Malcolm Blight becomes second SA great to be a ‘Legend’ in the Australian Football Hall of Fame

MALCOLM Blight has become the 27th Legend of the Game in the Australian Football Hall of Fame - and second South Australian with this honour.

Malcolm Blight has deservedly earned legend status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. Picture: Matt Turner

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• How fate swung Goodwin to footy greatness
• National salute for SA footy pioneers

MALCOLM Blight has been revered as an legend for most of his 50 years in senior football, but now it’s official.

The former SANFL and VFL/AFL player and coach, dubbed The Messiah for leading the Adelaide Crows to back-to-back flags in the 1997-98, has deservedly earned legend status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Blight became the 27th “Legend of the Game” – and the second from SA, following Barrie Robran’s achievement in 2001.

Blight returned to Adelaide from Queensland, where he works as an ambassador with the Gold Coast Suns, for the crowning moment last night at Adelaide Oval in a significant tribute to SA football in the SANFL’s 140th year.

Former Adelaide coach Malcolm Blight with the two premiership cups he won during his time in Adelaide. Picture: Sarah Reed

“It is perfect that this moment is in Adelaide for a boy who grew up just dreaming of getting a kick at Woodville,” Blight said.

“My initial reaction when (former AFL Commission chairman) Mike Fitzpatrick rang me was surprise. It was, ‘Oh ... oh ...’ ”

Blight’s 21-year wait to be hailed as a “Legend of the Game” – after being an inaugural inductee to the Hall in 1996 – will surprise many who feel his extraordinary record as a player and coach deserved official legend status long ago.

Malcolm Blight in full flight for the Woodville Warriors in 1985.

A legend is honoured for “having caused the game to change significantly for the better”. Blight’s resume has him as the first player to win the Magarey and Brownlow medals as best in the SANFL (1972) and VFL (1978), two VFL premierships as a player with North Melbourne and then two as a coach at Adelaide, and the first player to win medals for topping the SANFL and VFL goalkicking ladder.

Blight compared his surprise in his new Hall of Fame status with his bewilderment when honoured with a bronze statue outside Adelaide Oval in 2015.

“When the statue was unveiled, I thought ‘You’re kidding’,” Blight said. “You don’t grow up thinking of statues for playing footy. And you certainly don’t have being a legend in the Hall of Fame in mind.

“So it is an honour. The highest honour. The pinnacle. And I am surprised.”

The national Hall of Fame also recognised 1961 Magarey medallist John Halbert and Crows premiership player Simon Goodwin. Goodwin is the sixth member of Blight’s 1997-98 Crows premiership teams to be inducted into the Hall following captain Mark Bickley, Norm Smith medallist Andrew McLeod, Brownlow medallist Mark Ricciuto and grand final heroes Darren Jarman and Ben Hart.

Simon Goodwin is the sixth member of Malcolm Blight’s 1997-98 Crows premiership teams to be inducted into the Hall.

Blight started his journey in league football at Woodville in 1968, after first being “mesmerised” as a fan watching Port Adelaide goalkicking great Rex Johns at Alberton Oval.

“I still enjoy the game,” Blight said.

He paid tribute to his wife Patsy for her support as he chased his dream in football.

“You can’t do this by yourself – that would be impossible,” he said. “From the moment I moved from Woodville to North Melbourne (at the end of 1973), Patsy was there – and she has been terrific. She has been there through the good times ... and the bad times.

“Patsy has been my mate in this journey, my best mate.”

Robran was unable to attend last night’s induction ceremony because of ill health.

HALL OF FAME HONOUR ROLL

Legend

MALCOLM BLIGHT

Played: 162 SANFL league games with Woodville (1968-73 and 1983-85) and kicked 363 goals; 178 VFL games with North Melbourne (1974-82) and kicked 444 goals.

Represented: SA, seven times (19 goals); Victoria, seven times (11 goals).

Coached: Woodville (1983-87, 114 games); Geelong (1989-94, 145 games); Adelaide (1997-99, 74 games); St Kilda (2001, 15 games).

Honours: Magarey Medal (1972), Brownlow Medal (1978), Coleman Medal, VFL leading goalkicker (1982); Ken Farmer Medal, SANFL leading goalkicker (1985); VFL premiership player at North Melbourne (1975 and 1977); All-Australian (1972, 1982 and 1985); Woodville captain (1983-85); North Melbourne leading goalkicker (1978, 1979, 1981 and 1982); Woodville leading goalkicker (1983 and 1985); North Melbourne Team of the Century at half-forward; Adelaide Hall of Fame.

Inductees

SIMON GOODWIN

Played: 275 AFL games with Adelaide (1997-2010) and kicked 162 goals; 18 SANFL league games with South Adelaide (1995-98) and kicked one goal.

Represented: SA, once; Australia, three times.

Coach: Melbourne, 2017 onwards.

Honours: AFL premiership player at Adelaide (1997-98); Adelaide club champion (2000, 2005 and 2006); All-Australian (2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2006 and 2009); Adelaide captain (2008-2010); Michael Tuck Medal, best afield in pre-season grand final (2006).

JOHN HALBERT

Played: 244 SANFL league games for Sturt (1955-68) and kicked 253 goals.

Represented: SA, 16 times.

Coached: Glenelg (1979-82) and Sturt (1983-84).

Honours: Magarey Medal (1961); Sturt premiership (1966); All-Australian (1961); Sturt best-and-fairest (1958, 1960, 1961 and 1964); Sturt captain (1962-68); Sturt Team of the Century at centre half-forward; SA Football Hall of Fame.

BRETT ALLEN

Umpired: 347 AFL games (1992-2007).

Honours: Seven AFL grand finals (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006); All-Australian (1999, 2000, 2002 and 2006).

BARRY HALL

Played: 88 games for St Kilda (1996-2001) and kicked 144 goals; 162 games for Sydney (2002-2009) and kicked 467 goals; 39 games for Western Bulldogs (2010 and 2011) and kicked 135 goals.

Represented: Australia, four times.

Honours: Sydney premiership (2005); All-Australian (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2010); Sydney captain (2005-2007); Sydney club champion (2004); St Kilda leading goalkicker (1999 and 2001); Sydney leading goalkicker (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008; Western Bulldogs leading goalkicker (2010 and 2011).

ANTHONY STEVENS

Played: 292 AFL league games for North Melbourne (1989-2004) and kicked 127 goals.

Represented: Victoria, four times; Australia, twice.

Honours: North Melbourne premiership (1996 and 1999); All-Australian (1998); North Melbourne club champion (1997 and 1999); North Melbourne captain (2002 and 2003); North Melbourne Team of the Century at ruck rover.

RON TODD

Played: 76 VFL league games with Collingwood (1935-39) and kicked 327 goals; 141 VFA senior games with Williamstown (1940-49) and kicked 672 goals.

Honours: Collingwood premiership (1936); Williamstown premiership (1945 and 1949); VFL leading goalkicker (1938 and 1939); VFA leading goalkicker (1945 and 1946); Collingwood leading goalkicker (1938 and 1939); Williamstown leading goalkicker (1945, 1946, 1947 and 1949); Williamstown captain-coach (1948 and 1949); Williamstown Team of the Century at centre half-forward.

Pioneers

JOHN ACRAMAN (SA)

Founder of the first Adelaide Football Club in 1860. SAFA vice-president at inception of the association in 1877.

CHARLES KINGSTON (SA)

Founder of the South Adelaide Football Club in 1876 after being part of the early Adelaide Football Club from 1870. Key speaker at foundation meeting of the SAFA in 1877. Member of the first SANFL (then SAFA) premiership team in 1877.

NOEL TWOPENNY (SA)

Key mover to unify the game — and rules — with the formation of the SA Football Association in 1877. Early captain of the Adelaide Football Club.