Australian Football Hall of Fame 2025: Josh Barnes takes you inside the event
No event brings football royalty together like the Australian football Hall of Fame. Josh Barnes takes you behind the curtain of one of footy’s most prestigious nights.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The person that made more heads turn at football’s favourite function never got close to playing at the highest level.
One of the final people to walk into the room at Crown Palladium was the biggest star to enjoy the steak on Tuesday night – Eric Bana.
The Hollywood star was ushered into the room by St Kilda president Andrew Bassat, to support Nick Riewoldt’s induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Bana has surely taken the mantle as St Kilda’s most famous fan from a man Riewoldt called out during his induction speech.
“Dad was a Saints supporter … I remember Dad saying to me after I got drafted, ‘You get to meet guys like Robert Harvey and Nathan Burke and Stewy Lowe’, but I thought, ‘Yeah that’s great but going to St Kilda I might get to meet Shane Warne’,” Riewoldt said.
Bana was joined by a heavy group of the St Kilda legends in the Riewoldt section of the room, with Lenny Hayes, Michael Gardiner, Leigh Montagna, Justin Koschitzke, Brendon Goddard and Aaron Hamill all on hand around old and current coach Ross Lyon.
Carlton assistant coach Hamill would have had no issue from his boss on Wednesday morning, given hall of famer Michael Voss was part of the heaving crowd at a nearby bar in Crown after the event.
In a room literally full of legends, Bana was a standout, but he didn’t stick around to mingle, as he was quick out the door.
Also quick out the door, then back again, then out, was Melbourne Racing Club chairman John Kanga.
No surprise he spent more time out of his seat than in it, given earlier in the day he announced the removal of MRC CEO Tom Reilly.
Kanga’s busy night meant he didn’t eat much of the prawn entree, steak main or chocolate fondant dessert.
No wonder his phone was running hot as he got himself stuck regularly with the doors shut due to Fox Footy’s coverage.
The telecast ran about 40 minutes over time, pushing past 10pm, largely thanks to the speech of the night, from South Adelaide legend Peter Darley.
Darley’s yarns incorporated a mid-season trip to see Bob Massie’s famous debut at Lords, and innuendo about sand dunes and his current form in the bedroom.
It was the most celebrated speech of the night — a feat given Garry Lyon’s typically polished performance — as host Gerard Whateley declared Darley would be the “most sought after figure in the post-show today”.
“I like the sound of you Pete,” Lyon would say later.
The overtime could also be attributed to Erin Phillips, who quipped she “might steal a couple minutes” after declaring herself as a Channel 7 talent on the rival broadcaster.
It’s doubtful Fox Footy would mind, given the final induction of the night came with Whateley and Lyon on stage, the hosts of flagship show AFL 360.
Luke Hodge didn’t have the star power that Nick Riewoldt did in his corner for the night, with no Hollywood figures on his tables.
Jarryd Roughead and Jordan Lewis came in to Crown together to sit in Hodge’s corner, and Sam Mitchell was dragged in to one of many blue carpet photos.
Hodge’s two coaches, Alastair Clarkson and Chris Fagan, enjoyed a laugh as he recalled how he came out of retirement to join Fagan’s Lions.
Hodge namechecked fitness boss Andrew Russell twice in his speech, and Russell was on hand to enjoy the night with the Hawks champion.
Even the new hall of famer seemed surprised Lance Franklin delivered his introduction video, with Hodge noting “it was the first time he called me Luke”.
Franklin was the biggest star out of the room discussed on Tuesday, particularly his fashionable haircut for the Hodge induction video.
Unfortunately for us all, Franklin has since shaved that cut, which was longer at the back than we have seen from ‘Buddy’.
The reigning premiership coach, Fagan at times owned the big room at Crown.
He was in deep conversation with AFL supremo Andrew Dillon during one ad break, hours after it was announced there would be more money in club soft caps, a boost Dillon told this reporter before the ceremony was somewhat owed to Fagan.
“We’ve been working with our footy department since December when Chris Fagan presented to the commission,” Dillon said.
Fagan also ran into Mick Malthouse just outside of the main room, with Malthouse belatedly congratulating him for joining the club of premiership coaches.
The pair had not spoken since grand final day the year before, when Fagan lost to the Magpies, one of Malthouse’s teams.
One of the beauties of the hall of fame night is there is no competition — no losers, only winners.
But the same can’t be said for the blue carpet out the front, where you have to get on and get your photo in quick time.
Just ask Jonathan Brown, who spent a good 10 minutes rounding up his father Brian to make sure he didn’t miss the photo as ushers desperately corralled the crowd into the room.
And fan-favourite Robert DiPierdomenico decided to get vocal on the carpet, yelling in full voice to drag hall of fame legend Jason Dunstall and inductee John Platten and their partners for a photo.
‘Dipper’ didn’t stop there, calling out in support for Dunstall when Riewoldt picked up a footy card he had of the goalkicker during his speech.
The Saints great happily gave a acknowledgment back.
More Coverage
Originally published as Australian Football Hall of Fame 2025: Josh Barnes takes you inside the event
Right Jai, right time: Hawks snatch Launceston thriller from nowhere
Hawthorn has come from the clouds to defeat Adelaide in Launceston as late goals from Jai Newcombe and Connor Macdonald made the Crows pay for their wastefulness.
Buckley: The scariest thing about Will Ashcroft
Winning the Norm Smith Medal was just the start for Will Ashcroft, writes Nathan Buckley. The Fox Footy expert previews every Super Saturday clash from round 14.