SIX-TIME Melbourne premiership coach Norm Smith is now officially a legend. TheAustralian Football Hall of Fame has elevated Smith to Legend of the Gamestatus and inducted eight great football names.

Robert DiPierdomenico, Darren Jarman, FrankJohnson, Paul Kelly, Dean Kemp, Michael Long, Murray Weideman and Bob McLeanare the newest additions to the Hall of Fame. This brings the number of Hall ofFame members to 211, after 136 were first inducted in 1996.

Smith becomes the 21st legend of the game,joining Darrel Baldock, Ron Barassi, Kevin Bartlett, Haydn Bunton snr, RoyCazaly, John Coleman, Gordon Coventry, Jack Dyer, Graham 'Polly' Farmer, PeterHudson, Bill Hutchison, Leigh Matthews, James 'Jock' McHale, John Nicholls, BobPratt, Dick Reynolds, Barrie Robran, Bob Skilton, Ian Stewart and Ted Whitten.

After playing 210 matches and booting 546goals for Melbournefrom 1935 to 1948 and adding 17 games and 26 goals for Fitzroy in 1949 and 1950,Smith became one of the most successful coaches of all time.

Initially coaching Fitzroy in 55 matchesfor 30 wins, 23 losses and two draws in 1949-51, Smith returned to Melbourne as coach from 1952to 1967, where he became one of the game's most revered figures.

He coached Melbourne to 11 consecutive finals series (1954-64),which included eight Grand Finals and seven in a row (1954-60). He landed sixpremierships with Melbourne – half of the club's entire 12 flags – in 1955-56-57,1959-60 and 1964.

Smith was embroiled in one of football'sbiggest stories when he was remarkably sacked as coach during 1965. Although hewas reinstated as coach and remained until 1967, the incident had left a denton the club – one that many believed hindered Melbourne for years to come.

Overall, Smith coached Melbourne in 307 games for 195 wins, 107losses and five draws.

He then coached SouthMelbourne (1969-72) and guided that club to the finals in 1970, itsfirst appearance since 1945. Smith coached South Melbournefrom 1969 to 1972 for 87 matches, gaining 26 wins and 61 losses.

Ill health forced him to stand down and hedied aged 58 in July 1973.

The League later named its new medal forthe best player in a Grand Final after him, with Carlton's Wayne Harmes – Smith's great-nephew,as it happened – the first Norm Smith Medallist in 1979.

In 1996, Smith was named the VFL/AFL coachof the century.

DiPierdomenico – or "Dipper" as he is affectionately known – was a tough-as-nailswinger who played in five Hawthorn premierships – 1978, 1983, 1986 and 1988-89– and will always be remembered for his bravery in playing on in the ’89 GrandFinal with broken ribs and a punctured lung.

He played 240 matches for the Hawks (1975-91)and kicked 130 goals. He became Hawthorn's second Brownlow Medallist in 1986 –although Col Austen was not retrospectively awarded his "Charlie"until 1989 – after tieing with Sydney'sGreg Williams.

Jarman was one of the most freakish and skilful players to grace thefield. His ability to create something out of nothing and hit targets had to beseen to be believed.

A star in the SANFL, playing 144 matchesand kicking 237 goals for North Adelaide (1985-90), he then etched out 109matches and booted 122 goals for Hawthorn (1991-95). He played in Hawthorn's1991 premiership.

He returned home and played 121 games andbagged 264 goals for Adelaide (1996-2001),playing in Adelaide's1997-98 premierships for a total of 11 goals in those two Grand Finals.

Johnson, who played 64 matches with South Melbourne from 1960-64, winningthe club best and fairest in 1960, was a VFA star with Port Melbourne, where hecollected five best and fairest trophies in eight seasons.

He won the Liston Trophy in 1952 and playedin Port Melbourne's 1953 premiership team.

Kelly was the Sydney Swans’ inspirational skipper from 1993 to 2002. Heplayed 234 matches and kicked 200 goals from 1990-02, winning four best andfairest awards and the 1995 Brownlow Medal.

Although named in the forward pocket in theSwans’ team of the century, Kelly was the heart and soul of the team's engineroom.

Kemp was a member of West Coast's stunning team of the 1990s, playing inthe club's first two premierships in 1992 and 1994, winning the Norm SmithMedal in the latter.

The snowy-haired midfielder was anunassuming superstar of the side, playing 243 matches from 1990 to 2001. Heskipped the club in 2001.

Long, who is an Indigenous trail-blazer in the game, played 190 matches andkicked 143 goals for Essendon between 1989 and 2001, which included the club's1993 and 2000 premierships.

A speedster in the midfield or up forward, hewon the 1993 Norm Smith Medal and captained the Bombers in the absence of theinjured James Hird in 1999. Long was also named on the wing in the Essendon andIndigenous teams of the century.

Weideman played 180 matches and kicked 262 goals for Collingwood (1953-63),playing in the 1953 and 1958 premierships. He captained the Magpies from 1960to 1963, winning three club best and fairest awards.

He also led Collingwood's goalkicking onthree occasions and was named at centre half-forward in the club's team of thecentury. Weideman coached Collingwood in 1975-76.

McLean played 74 matches for Norwoodand 147 for Port Adelaide before becoming a leading SANFL administrator. Amember of Port Adelaide's 1939 premiership side, he also topped the SANFLgoalkicking in 1947.

He became Port Adelaide club secretary in1949 and held that position until 1980. He was then chairman of Port Adelaidefrom 1983 to 1989.

The Australian Football Hall of Famerecognises players, coaches, umpires, administrators and media representativeswho have made an outstanding contribution to Australian Football since thegame's inception in 1858.

To view the 2007 AFL Hall of Fame inducteesvideo highlights, click here