THE AUSTRALIAN Football Hall of Fame will welcome a new Legend on Tuesday night.
It is a category reserved for figures who have "had a particularly significant positive impact on the game of Australian Football".
St Kilda and Sydney great Tony Lockett was the last Legend to be elevated, in 2015, with a total of 26 players and coaches in the exclusive category.
Here are six champions of the game who could be among the contenders to earn the special honour on Tuesday night in Adelaide.
Gary Ablett snr
Many believe Ablett, a majestic marking forward, was the most talented footballer the game has ever seen. After six games with Hawthorn, he was signed by Geelong and went on to play 242 games for the Cats, finishing his career with 1030 goals (fifth in the game's history). He drew fans to the game just to watch him play, once kicking 14.7 against Essendon at the MCG in 1993. He won three successive Coleman Medals from 1993-95 and won the Norm Smith Medal in 1989 for his bag of nine in a losing side. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, he was named on the interchange bench in the AFL Team of the Century.
Malcolm Blight
One of the game's greatest players, Blight played 163 games for South Australian club Woodville (1968-85) and 178 games for North Melbourne (1974-82). He won the Magarey Medal in 1972 and the Brownlow Medal in 1978, also topping the VFL goalkicking with 103 in the 1982 season, thrilling crowds with his aerial prowess and magnificent kicking. A dual premiership player with the Kangaroos (1975 and 1977), Blight, who entered the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996, was also a master coach. He took Geelong to three losing Grand Finals between 1989-94 before leading Adelaide to back-to-back flags in 1997 and 1998.
Wayne Carey
The dominant player of his era, Carey is seen by some as the game's greatest player. A superstar centre half-forward, he played 244 games and kicked 671 goals for North Melbourne between 1989 and 2001, and captained the Roos’ 1996 and 1999 premiership teams. He then booted 56 goals from 28 matches for Adelaide in 2003-04. Captain of the Kangaroos' Team of the Century, he was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2010 after a brilliant career that included four club best and fairest awards and seven All Australian selections (four as captain). Swaggering and fearless, he played through injuries and excelled in big games.
Jason Dunstall
One of the game's greatest full-forwards, Dunstall ranks No.3 on the all-time goalkicking list with 1254 from his 269 games with Hawthorn. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002, he enjoyed a remarkably consistent career between 1985-1998, leading the club's goalkicking for 11 straight seasons and again in his final year, booting more than 100 goals on six occasions and winning three Coleman Medals (1988-89, 1992) He played in the 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1991 premierships and was All Australian on four occasions.
Dick Lee
One of Australian football's first great forwards, Lee played 230 games for Collingwood between 1906-22, kicking 707 goals in an era when much lower tallies were kicked. He won the League goalkicking 10 times, with his tally of 66 goals in 1915 the highest in the first 25 years of League football. A premiership player in 1910, 1917 and 1919, Lee was known for his courage and lifting the standard of VFL forwards.
Kevin Sheedy
The 14th coach inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame (in 2008), Sheedy is one of the game's great characters and contributors. He played 251 games for Richmond as a tough centreman and a fearless back pocket, playing in the 1969 and 1973-74 premiership teams, earning selection in the club's Team of the Century. An innovative coach, he was appointed by the Bombers in 1981 and coached the club for 635 games, finishing at the end of the 2007 season. He revolutionised the game and coached Essendon to premierships in 1984, 1985, 1993 and 2000.
