NSW’s inaugural Hall of Fame announced at historic day 

The AFL has today announced it will host a gala dinner celebrating the inaugural NSW Australian Football Hall of Fame on Friday, 3 May. 

Head of AFL NSW/ACT, Tiffany Robertson, made the surprise announcement to guests attending a plaque unveiling commemorating the first ever Australian football match in Sydney, which occurred in 1881 at the SCG.

“In this historic week, where the AFL hosts its first Opening Round, at this historic event, where we mark Sydney’s first ever football match on this hallowed SCG, the time is now to put our flag in the ground and formally celebrate the 140-plus years of football in this state and all the people who have contributed so much to make this game great,” Ms Robertson said. 

“I am humbled to be the person who gets to announce the NSW Australian Football Hall of Fame will be celebrated in May 2024, and we will induct 100 members and 10 legends in the inaugural intake.” 

The AFL’s CEO, Andrew Dillon, proudly supported the NSW Hall of Fame. “Australian football in NSW has a deeper history than many realise,” he said. “Congratulations to the Hall of Fame inductees, each has played a significant role bettering footy in NSW. I look forward to learning more about these many greats and hearing their stories over the months and years to come, as footy culture continues to permeate throughout NSW.” 

The gala dinner will be held at the SCG, with all inducted Hall of Famers invited to attend along with other football luminaries.

Established by a committee of seven people, and taking more than four years to complete, the inaugural NSW Australian Football Hall of Fame intake acknowledges many of the state’s pioneers of the game. One quarter of the list were champions of our game pre-1950.

Of the 100 NSW Hall of Famers, there are 76 players and coaches, 11 administrators, nine umpires, and four media personalities. Thirty-one inductees were involved in the elite game, with the remaining 69 part of community football clubs and leagues across NSW. There are 10 women among the inductees. Thirty-eight of the 100 inductees have passed away.  

The 10 Legends will be named during the gala dinner on 3 May.

The geographical breakdown of the 100 inductees is as follows:  

• – Sydney – 37  
• – Riverina – 24
• – Hume – 8 
• – Hunter Central Coast – 7  
• – Murray – 7  
• – Northern Riverina – 7  
• – North Coast/North West/Central West – 4  
• – Broken Hill – 3  
• – South Coast/Sapphire Coast – 3  

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Congratulations to the following 100 people who have been selected in the inaugural intake of the NSW Australian Football Hall of Fame:

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About the NSW Australian Football Hall of Fame 

AFL NSW/ACT publicly announced the concept of a NSW Australian Football Hall of Fame in May 2019, with the launch originally slated for 2020 to coincide with the 140th year of football in NSW. The work was interrupted due to COVID-19 and completed in December 2023.

A Charter was written for the NSW Hall of Fame in 2019, with section 4.1 outlining the primary role of the Hall of Fame:  

The primary role of the Hall of Fame is to recognise and enshrine players, coaches, umpires, administrators, volunteers and media representatives who have made a most significant contribution to the game of Australian Football in NSW since its inception in 1880. 

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Section 5.1 of the Charter empowers the Hall of Fame committee to elect up to 10 inductees each year and Section 5.2 provides the following basic criteria for selection:  

The Committee shall consider a candidate’s outstanding service and overall contribution to the game of Australian Football in determining a candidate’s eligibility for induction into the Hall of Fame. 

In years following the inaugural intake, the Committee may induct up to 10 inductees any given year, provided there is at least one inductee selected from the category of administrator, umpire or media every two years.

The NSW Australian Football Hall of Fame Charter is available here. 

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NSW Australian Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee as at work completion 

• – Head of AFL NSW/ACT (Tiffany Robertson)
• – Officer of AFL NSW/ACT (Simon Wilson)
• – Ian Granland (Historian and Regional Representative – NSW Australian Football History Society President, former Black Diamond AFL Board member, former AFL NSW/ACT CEO) 
• – Dr Rodney Gillet (Regional Representative – former NSW AFL President & Commissioner, former Country AFL President, former Convenor of Northern NSW, NSW Australian Football History Society) 
• – Christine Burrows (Regional Representative – AFL Hunter Central Coast Head Umpires Coach, former BDAFL Head Coach, former Development Coach Sydney AFL, Established Western Sydney Umpire Training Base, Accredited High Performance Umpire Coach) 
• – Greg Verdon (Regional Representative – former Murrumbidgee Valley Australia Football Association Chair, former Southern Regional AFL Board Chair, former Farrer FL President) 
• – Yvette Andrews (Inner West Magpies Vice President, Founding member of the Sydney Women’s AFL, former National Women’s AFL Advisory Committee, former GWS Women’s Advisory Committee, 5 x NSW Representative, Premiership Winning Player and Coach) 

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