There is no doubt that the latest footballer to be elevated to legend status is one of the greatest thinkers and promoters of the game of Australian football.
An extremely successful coach, ‘Sheeds’ was a very handy footballer as well and still sits in 13th position as a game player at the Tigers, and – surprisingly, given his days as a deep defender – 79th as a goal kicker of the Tigers’ Top 100 lists.
Amongst the other four AFL players nominated to the AFL Hall of Fame, David Neitz is the stand out statistical achiever.
Not only is he number #1 in both Melbourne’s game players Top 100 and goal kickers Top 100, he is the only newly nominated Hall-of-Famer who appears in the AFL all time Top 100 game players and goal scorers lists.
He currently sits at equal #64 of the games played list with 306 games, and #27 on the goals scored list with 631 goals.
His position on the AFL games played list has already been lowered by Luke Hodge (Hawthorn and Brisbane), Jarrad McVeigh (Sydney) and Gary Ablett (Gold Coast Suns and Geelong) this season. It is under treat from Kade Simpson (Carlton) and Jordan Lewis (Hawthorn and Melbourne) but he is unlikely to be passed on the Top 100 goal scorers list this season as the leading contender Jack Riewoldt is still 70 goals behind him with a maximum of 12 games plus finals left.
His position as #1 on the Demon’s club lists is unassailable with the only serious contender being Nathan Jones who has yet to play his 250th game and goal kicking wise, Jesse Hogan who is currently exactly 500 goals behind Neitz!
Matthew Scarlett played 284 games for Geelong and when he retired in 2012 he was in the AFL’s Top 100 game players.
Even today he sits just outside the Top 100 in 108th position. At Geelong he is still #7 on the Cats’ Top 100 game players and as such could expect to have a guest seat at the club’s Top 100 year end function for the rest of his life.
Being a full back, and considered by many to be among the best full backs of all time, he did not kick many goals and was never a member of the club’s Top 100 goal kickers.
Carlton’s Wayne Johnston was known as ‘The Dominator’ during his career that stretched from 1979 until 1990.
Originally from Wandin North in Victoria’s Yarra Valley he failed to make the grade in his first two attempts to play for Carlton. Under the zoning system them in place he needed a clearance to try his luck at Melbourne, but new coach Alex Jesalenko wanted to see him play before agreeing to a clearance.
Jesalenko liked what he saw and Johnston finished up a member of a premiership team in his first year (1979). Three more premierships followed in 1981, 1982 and 1987.
He captained the club in 1984 and 1985 and won the Best and Fairest in 1983 and shared it with Craig Bradley in 1986. His 209 games and 283 goals has him sitting in Carlton’s Top 100’s in #29 (games) and #15 (goals).
Terry Wallace is much lower down Hawthorn’s Top 100 games and goals lists, but this is due to his career taking him to three different clubs (Hawthorn, Richmond and Western Bulldogs). His nine years at Hawthorn yielded three premierships and two Best and Fairest.
After a contract dispute he went to Richmond for one unsuccessful year and then to the Western Bulldogs where he won two more Best and Fairest. Nicknamed ‘Plough’ he was an in and under centreman who finished up coaching the Bulldogs with some success.
Later he had an unsuccessful coaching career at Richmond.
He currently stands at #47 on Hawthorn’s Top 100 game players list and #66 on the club’s goal scorers Top 100 list.
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