HE played 235 games for Port Adelaide, was a best and fairest winner, won eight premierships and life membership but it wasn’t until 18 years after he last pulled on the prison bar guernsey that he achieved one of his proudest honours – one he thought might never happen.
Paul Northeast was one of five inductees into the Port Adelaide Football Club Hall of Fame in 2018, alongside legendary player, administrator and life member Bob Clayton, AFL premiership coach and four-time premiership player Mark Williams and AFL premiership captain Warren Tredrea.
For the first time, a premiership team was also inducted into the Hall of Fame with the record-breaking 1954 to 1959 teams that won six consecutive premierships the first to be inducted, in what will become an annual tradition.
For all of his accolades, Northeast thought there were still others more deserving and that he might never be recognised among the greats already inducted.
“It was a pretty proud moment for me,” he told portadelaidefc.com.au.
“About 12 months prior, I was talking over a meal with my brother at the Port Club about what you need to do and how hard it is to be in the club’s Hall of Fame, and then funnily enough I eventually got the phone call.
“I was shocked at first because I didn’t think I would ever get elevated with some of the absolute greats of the club, but certainly really proud to have my name up there with them.”
2018 was the first time the club combined its season launch with the hall of fame induction and Northeast thought it made perfect sense.
As a Port Adelaide supporter since birth, he enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate the past and future at the same time.
“It was a huge experience, not just for us as blokes getting inducted that night, but as a true Port Adelaide person to be there to launch the season for the club and to see a bunch of old faces there as well along with new players, sponsors and just everyone who loves the club,” Northeast recalled.
“It was just a fantastic night and I definitely recommend it because there was a great spread, great entertainment and a chance to both reminisce with some stories from the past and to look to the future with some of the new faces being introduced.
“It’s important to keep the past and the present together, we need to remember that we are one footy club and realise that if it wasn’t for what our SANFL players achieved in the 1990s and all of those who came before us, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
“We always wanted to go into the AFL and it’s great that now we are there we are ticking all the right boxes to become a powerful identity on the national stage – and that starts with recognising those who have contributed so much to the club over the years.”
This year Northeast plans on bringing his eldest son Will to the event on Wednesday 6 March to share the experience with him.
Held at the magnificent auditorium at the Adelaide Convention Centre, tickets are $210 per person for a three-course meal, premium beverage package and entertainment.
Power players will be seated on each table, providing a rare opportunity to brush arms with the current crop of stars.
Northeast is now planning on clearing his calendar each year to attend the event.
“I’m pretty excited to get back there,” he said.
“As well as the quality of the night in general, I’m just really looking forward to sitting amongst some blokes that I played footy with and some past legends of the footy club to talk about some of the old times but also the bright future that we’ve got as well.”
Tickets to the Season Launch and Hall of Fame event can be purchased HERE.
For further event information or queries please contact events@pafc.com.au or phone 08 8447 9943.
