2017 Australian Football Hall of Fame: ‘The Messiah’ Malcolm Blight is now officially a ’Legend’
MALCOLM Blight was already the “Messiah”. Now he can add the title Legend to the long list of superlatives attached to his name, after his Australian Football Hall of Fame elevation.
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MALCOLM Blight — the “Messiah” of Adelaide’s premiership double — in now officially a “Legend” of Australian football.
Already renowned for his legendary feats in a 50-year career as a player, coach, in the media and now in football administration, Blight is the second South Australian to be formally classed a “Legend” in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Blight follows triple Magarey Medallist Barrie Robran to the “Legend” platform. Robran was elevated to this status in 2001.
“And there should be more — certainly one more with Russell Ebert,” Blight told The Advertiser in endorsing the four-time Magarey Medallist and his former North Melbourne teammate.
“I’m lucky to have been born in an era when there is a Hall of Fame. If we had this honour in the 1920s, I’m sure there would have been many more South Australians before me — and Barrie.”
Blight is the 27th “Legend” in the Australian Football Hall of Fame, which began in 1996 to celebrate the VFL-AFL centenary.
In classifying him as a legend, the Hall of Fame selection panel acknowledged that the first player to combine Magarey and Brownlow Medal triumphs had “caused the game to change significantly for the better”.
Blight’s rise to an official legend status comes decades after he had already earned the title with his legendary moments in SA and Victoria at Woodville, North Melbourne, Geelong and the Crows, with the 97-98 back-to-back flags.
Blight, Robran and Ebert are considered to be the three greatest footballers from the SANFL’s grand era since 1945. All three are in the national Hall of Fame.
Sadly, Robran could not attend Tuesday night’s black-tie function at Adelaide Oval because of ill health.
Blight’s grand honour — appropriately in his home city of Adelaide — capped a major night of praise for SA football as the SANFL celebrates its 140th anniversary.
Fellow South Australians inducted to the Hall are 1961 Magarey Medallist John Halbert and one of Blight’s successful players at Adelaide, 1997-98 premiership star Simon Goodwin. They are the 38th and 39th South Australian inductees to the Hall.
The Hall also recognised SA football’s forefathers — John Acraman, former State Premier Charles Kingston and Noel Twopenny — as “pioneers of the game”. They join the five Victorians honoured as the Australian game’s pioneers in 2014.
The Hall of Fame also inducted Sydney premiership captain and goalkicking great Barry Hall, North Melbourne hero Anthony Stevens, field umpire Brett Allen and VFL-VFA goalkicking sensation Ron Todd.
Halbert joins Sturt greats Paul Bagshaw and Rick Davies as the third Double Blues hero from the club’s golden era in the 1960s and 1970s to be honoured in the Hall. Davies was inducted in 2013 and Bagshaw last year.
Goodwin is the sixth of Blight’s premiership heroes to be in the Hall, following Brownlow Medallist Mark Ricciuto (inducted in 2011), captain Mark Bickley (2009), Norm Smith Medallist Andrew McLeod (2014), grand final hero Darren Jarman (2007) and classy defender Ben Hart (last year).
Halbert thought he had become one of the pre-AFL era footballers lost in the Hall of Fame’s selection process.
“I didn’t think I was a chance, more so when there had been two Sturt players (Davies and Bagshaw) inducted in the previous three years,” Halbert told The Advertiser.
“I’m most pleased and delighted for my family. They know how much I have loved this game — and they will feel honoured, just as I do.”
Goodwin, now the Melbourne AFL coach, described as “shock” his reaction when told by former AFL Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick of his induction.
“I never saw myself as a Hall of Famer,” Goodwin told The Advertiser. “For someone who spent his whole playing career as never being satisfied — and carrying a point to prove — this moment becomes my greatest honour.”
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.
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au
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