Simon Black should be a walk-up inclusion for the Hall of Fame, writes Mark Robinson

There’s one accolade remaining for Simon Black and that will surely come when the next Hall of Fame inductees are named next month, writes Mark Robinson. Who are the contenders?

When Simon Black was 25, he might’ve been the most decorated 25-year-old player of all time.

The majestic Brisbane Lions ball-winner had won a Brownlow Medal, a Norm Smith Medal, three All-Australians, two club best and fairests and was a member of three premierships.

It was a rolled gold resume.

He finished with 322 games over 16 seasons and is arguably Brisbane’s second-greatest player behind Michael Voss.

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It’s widely accepted Voss is No.1. So Vossy, who would be No.2?

“I don't know,” he said with laugh.

“Blacky’s a ripper bloke, you couldn’t meet a more humble person. He shied the limelight, just got his job done, was close to our hardest worker.

“I find it difficult to rank them because it's like ranking your kids.

“But when you have a playing profile like Blacky has, he's in the conversation of our best five ever.

“You’ve got Jonathan Brown, Nigel Lappin, there's four straight away you could throw a blanket over. And ‘Aker’ would be up there, absolutely.”

The one accolade remaining for Black is the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

That surely will be added to his list of achievements when the Hall of Fame dinner is held on June 4.

This year, up to eight players, coaches, administrators, umpires and media representatives will be inducted.

There will be no Legend.

The debate about the next legend will be held about this time next year.

Brisbane champ Simon Black starred in the 2003 Grand Final with 39 disposals. Picture: Craig Borrow

There shouldn’t be any debate about Black’s inclusion.

Every year a list of players become eligible for selection. Some are worth strong consideration. A few are walk-up, automatic selections.

Last year, it was Geelong champion Matthew Scarlett.

This year, it should be Black, the last of the Fab Four — Voss, Lappin and Akermanis are already in — to be recognised by the AFL.

The “fifth Beatle” during that powerhouse Lions era was Luke Power and unquestionably his time will come.

Black was a casual-to-look-at left footer with a movie-star head, who played hard-nosed football.

He was an inside and outside midfielder who made grunt work look stylish, like doing the vacuuming in a tuxedo.

“Talent for talent there was no one more important at Brisbane,” Voss told the Herald Sun.

“His level of consistency was pretty unreal, he turned up every week which is incredibly difficult to do.

“A lot of the work he did was all sharp possessions, it wasn’t the run and link like Aker, or the contested marks like Browny, but the work he did which went unnoticed was significant for us.”

Michael Voss and Simon Black basking in premiership success in 2001,

Amid the grunt was a sharp footy brain.

“What I loved about Blacky was he could orchestrate play,” Voss said

“You'd often see him in space and carrying it and he was almost directing what was ahead of him, and what he wanted his teammates to do, either by his arm movements or the way he's kicked the ball.

“He was superb at being able to do that, he was able to construct the play on the run.”

Black's most cherished game would be the 2003 Grand Final win over Collingwood.

His team won the flag and he won the Norm Smith for best afield for his 39-disposal game. He also had nine tackles in his team's tally of 47 and nine clearances in his team's tally of 45.

“I'd have to say that game certainly sticks in my mind,” his coach Leigh Matthews has said.

“I reckon there’s something fantastic if you think that on the biggest stage, under the most pressure, you produce a career-best game.”

It will be yet another intriguing and anticipated night to learn who else enters the Hall of Fame.

Could it be the year St Kilda’s Trevor Barker, Bulldogs great Kelvin Templeton or even Saints star Nicky Winmar are recognised?

Or Carlton’s Ken Hunter?

Or Richmond premiership centreman Geoff Raines?

Simon Black with his 2002 Brownlow Medal.

There’s Gary Buckenara, the four-time Hawthorn premiership champ, and Roger Merrett, the Essendon and Brisbane 300-gamer, and Carlton keeps pushing the name of Brent Crosswell.

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

In South Australia, State of Origin stars and local legends such as Chris McDermott, Michael Aish, Gary McIntosh, Greg Phillips and Michael Taylor - a six-time best and fairest winner at Norwood - will be strongly assessed. As would be the Crows' Tyson Edwards.

And what about Rob Wiley from Western Australia?

He played 292 games for Perth, Richmond and West Coast and won Perth's best and fairest eight times — 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1984, 1985, 1986. He missed out in the middle four years because he was at the Tigers.

The most recent players to become eligible, and likely will be considered in coming years, include Joel Corey, Chad Cornes, Stephen Milne, Jude Bolton and Daniel Kerr.

HALL OF FAME

The Australian Football Hall of Fame recognises players, coaches, umpires, administrators and media representatives who have made significant contributions to the sport at any level.

Players are eligible once they’ve been retired for at least five years, while candidates from other roles are eligible only after retirement.

The committee of administrators, Hall of Famers, coaches, players and journalists, considers candidates on their record, ability, integrity, sportsmanship and character.

The number of games played, coached or umpired, or years of service, is a consideration only.