AFL Hall of Fame 2025: Inductees revealed including Garry Lyon, Luke Hodge and Nick Riewoldt
Lyon had to laugh at himself the replays of him sitting under two of Melbourne's best ever marks as both Shaun Smith and Jeff Farmer used their teammate as a stepladder.
It was fitting in one sense: Lyon made his teammates better.
He coached Australia in International Rules but never wanted to be a coach. His love of the game had no limits, but he limited how much the game controlled his life.
Now 26 years – almost to the day – since he retired after 226 matches due to back issues, his contribution to the game has finally been recognised.
Joining him are two modern greats, both No.1 draft picks, who also parlayed their football brilliance into media careers in Hawthorn's Luke Hodge and St Kilda's Nick Riewoldt.
Of course Hodge's final 41 games were spent in a Brisbane Lions jumper, but he is a Hawthorn great. He led the club to three consecutive flags in 2013-2015 and was best on ground in his first in 2008, one of two Norm Smith medals won by Hodge.
He played on the biggest stages without losing the perspective he'd gained in the rough and tumble of football in Colac. A brilliant left foot kick he attacked the football with zeal and controlled the game from wherever he was positioned, maturing into the game's best leader.
The saint Nick Riewoldt was a blond high-flying forward who ran opponents off their legs to mark on the wing or around the 50-metre mark or deep in the goal square.
Part of a golden generation at the Saints who just fell short of a premiership he became their best player and captain.
His mark at the SCG in 2004 when he tracked the flight of the ball to storm into oncoming players is regarded as one of the most courageous taken this century. Set to be inducted last season he was living overseas with family; with his moment arriving now.
AFLW pioneers Daisy Pearce and Erin Phillips have been inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame ahead of time as the league considered it necessary to ensure the vital contribution of these champion female players is recognised.
Phillips becomes the first father-daughter inductee joining her father Greg who was inducted in 2020 while Pearce's name is synonymous with AFLW.
South Australian goalkicking freak Ken Farmer became a legend for his incredible goalkicking feats while former greats South Australia's Peter Darley, Western Australia's George Owens and Tasmania's John Leedham were also inducted.
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