The Australian Football League (AFL) tonight announced that four-time premiership coach Kevin Sheedy had been named an official Legend of the Game.

Sheedy played 251 games with Richmond for three flags before guiding Essendon to a further four premierships across 27 seasons as the Bombers’ coach. He was then the GWS Giants’ inaugural coach when the club entered the national competition as the 18th team.

Separate to his glittering contribution as a player and coach, Sheedy has also championed and led some of the biggest innovations in the game, including the establishment of the Essendon / Collingwood Anzac Day match, the establishment of the Essendon / Richmond Dreamtime match and is credited with leading the push to recruit strongly from the game’s indigenous talent across northern Australia.

Sheedy, now the 28th Legend of the Game, was joined tonight by six new inductees into the Hall of Fame at tonight’s function in Melbourne – Wayne Johnston, Bernie Naylor, David Neitz, Matthew Scarlett, Terry Wallace and Mel Whinnen.

The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996 and serves to recognise players, coaches, umpires, administrators, and media representatives who have made an outstanding contribution to Australian football.

The classification of Legend will be applied to honour those players and coaches who have had the most significant impact on the game of Australian Football and caused the game to change significantly for the better. Legends should be players and coaches who immediately come to mind when players and coaches at the very pinnacle are discussed

Background on the new inductees follows and all previous inductees and legends are listed in the 2018 AFL Record Season Guide.
Legend – Kevin Sheedy –
251 games for Richmond, 1967-79, kicking 91 goals.
Eight games for Victoria, kicking one goal.
Richmond premierships 1969, 1973-74.
AFLPA MVP 1974.
Richmond Best and Fairest 1976.
Richmond Captain 1978.
Richmond Team of the Century, Back Pocket.
Essendon coach 1981-2007, 635 games.
GWS Giants coach 2012-13, 44 games.
Victoria coach 1985-86, four games.
All Australian Coach 1984, 1985, 1993, 2000.
Australian IRS coach 2005-06, four games.
Essendon premierships /Jock McHale Medallist 1984-85, 1993, 2000.
Essendon pre-season premierships 1981, 1984, 1990, 1993-94, 2000.
Essendon Team of the Century, Coach.
Australian Football Hall of Fame Inductee – 2008.
AFL Life Member.

Wayne Johnston
209 games for Carlton 1979-90, kicking 283 goals.
Five games for Victoria, kicking three goals.
Three games for Australia.
Premierships 1979, 1981-82, 1987.
Best and Fairest 1983, 1986.
Leading Goalkicker 1980 (51 goals).
All Australian 1987.
Captain 1984-85.
Carlton Team of the Century, Half Forward Flank.
Carlton Hall of Fame (Legend).

Bernie Naylor –
194 games for South Fremantle 1941, 1946-54, kicking 1034 goals.
16 games for Western Australia, kicking 44 goals.
South Fremantle premiership 1947-48, 1950, 1952-54.
South Fremantle Best and Fairest 1953.
South Fremantle Leading Goalkicker 1941, 1946-54.
WAFL Leading Goalkicker 1946-48, 1952-54.
West Australian Football Hall of Fame.

David Neitz –
306 games for Melbourne 1993-2008, kicking 631 goals.
Two games for Victoria.
Three games for Australia.
Melbourne Best and Fairest 2002.
John Coleman Medal 2002.
Melbourne Leading Goalkicker 1996 (56), 1997 (30), 1999 (46), 2002 (82), 2003 (65), 2004 (69), 2006 (68).
All Australian 1995, 2002.
Melbourne captain 2000-08.
AFL Life Member.

Matthew Scarlett –
284 games for the Geelong Cats, 1998-2012, kicking 17 goals.
One match for Victoria, kicking no goals.
Three games for Australia.
Premierships 2007, 2009, 2011.
Best and Fairest 2003.
All Australian 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011.
AFL Life Member.

Terry Wallace –
174 games for Hawthorn 1978-86, kicking 96 goals.
11 games for Richmond, kicking seven goals.
69 games for the Western Bulldogs, kicking 20 goals.
Four games for Victoria, kicking three goals.
Three carnival games for the VFA, kicking two goals.
Hawthorn premiership 1978, 1983, 1986.
Hawthorn Best and Fairest 1981, 1983.
Western Bulldogs Best and Fairest 1988-89.
All Australian 1982-83, 1988 (Carnival).
148 games coached for the Western Bulldogs, 1996-2002.
99 games coached for Richmond, 2005-09.
All Australian Coach 1998.
AFL Life Member.

Mel Whinnen -
371 games for West Perth, 1960-77, kicking 72 goals.
14 games for Western Australia, kicking one goal.
Premierships 1960, 1969, 1971, 1975.
Best and Fairest 1962, 1964, 1967-68, 1970-73, 1975.
Captain 1977.
Simpson Medal 1975.
West Australian Football Hall of Fame.