'Quite happily' - inductee played hard off the field
Imagine the reaction if Max Gawn was serving an AFL suspension and spent the new few days on a trip to Lord's to watch the World Test Championship.
Australian Football Hall Of Fame inductee Peter Darley freely admits he wouldn't make it as a player now.
Darley gave one of the all-time acceptance speeches at Tuesday night's annual induction dinner. While at times his comments drew an uncomfortable gasp from the audience at the Melbourne black tie function, he was the hit of the evening.
His best among several memorable anecdotes was being suspended in 1972 while starring as a ruckman for SANFL side South Adelaide.
He was also working in sales for the then-national airline TAA and that gave him first-class international plane tickets.
So without his coach knowing, Darley flew to London to watch an Ashes Test. He was at Lord's when Australian bowler Bob Massie took 16 wickets on debut.
He celebrated hard on the flight home, but soon after his return had to play Glenelg.
"I must have turned on the gas and we went past Glenelg, but after three-quarter time I'd run out of gas and I called the bloody stretcher," he said.
"Halfway off the ground the stretcher broke and I had to get up and walk off.
"Football was something I did on a Saturday and fortunately I was able to get away with it. I wouldn't today, I tell you."
Darley starred in South's most recent premiership, way back in 1964, under legendary coach Neil Kerley.
"He had us running through sand hills and I said 'well, that's where I used to take my girlfriends'," Darley said.
"He taught (us) how to play as a team, not only on the football field, but he also offered us the opportunity to play off the football field - which I took up quite readily and happily."
In paying tribute to his fellow inductees, Melbourne great Garry Lyon was particularly taken with Darley.
"I'd be happy to go on a footy trip with Peter Darley - I don't know who you are, Pete, but I like the sound of you,," Lyon said.
While Darley and Lyon drew the laughs, AFLW greats Erin Phillips and Daisy Pearce brought the emotion with their acceptance speeches.
They joined trailblazer Debbie Lee as the only women in the hall of fame.
Phillips and Pearce paid tribute to Lee, while Phillips and her father Greg provided the highlight of the night.
They are the first father and daughter to be hall of fame members, with Greg already inducted for his stellar playing career at Port Adelaide and Collingwood.
"To Dad, I can't imagine how hard it would have been to tell your 13-year-old daughter that she couldn't play the game she loves any more," Phillips said, her voice breaking.
"And 27 years later, she's standing next to you in the Hall of Fame."
South Australian goalkicking machine Ken Farmer was elevated to legend status, while modern greats Nick Riewoldt and Luke Hodge were also inducted.
Darley joined Tasmania's John Leedham and George Owens from WA as this year's historical inductees.
There was a sense of sliding doors for Riewoldt and Lyon. Riewoldt was living on the Gold Coast when he was drafted to St Kilda.
Another 26km closer to Brisbane, he would have been in the Lions' recruiting zone at the time.
Lyon's father Peter played for Hawthorn, but not nearly enough to earn a father-son selection.
Lyon never made a grand final at Melbourne and noted his career coincided with four Hawthorn premierships.
"I haven't thought about it much," Lyon deadpanned, while also noting he had a "wonderful, wonderful time" at the Demons.
Imagine the reaction if Max Gawn was serving an AFL suspension and spent the new few days on a trip to Lord's to watch the World Test Championship.
Australian Football Hall Of Fame inductee Peter Darley freely admits he wouldn't make it as a player now.
Darley gave one of the all-time acceptance speeches at Tuesday night's annual induction dinner. While at times his comments drew an uncomfortable gasp from the audience at the Melbourne black tie function, he was the hit of the evening.
His best among several memorable anecdotes was being suspended in 1972 while starring as a ruckman for SANFL side South Adelaide.
He was also working in sales for the then-national airline TAA and that gave him first-class international plane tickets.
So without his coach knowing, Darley flew to London to watch an Ashes Test. He was at Lord's when Australian bowler Bob Massie took 16 wickets on debut.
He celebrated hard on the flight home, but soon after his return had to play Glenelg.
"I must have turned on the gas and we went past Glenelg, but after three-quarter time I'd run out of gas and I called the bloody stretcher," he said.
