WITH Kevin Sheedy’s elevation to AFL legend status last night, we thought we would take a look at who from Port Adelaide could be the next legend to be elevated from the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

There are currently eight former Port Adelaide players in the Hall of Fame, while John Cahill and Fos Williams were inducted as coaches and Bob McLean as an administrator, although each of them were fantastic players in their own right.

Craig Bradley, Nathan Buckley and Andrew McLeod each won premierships with Port Adelaide in the SANFL before embarking on AFL careers with Carlton, Collingwood and Adelaide respectively.

Buckley also won a Magarey Medal while with Port Adelaide in 1992 to go with his 2003 Brownlow Medal.

Gavin Wanganeen and Warren Tredrea were great servants of the club, each won an AFL premiership with Port Adelaide and each captained the club – Wanganeen as the inaugural skipper when the Power joined the AFL and Tredrea to the 2004 Premiership and beyond.

Wanganeen also won the 1993 Brownlow Medal.

Club legend Bob Quinn won two Magarey Medals and four best and fairests, while Geof Motley also won Magarey to go with a remarkable nine premierships.

Each year, a select few greats of the game are inducted as members of the Australian Football Hall of Fame at an induction dinner known as one of the game’s most prestigious events.

Of the 251 inductees since 1996, 25 have been elevated to become Australian Football Hall of Fame Legends.

Individuals are selected for Legend status if they have caused the game to change significantly for the better.

The Australian Football Hall of Fame seeks to recognise and enshrine players, coaches, umpires, administrators and media representatives who have made significant contributions to Australian Football – at any level – since the game’s inception in 1858.

The committee considers candidates on the basis of record, ability, integrity, sportsmanship and character.

The number of games played, coached or umpired or years of service is a consideration only and does not determine eligibility.

Port Adelaide’s lone Legend to date is Haydn Bunton Senior who played the final season of his career with the Magpies in 1945.

The triple Brownlow Medallist and triple Sandover Medallist had a brilliant career as a rover through the depression years with Fitzroy and Subiaco before settling in Adelaide and joining the Magpies for the 1945 season.

He was an inaugural Legend in the Hall of Fame and nominated as left forward pocket in the AFL Team of the Century.

So who could be our next Legend? Here are some of our suggestions:

Fos Williams

Inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in the inaugural list in 1996, Williams was a rugged rover as a player and featured in 205 SANFL games (54 at West Adelaide and 151 at Port Adelaide). He also played 34 games for South Australia and the Fos Williams Medal is awarded to the best player from South Australia during interstate or inter-competition matches. A prolific goal scorer as well, he finished with 112 at West and 263 for Port. As a playing coach for much of his career, he guided Port Adelaide to nine premierships as either captain, coach or both. Twice club best and fairest for Port Adelaide and three times a leading goalkicker, Williams is without peer in terms of his legacy and impact at Port Adelaide and would be a worthy Legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Geof Motley

Inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2008, Motley is one of the all-time greats of South Australian football. For Port Adelaide, he played in nine premierships including a record six in a row in the 1950s. He won the 1964 Magarey Medal and four best and fairest awards. Motley played 258 games and booted 156 goals between 1953 and 1966. He captained the club for eight seasons and also played 28 games for South Australia. The SA Football Hall of Famer embodies everything Port Adelaide stands for and the selectors for the Australian Football Hall of Fame would find it hard to look past him for Legend status.

John Cahill

Inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2002, Cahill was a brilliant wingman for Port Adelaide in the SANFL before becoming a coaching institution. He guided Port Adelaide to 10 Premierships as coach and was Port Adelaide’s inaugural coach in the AFL. As a player, Cahill captained the club for seven seasons, won four best and fairest awards and four Premierships, being named an All-Australian in 1969. He represented South Australia 27 times to go with his 264 matches and 286 goals for the Magpies. He coached the club in three separate stints, interrupted by time spent at the helm of Collingwood and West Adelaide. Like Fos Williams before him, Cahill oozed success, and his impact at Alberton is indescribable, other than to say the club’s AFL best and fairest award is named in his honour. Cahill would make a very worth Australian Football Legend.

Bob McLean

Inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2007, McLean is already regarded as a legend at Port Adelaide. His playing career included 221 SANFL games which included 113 for Port Adelaide, 35 for a combined Port Adelaide/West Torrens side during the war and 73 for Norwood. McLean also played in Port’s 1939 Premiership as well as nine times for South Australia. He kicked 471 career goals and was Port Adelaide’s leading goalkicker four times and the SANFL’s leading goalkicker in 1947. While on military service, McLean also played three games for St Kilda. As an administrator, he was Port Adelaide’s secretary from 1949 to 1980 and club chairman from 1983 to 1989. McLean was also a SANFL league director for 29 years and in 2002 was inducted into the SA Football Hall of Fame. Awarded an OBE for his services to football, McLean’s elevation to Australian Football Legend would seem like a mere formality.

Russell Ebert

An inaugural inductee into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996, Ebert is an absolute star of Australian football. A skilful midfielder who dominated South Australian football in a career which spanned from 1968 to 1985, Ebert won the Magarey Medal an unprecedented four times. He played 391 games for Port Adelaide and 25 for North Melbourne while kicking 310 career goals. Club captain between 1974 and 1978, Ebert won three SANFL premierships and six Port Adelaide best and fairest awards and even was the club’s leading goalkicker in 1968. Ebert was regarded as one of the finest players in his era and played 35 times for South Australia. He also coached Port Adelaide in the 1980s, blooding some future club champions, before becoming Woodville coach. With a statue in his honour at Adelaide Oval, Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend status is the only recognition which has escaped him.

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