TRIPLE premiership captain Trent Cotchin and commentators Bruce McAvaney and Eddie McGuire are among eight new AFL life members who will be recognised next month.

Richmond great Cotchin has qualified for life membership automatically after reaching the milestone of 300 official AFL games, joining North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein, recently retired West Coast forward Josh Kennedy, former Essendon, Port Adelaide and St Kilda tall Paddy Ryder and Collingwood veteran Steele Sidebottom.

The 300-game tally includes AFL premiership matches as well as official pre-season games, State of Origin matches and International Rules games.

McAvaney, McGuire and women's football pioneer Lisa Hardeman have also been awarded life membership for 'special services to the game'.

STATEMENT 2023 Life Membership and Jack Titus Award

Hardeman was a five-time premiership player in Victoria in the 1980s and 1990s and also enjoyed a distinguished career in coaching and administration while also serving in the Victoria Police for almost four decades.

Iconic commentator McAvaney began calling the game in 1978 and led the Seven Network's coverage between 1989 and 2020, when he retired from broadcasting football.

In addition to media roles across television and radio, McGuire was president of Collingwood between 1998 and 2021, a period that included the club's 2010 AFL premiership.

Peter Haby, Hawthorn's club historian and museum curator, has been awarded the Jack Titus Service Award for outstanding service to football.

The awards were confirmed by the AFL Commission at its meeting last week, with the eight new life members to be officially welcomed and honoured at the 2023 season launch on March 9.