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<\/p>\nGeelong and Gold Coast champion Gary Ablett has been honoured for his glittering contribution to the game, joining his father and namesake in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
On a night when West Australian great Bill Walker was officially elevated to Legend status, Ablett was named among the new inductees at Tuesday’s gala event in Melbourne.<\/p>\n
West Coast premiership captain and coach John Worsfold, Essendon games record holder Dustin Fletcher, Indigenous champion David Kantilla, Port Adelaide goal-kicking machine Tim Evans and five-time AFL grand final umpire Hayden Kennedy were also acknowledged.<\/p>\n
Ablett, who retired in 2020 and became eligible for Hall of Fame induction this year, joined Geelong in 2001 as a father-son selection under huge pressure, given Gary Ablett Sr’s revered status at Kardinia Park.<\/p>\n
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John Worsfold was a premiership captain and coach at West Coast. (Getty Images: Michael Willson\/AFL Photos)<\/p>\n
But the son of “God” lived up to his name in two stints with the Cats, either side of seven seasons with Gold Coast as the expansion club’s marquee signing.<\/p>\n
Ablett was a key figure in a dominant midfield in the Cats’ premierships in 2007 and 2009 \u2014 the year he also won his first Brownlow Medal.<\/p>\n
He was lured north to be the face of the Suns for their debut season in 2011, captaining the club for six years, and snared the Brownlow again in 2013.<\/p>\n
Dubbed ‘The Little Master’, Ablett returned to Geelong for 2018-2020, falling just short of a third premiership in his final game when he broke a shoulder in the opening five minutes of the grand final, and Richmond overran the Cats.<\/p>\n
An eight-time All-Australian, Ablett was also named the AFL Players Association MVP five times and AFL Coaches Association champion player of the year three times.<\/p>\n
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Ablett Jr made a triumphant return to Geelong after his stint with the Suns. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)<\/p>\n
Ablett joins Cats premiership teammates Jimmy Bartel and Corey Enright in the Hall of Fame, with Joel Selwood and Tom Hawkins almost certain to be included after they become eligible.<\/p>\n
Ablett Sr was inducted in 2005 for his football feats, having kicked 1031 goals in 248 games, despite off-field troubles.<\/p>\n
Worsfold was captain of West Coast’s first two premierships in 1992 and 1994, before coaching the club to the 2006 flag.<\/p>\n
He also coached Essendon for five seasons, initially as a steadying figure during the 2016 “top-ups” year after James Hird was sacked.<\/p>\n
Fletcher was part of the famous ‘Baby Bombers’ premiership side in 1993 and won a second flag with Essendon under Kevin Sheedy in 2000, before going on to become the fourth player to play 400 AFL\/VFL games.<\/p>\n
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South Adelaide and St Mary’s great Kantilla is recognised as the first Indigenous player to feature in the SANFL.<\/p>\n
Kantilla, who died in 1978, played 113 games for South from 1961-1966 and an estimated 180 with St Mary’s, as well as four appearances for South Australia in state games.<\/p>\n
Evans, originally from Tasmania, spent four seasons with Geelong before making a name for himself as a champion forward with Port Adelaide in the SANFL, winning four premierships.<\/p>\n
He played 232 games for the Magpies and kicked 1019 goals \u2014 behind only Hall of Fame Legend Ken Farmer.<\/p>\n