The Tackle: Wayne Carey heads list to be 29th legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame

Ranked as Mark Robinson’s best player of the modern era, Gary Ablett Snr is a deserving AFL legend on playing ability alone. But because of an event after his career ended, it might be seen as controversial.

Wayne Carey is one of the likely contenders to be the next AFL legend. Picture: Karen Dodd

Could it be the Year of the Duck — Wayne Carey?

Or will it be Jason Dunstall or Gary Ablett Snr, two champion forwards who reigned supreme in the 1980s before Carey joined them in the 1990s to produce arguably the greatest assembled batch of key forwards the game has seen?

What about Greg Williams, or Stephen Silvagni?

Or the one-time games record-holder Michael Tuck, who just happened to win seven flags and lose four other Grand Finals.

This is a year for a Legend to be inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame — the 29th official Legend.

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Carey marks in front of Stephen Silvagni, who is also in the frame.

The most recent was Kevin Sheedy (2018), and before him it was Malcolm Blight (2017) and Tony Lockett (2015).

Other Legends include Leigh Matthews (1996), Ted Whitten (1996), Peter Hudson (1999), Kevin Bartlett (2000) and Alex Jesaulenko (2008).

The names ooze achievement and legacy.

Among them is the greatest player who has played the game. It’s a matter of opinion, of course, but plenty have Matthews as No.1.

Wise people reckon Carey is on the podium with Matthews, and his Legend status is coming soon, if not this time around.

Others argue Ablett Sr was the purest, most explosive and most talented player ever to lace up the boots.

But what about Dunstall as a candidate? “Chief” kicked 1254 goals and is third on the all-time list behind Lockett (1360) and Gordon Coventry (1299), both official Legends.

That doesn’t mean the Hawks champ is automatically the next to be elevated to the exalted status.

Goalkicker Jason Dunstall doing what he did best.

It doesn’t work like that; Legend elevation is not ticked off in chronological order.

Because Dunstall finished his career before Carey did, that doesn’t give Dunstall the leg-up.

It’s a terribly difficult task this year, as it is every year, because a handful of players deserve the honour.

My choice would be Carey, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

The selectors could opt for Williams and that wouldn’t be wrong. Neither would Dunstall.

Ablett Sr would still be controversial. Not because of his remarkable ability to play the game — I ranked him the No.1 player ahead of Carey as the best player of the national era — but because of an event after his career ended.

It might not be a popular opinion, or it might be, but I’m not sure the AFL is ready to bestow its ultimate honour on a man who spent a night with a 20-year-old woman who didn’t see the next morning.

I still think of her and her parents about this time every year when the Hall of Fame is discussed.

The AFL might decide sufficient time has passed — it was 20 years ago in February — but, really, who can judge the “right time”?

Gary Ablett Snr being elevated legend status would be seen as controversial.

Carey, too, has had his post-career challenges, but

he has also made a strong contribution to football after getting his life back on track.

There is no need to

list Carey’s on-field accomplishments.

Simply, he was a colossal player; brave, inspiring, compelling to watch and he arguably had more impact on games than any other player in the past 40 years.

Matthews once said of Carey: “I thought ‘Blighty’

was (the best) when I finished playing … (but) what Carey did in the ’90s decade was remarkable.’’

He would be a deserved Legend.

And so would Dunstall and Diesel, or I’m sure whomever else the selectors elevated, be it player or coach.

Maybe the selectors have turned the page into this century and assessed the likes of Michael Voss or Chris Judd, who finished their careers in the 2000s.

Maybe, but ahead of Carey et al? Don’t think so.

Of course, it will be a different ceremony this year.

The Legend and the inductees have already been selected — their names are known to very, very few — and the AFL and Fox Footy are starting to plan their coverage.

Brisbane Lion Simon Black will be presented with his award. He was inducted last year, but was unable to attend the AFL’s lavish event because he was filming Survivor. The poor bugger misses out on another gala event this year because of the isolation rules.

Six others will join him.

Greg ‘Diesel’ Williams in action.

That’s where the selection committee had an unenviable task.

Eligible for the Hall of Fame this year are players who retired after the 2014 season.

They include Brisbane goliath Jonathan Brown, West Coast Eagles champs Dean Cox and Darren Glass, and St Kilda’s spiritual leader Lenny Hayes.

There’s a bunch of other standouts ready to join the game’s elite.

The list is headed by Collingwood’s Thorold Merrett, North Melbourne’s John Dugdale and Melbourne’s Don Williams, a player Ron Barassi described as the best he played with at the Demons.

There’s Richmond’s dynamic centreman Geoff Raines, Hawthorn’s Chris Mew and Gary Buckenara, Carlton’s Rod Ashman,

St Kilda’s Nicky Winmar, Essendon and Brisbane Lions forward Roger Merrett, Melbourne’s Brent Crosswell and Footscray’s Kelvin Templeton from the 1970s and 1980s who have to be considered. And more recently Eagles rover Daniel Kerr and Lions star Luke Power.

State league footballers from South Australia and Western Australia usually feature prominently, too.

Selectors also can select an administrator, umpire and media person whose contribution to Australian rules cannot be ignored.

NOTE: The selection committee comprises Richard Goyder, Paul Marsh, Michelangelo Rucci, Karen Lyon, Bruce McAvaney, Tania Armstrong and David Parkin.

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Originally published as The Tackle: Wayne Carey heads list to be 29th legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame