half-forward and captain).
Tasmanian Team of the Century (half forward and captain).

**robbieando** · 22 June 2006, 10:42 PM

A big well done to Tony for making the Hall of Fame and I think we shouldn't forget John Murphy who also makes the Hall of Fame tonight on the back of his days at Fitzroy in the 70's but in his two seasons and 23 games at the Swans did win the 1978 Best and Fairest. So well done to both guys who made their names at other clubs before coming to us to further their careers one way or another.

**liz** · 22 June 2006, 11:27 PM

Congratulations to all the inductees, but especially the two Swans.

I wouldn't have been surprised either way with Lockett. I think Caro is still on the selection committee - she certainly was up to last year - and within the past year she's expressed her opinion, in print, that Lockett has somehow failed to fulfill his obligations to the game by deciding to opt out of the retired-players retinue, and that he should continue to do more to promote the game.

All complete rubbish of course - he gave a lot during his career and his impact in bringing AFL to the back pages of the Sydney media was huge, arguably the single most important factor in the AFL gaining credibility up here.

It was an out-and-out privilege to watch him play and I have a good St Kilda-supporting mate who feels exactly the same way.

**hammo** · 22 June 2006, 11:42 PM

Caro doesn't know what she's taking about. LOckett did more than enough in his playing days to promote the code. Enough said.

***SimonH*** · 23 June 2006, 12:26 AM

Congrats to all inductees.

Plugger is entitled to completely turn his back on footy post-retirement; and if elevation to the Hall of Fame for players is based on consideration of their performance while they were players (which kind of makes sense), subsequent behaviour should be irrelevant (notwithstanding the G. Ablett snr controversy).

With the debate about Peter Matera, interesting to note that he was voted into the starting 18 of the Full Points Footy team of teams, which is an extraordinary achievement when you consider that this was an (inevitably tendentious) attempt to compile 'the best team ever'. A first-rate player, but honestly I'd never thought of him as that good.

(While Lockett missed out on selection in the same team to Ken Farmer, Souths didn't do too badly, with Laurie Nash and the inevitable Roy Cazaly both getting a guernsey.)

PS A question for the stats nerds: has anyone ever played more than Craig Bradley's whopping 488 games at first-class level? That's basically 20 years of non-stop footy with nary a game missed. Makes Michael Tuck look like a dilettante.

***goswannie14*** · 23 June 2006, 06:00 AM

Strange how there was all of the controversy about Ablett, but I haven't heard even a whisper about Beitzel's flutters with the law. Hypocrites.

**giant** · 23 June 2006, 09:24 AM

Saw a lot of Matera playing, and while not suggesting he was in the same class as Lockett, he was an exhilirating player that had a critical role in 2 premierships for a newish club.

Didn't have the charisma or presence of a BUckley or Hird, but for sheer "break the lines" brilliance there have been few better.

Little surprised he's there straight up but I guess he is the obvious WCE candidate (assuming Glendinning is in but mainly for his performances with North.)

**shippo** · 23 June 2006, 11:05 AM

Originally posted by giant
....exhilirating....

Attendance: A+
Spelling: B-

**Danzar** · 23 June 2006, 11:11 AM

Originally posted by shippo
Attendance: A+
Spelling: B-

KAW!

Dats funny (I would heve spelt it that way myslef)

**j s** · 23 June 2006, 03:37 PM

Lockett is also a monte to be named a Legend as soon as he becomes eligible. The waiting period is longer for Legend status but I'm not sure how long it is.