South Australian greats inducted into Australian Football Hall of Fame

By ZAC MILBANK

SANFL is celebrating Australian Football Hall of Fame honours for five South Australian greats inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday night.

Port Adelaide premiership coach and player Mark Williams, Norwood premiership great Michael Aish, Magarey Medallist Tom Leahy, Geelong premiership defender Corey Enright and decorated commentator Bruce McAvaney were honoured at a gala ceremony in Melbourne.

Williams, Aish and Leahy are all members of the South Australian Football Hall of Fame while Enright, from the Eyre Peninsula town of Kimba, and McAvaney are also proud Croweaters.

”SANFL and the SA Football Commission are delighted to see five South Australian greats receive this richly-deserved honour of being inducted in the Australian Football Hall of Fame,” SA Football Commission Chairman Rob Kerin said.

”Regardless of their role, all five have contributed to our great game immensely on the national stage whilst enjoying distinguished careers which will continue to live on in the minds of South Australian footy supporters.”

A giant of the Port Adelaide Football Club, Williams has proudly carried on his father Fos’ legacy at Alberton.

Playing in four SANFL premierships with the Magpies in his 111 games, Williams is the club’s only AFL premiership coach after steering  the Power to its historic flag in 2004.

Assuming the coaching mantle at Queen Street from inaugural mentor John Cahill in 1999, Williams became the club’s longest serving coach at elite level across 256 matches until the end of 2010.

After starting his playing career in the SANFL with West Adelaide in 1976, Williams also proved himself in the VFL with Collingwood, where he won the Copeland Trophy as best-and-fairest in 1981 and 1985.

An All-Australian player and coach, he also proudly wore the cherished red South Australian jumper on eight occasions.

• 377 games for 377 goals comprising West Adelaide (1976-78, 65 games, 37 goals), Port Adelaide (1979-80 and 1990-92, 111 games, 104 goals), Collingwood (1981-86, 135 games, 178 goals) and Brisbane Lions (1987-90, 66 games, 58 goals).
• Eight games for SA, one game for Victoria, one game for Queensland.
• Premierships 1979, 1980, 1990, 1992 (all with Port Adelaide).
• Collingwood Best and Fairest 1981, 1985
• All Australian 1980 (carnival) and 2004 (AFL premiership coach)
• Collingwood Leading Goalkicker 1984
• Collingwood Captain 1983-86
• Coached Glenelg (SANFL) 1993-94, 45 games for 22 wins, one draw, 22 losses
• Coached Port Adelaide (AFL) 1999-2010, 256 games for 142 wins, two draws, 112 losses.
• 2004 Premiership / AFLCA Coach of the Year
• 2001 and 2002 Pre-Season Premierships
• Senior assistant roles Essendon, Port Adelaide, GWs Giants, Richmond and Melbourne.
• AFLCA Lifetime Achievement Award
• Life Member at the AFL, SANFL, Port Adelaide FC, Collingwood FC
• Inducted into South Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2003

Think Norwood royalty, think Michael Aish.

Following in the footsteps of his father Peter at The Parade, Michael is the centrepiece of the Aish dynasty after playing 307 games and kicking 449 goals in the red and blue.

Incredibly loyal, skillful and evasive, Norwood’s No.8 played in two premierships after winning the prestigious Magarey Medal in 1981.

Resisting the lure to head across the border and play in the VFL, Aish still proved his natural ability on the national stage with three All-Australian jumpers alongside his 15 games for South Australia.

He not only captained his State in 1986 and 1989 but also the Redlegs from 1987 to 1989 where he sits comfortably in the club’s Hall of Fame with Legend status.

An inaugural inductee to the South Australian Football Hall of Fame, Aish – a four-time best-and fairest – played alongside his brother Andrew while his son Jesse and nephew James have also represented Norwood at League level.

• 307 games for Norwood 1979-93, 449 goals
• 15 games for SA (Captain 1986 and 1989)
• Magarey Medal 1981
• 2x Premierships 1982 1984
• 3x All Australian 1983 1984 1986 (dual state-matches per year era)
• 4x Best and Fairest 1981 1983 1984 1992
• Fos Williams Medal 1983
• Captain 1987-89
• Norwood FC Hall of Fame Legend
• Inaugural inductee of the South Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2002

Tom Leahy was a commanding figure in South Australian football both on and off the field.

Dubbed the ‘Prince of Ruckmen’ and the ‘Colossus of the Paddock’ throughout his illustrious career, Leahy was a giant in every sense of the word for his era.

Measuring in at 193cm or 6ft 4in and boasting huge hands, Leahy was ahead of his time in terms of playing as a dominant, mobile ruckman.

Representing West Adelaide and North Adelaide, Leahy won three best-and-fairests and was captain of the Roosters for four seasons.

A triple premiership player, Leahy’s dominance was reflected in him placing second in the Magarey Medal on three occasions before winning it in 1913.

He was a proud South Australian, playing for his State in 31 matches whilst acting as captain of the Croweaters from 1919 to 1921.

Upon retirement, he turned to coaching where he guided Norwood to two premierships in 1922 and 1923.

• 169 SANFL games, comprising West Adelaide (58 games, 1905-09) and North Adelaide (111 games, 1910-15 and 1919-21)
• 31 games for SA (Captain 1919-21, played every possible game bar one during his career)
• Magarey Medal 1913 (Runner-up 1908 1909 1911)
• Premierships 1908, 1909 and 1920
• 3x Best and Fairest 1911 1914 1919
• Captain 1915, 1919-21
• 2x Premiership coach Norwood 1922 1923
• Inaugural inductee of South Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2002

The boy from Kimba on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula was an incredibly consistent, and durable, member of Geelong’s premiership teams of 2007, 2009 and 2011.

The dual Cats best-and-fairest began his football journey playing locally before journeying to the big smoke of Adelaide where he represented Port Adelaide in the SANFL at junior level.

Drafted at pick No.47 in the 1999 AFL Draft, the dashing half-back went on to earn six All-Australian jumpers en route to earning Legend status at Geelong in 2022.

• 332 games for the Geelong Cats, 66 goals
• 2007, 2009, 2011 Premierships
• 2009, 2011 Best and Fairest
• 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016 All Australian
• Geelong FC Legend Status 2022
• AFL Life Member

It is only fitting to describe Bruce McAvaney’s media career as ”Special!”

A proud South Australian, Bruce began his illustrious broadcasting career with Channel 7 Adelaide in 1978 before quickly rising to be the lead SANFL commentator from 1981 to 1983.

After a seven-year stint with Network Ten, Bruce returned to Channel 7 for the next three decades where he rose to prominence on the national stage.

As lead AFL caller with Channel 7, he commentated more than 1000 matches, including 20 Grand Finals while also acting as the host of the annual Brownlow Medal.

A true friend of SANFL, Bruce’s passion for the competition was on display when unveiling Malcolm Blight’s statue at Adelaide Oval in 2015.

• Began calling with Channel 7 in 1978
• Lead SANFL caller 1981-83
• 1983-89 with Network Ten
• 1989 – 2020 – Channel 7
• Called more than 1000 AFL games, including 20 Grand Finals
• Brownlow Medal host and Network Major Host for all key AFL / industry events
• AFL Life Member
• Sport Australia Hall of Fame