"Halfway off the ground the stretcher broke and I had to get up and walk off.
"Football was something I did on a Saturday and fortunately I was able to get away with it. I wouldn't today, I tell you."
Darley starred in South's most recent premiership, way back in 1964, under legendary coach Neil Kerley.
"He had us running through sand hills and I said 'well, that's where I used to take my girlfriends'," Darley said.
"He taught (us) how to play as a team, not only on the football field, but he also offered us the opportunity to play off the football field - which I took up quite readily and happily."
In paying tribute to his fellow inductees, Melbourne great Garry Lyon was particularly taken with Darley.
"I'd be happy to go on a footy trip with Peter Darley - I don't know who you are, Pete, but I like the sound of you,," Lyon said.
While Darley and Lyon drew the laughs, AFLW greats Erin Phillips and Daisy Pearce brought the emotion with their acceptance speeches.
They joined trailblazer Debbie Lee as the only women in the hall of fame.
Phillips and Pearce paid tribute to Lee, while Phillips and her father Greg provided the highlight of the night.
They are the first father and daughter to be hall of fame members, with Greg already inducted for his stellar playing career at Port Adelaide and Collingwood.
"To Dad, I can't imagine how hard it would have been to tell your 13-year-old daughter that she couldn't play the game she loves any more," Phillips said, her voice breaking.
"And 27 years later, she's standing next to you in the Hall of Fame."
South Australian goalkicking machine Ken Farmer was elevated to legend status, while modern greats Nick Riewoldt and Luke Hodge were also inducted.
Darley joined Tasmania's John Leedham and George Owens from WA as this year's historical inductees.
There was a sense of sliding doors for Riewoldt and Lyon. Riewoldt was living on the Gold Coast when he was drafted to St Kilda.
Another 26km closer to Brisbane, he would have been in the Lions' recruiting zone at the time.
Lyon's father Peter played for Hawthorn, but not nearly enough to earn a father-son selection.
Lyon never made a grand final at Melbourne and noted his career coincided with four Hawthorn premierships.
"I haven't thought about it much," Lyon deadpanned, while also noting he had a "wonderful, wonderful time" at the Demons.
Imagine the reaction if Max Gawn was serving an AFL suspension and spent the new few days on a trip to Lord's to watch the World Test Championship.
Australian Football Hall Of Fame inductee Peter Darley freely admits he wouldn't make it as a player now.
Darley gave one of the all-time acceptance speeches at Tuesday night's annual induction dinner. While at times his comments drew an uncomfortable gasp from the audience at the Melbourne black tie function, he was the hit of the evening.
His best among several memorable anecdotes was being suspended in 1972 while starring as a ruckman for SANFL side South Adelaide.
He was also working in sales for the then-national airline TAA and that gave him first-class international plane tickets.
So without his coach knowing, Darley flew to London to watch an Ashes Test. He was at Lord's when Australian bowler Bob Massie took 16 wickets on debut.
He celebrated hard on the flight home, but soon after his return had to play Glenelg.
"I must have turned on the gas and we went past Glenelg, but after three-quarter time I'd run out of gas and I called the bloody stretcher," he said.
"Halfway off the ground the stretcher broke and I had to get up and walk off.
"Football was something I did on a Saturday and fortunately I was able to get away with it. I wouldn't today, I tell you."
Darley starred in South's most recent premiership, way back in 1964, under legendary coach Neil Kerley.
"He had us running through sand hills and I said 'well, that's where I used to take my girlfriends'," Darley said.
"He taught (us) how to play as a team, not only on the football field, but he also offered us the opportunity to play off the football field - which I took up quite readily and happily."
In paying tribute to his fellow inductees, Melbourne great Garry Lyon was particularly taken with Darley.
"I'd be happy to go on a footy trip with Peter Darley - I don't know who you are, Pete, but I like the sound of you,," Lyon said.
While Darley and Lyon drew the laughs, AFLW greats Erin Phillips and Daisy Pearce brought the emotion with their acceptance speeches.
They joined trailblazer Debbie Lee as the only women in the hall of fame.
Phillips and Pearce paid tribute to Lee, while Phillips and her father Greg provided the highlight of the night.
