Australian Football Hall of Fame 2024: Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall becomes a Legend

Some context about the Australian Football Hall of Fame:

More than 300 people have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since it was instituted amid the AFL’s centenary celebrations in 1996.

The AFL breaks the cohort down into seven sub-categories: legends, players, coaches, umpires, administrators, media and pioneers.

The induction of Jason Dunstall as an official legend of the sport tonight will bring the number of that elite grouping to 32.

The induction of a new legend – the game’s highest honour – traditionally only happens once every two or three years. The status is bestowed upon a rare few in the Hall of Fame who are deemed to have had “a particularly significant positive impact on the game of Australian football” and caused the game to change significantly for the better”.

Dunstall’s elevation means he joins his contemporary goalkicking supremo Tony Lockett as the first two legends who played at the highest level this century.

Players only become eligible for the Hall of Fame once they’ve been retired from the sport for five years, with an AFL-appointed committee considers candidates based on their “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,” the AFL says.

The AFL lists its Australian Football Hall of Fame committee as Richard Goyder (chair), Graham Cornes, Ross Glendinning, Debbie Lee, Karen Lyon, Paul Marsh, Alister Nicholson, Michael O’Loughlin, David Parkin and Patrick Keane (secretary).