They are the first father and daughter to be hall of fame members, with Greg already inducted for his stellar playing career at Port Adelaide and Collingwood.
"To Dad, I can't imagine how hard it would have been to tell your 13-year-old daughter that she couldn't play the game she loves any more," Phillips said, her voice breaking.
"And 27 years later, she's standing next to you in the Hall of Fame."
South Australian goalkicking machine Ken Farmer was elevated to legend status, while modern greats Nick Riewoldt and Luke Hodge were also inducted.
Darley joined Tasmania's John Leedham and George Owens from WA as this year's historical inductees.
There was a sense of sliding doors for Riewoldt and Lyon. Riewoldt was living on the Gold Coast when he was drafted to St Kilda.
Another 26km closer to Brisbane, he would have been in the Lions' recruiting zone at the time.
Lyon's father Peter played for Hawthorn, but not nearly enough to earn a father-son selection.
Lyon never made a grand final at Melbourne and noted his career coincided with four Hawthorn premierships.
"I haven't thought about it much," Lyon deadpanned, while also noting he had a "wonderful, wonderful time" at the Demons.
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The Age
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There are tendrils of other shows, including the reckoning with unspoken trauma, the meaning behind a midlife crisis and the technical wonder that was a dual cassette deck, but fulfilling kismet is the goal. And when that happens, shared gazes and the right song do the job. Towards Zero ★★★½ (BritBox) To its last collective breath, the BBC will be producing Agatha Christie adaptations. The late author is a murder-mystery franchise that cannot be killed. The question is how they can defy, or at least tweak, tradition. This three-part update of Christie's 1944 novel tries a few diverse gambits, which surprisingly mesh. There's a stellar cast, led by Anjelica Huston (Transparent) and Matthew Rhys (The Americans), but also structural adjustments and a knowing celebration of cliches. 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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
AFL round 14 Hawthorn v Adelaide Crows: Live scores, updates and SuperCoach scores
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell is adamant the best 2025 version of captain James Sicily will be in the second half of the season, after an injury lay-off, as he tries to play down talk the Hawks have 'clicked' on the back of last week's win over the Western Bulldogs. Sicily had endured heavy scrutiny during a run of three-straight losses before he succumbed to a hip/abdominal issue that flared up against Collingwood, forcing him to take a break. While Sicily's return date remains unclear, Mitchell said he already sensed a new 'vibrancy' in his skipper who would benefit from a 'refresh' and in turn help the Hawks who reasserted their premiership credentials with a 22-point win over the Dogs. 'He's got a bit of vibrancy and a bit of energy back,' Mitchell said on Wednesday. 'I think every player, when they have a week off, they feel like they don't need it, but when they do, it's like 'oh I feel different'. He's already starting to get that vibe about him now. 'I'm not sure how the actual injury is … but getting a bit of a refresh for him has been important and getting the best from James Sicily in 2025 is hopefully in the second half of the season.' A back-to-basics approach, with a focus on pressure absent in the losses, delivered the desired result against the Bulldogs, but another test awaits this week against the Adelaide Crows who have also surged in 2025. James Sicily was feeling the heat before an injury break. Picture: Michael Klein The Crows toppled the reigning premiers Brisbane last week on the back of a 90-point demolition of last year's grand finalists Sydney the week before in a signal of their own premiership intent. It was enough for Mitchell to declare 'last week doesn't need to help us' this week, but there was a realisation from his players what was needed to contend with the best in the AFL. 'I'm trying to avoid the concept of 'clicking', it feels like that sometimes, but very much it's hard work that needs to be focused in the right place,' he said. 'The players, full credit to them, they knew the amount of pressure we put on Brisbane and Collingwood was not going to compete against the very best and the Dogs, they'd been in fantastic form to that point and same goes with Adelaide this week. 'They are going really well and we know that to get the job done against them we need to do the basics well and we need to be able to bring a game for a full four quarters that is going to trouble them. 'That's clear and our focus is clear and precise in that. 'As far as clicking, it's always a work in progress wherever you are at; last week doesn't need to help us, so we need to renew our vows and go again.' Originally published as AFL round 14 Hawthorn v Adelaide Crows: Live scores, updates and SuperCoach scores
