The wait is finally over for “The Dominator”. One of the most contentious omissions from the Australian Football Hall of Fame has been rectified, with Wayne Johnston among six inductees named on Tuesday night. On an evening in which Kevin Sheedy was elevated to Legend status, Carlton great Johnston was joined by Melbourne games and goals record holder David Neitz, triple-premiership Geelong defender Matthew Scarlett, Hawthorn premiership best and fairest Terry Wallace, and West Australian pair Bernie Naylor and Mel Whinnen.
Eligible for more than two decades, Johnston had continually been overlooked by Hall of Fame selectors despite his record as a four-time Blues premiership player, dual best and fairest, All-Australian, club captain, and member of Carltons team of the century. Perhaps above all Johnston earned a reputation as one of footballs most reliable players on the big stage. Even though he never claimed a Norm Smith Medal, the midfielders status as an outstanding player in finals is unquestionable. Former coach David Parkin once said of Johnston: He had an enormous capacity to pump himself up and get the best out of himself when it mattered. He had a fire in his belly – a passion for the contest like few other players.”
Carlton's Wayne Johnston and David Glascott.
Photo: N/A
Johnston has endured an at-times turbulent life since the last of his 209 games for the Blues in 1990, tragically losing 11-year-old son Matt in 1999.
Neitz, these days a member of the AFL Tribunal panel, can comfortably be bracketed in the top handful of men to have played for the Demons in the past half-century. The first Melbourne player to 300 games, Neitz captained the club between 2000 and 2008, leading the Demons to the grand final in his first year as skipper. He won the Coleman Medal in 2002 and played the bulk of his football as a key forward, but was also a highly accomplished tall defender.
Advertisement
Scarlett would be in the discussion when making a shortlist of the greatest full-backs of the AFL-era, if not all time. Taken as a father-son selection, he was an outstanding player well before Geelong entered their golden years at the back end of the 2000s. Nevertheless he shone in the Cats three premiership years of 2007, 2009 and 2011, and was unlucky not to win the Norm Smith Medal in 2007, while also executing the fateful toe-poke which set up Paul Chapmans decisive goal two years later. Since retiring at the end of 2012, Scarlett has returned to the Cats as an assistant coach after a brief stint as a development coach at the Western Bulldogs.
Before his eventful coaching stints at the Bulldogs and Richmond, “Plough” Wallace was an outstanding midfielder in some of Hawthorns best years before moving to the Tigers and then Footscray, where he was twice named best and fairest. Appointed caretaker coach of the Bulldogs in 1996, Wallace took the job full-time ahead of the following season, taking his side to four straight finals series, including two preliminary finals, before a less successful stint at Richmond. He has since become a respected commentator on radio.
Naylor, who died in 1993, was one of the WAFLs most prolific forwards, kicking more than 1000 goals for South Fremantle.
Whinnen was renowned as a brilliant player for West Perth, where he won nine best and fairest titles in the 1960s and 70s.
Wayne Johnston
209 games for Carlton 1979-90, kicking 283 goals.
Five games for Victoria, kicking three goals.
Three games for Australia.
Premierships 1979, 1981-82, 1987.
Best and Fairest 1983, 1986.
Leading Goalkicker 1980 (51 goals).
All Australian 1987.
Captain 1984-85.
Carlton Team of the Century, Half Forward Flank.
Carlton Hall of Fame (Legend).
Bernie Naylor –
194 games for South Fremantle 1941, 1946-54, kicking 1034 goals.
16 games for Western Australia, kicking 44 goals.
South Fremantle premiership 1947-48, 1950, 1952-54.
South Fremantle Best and Fairest 1953.
South Fremantle Leading Goalkicker 1941, 1946-54.
WAFL Leading Goalkicker 1946-48, 1952-54.
West Australian Football Hall of Fame.
David Neitz –
306 games for Melbourne 1993-2008, kicking 631 goals.
Two games for Victoria.
David Neitz
Photo: AAP
Three games for Australia.
Melbourne Best and Fairest 2002.
John Coleman Medal 2002.
Melbourne Leading Goalkicker 1996 (56), 1997 (30), 1999 (46), 2002 (82), 2003 (65), 2004 (69), 2006 (68).
All Australian 1995, 2002.
Melbourne captain 2000-08.
AFL Life Member.
Matthew Scarlett –
284 games for the Geelong Cats, 1998-2012, kicking 17 goals.
One match for Victoria, kicking no goals.
Three games for Australia.
Premierships 2007, 2009, 2011.
Best and Fairest 2003.
All Australian 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011.
AFL Life Member.
Terry Wallace –
174 games for Hawthorn 1978-86, kicking 96 goals.
11 games for Richmond, kicking seven goals.
69 games for the Western Bulldogs, kicking 20 goals.
Four games for Victoria, kicking three goals.
Three carnival games for the VFA, kicking two goals.
Hawthorn premiership 1978, 1983, 1986.
Hawthorn Best and Fairest 1981, 1983.
Western Bulldogs Best and Fairest 1988-89.
All Australian 1982-83, 1988 (Carnival).
148 games coached for the Western Bulldogs, 1996-2002.
99 games coached for Richmond, 2005-09.
All Australian Coach 1998.
AFL Life Member.
Mel Whinnen –
371 games for West Perth, 1960-77, kicking 72 goals.
14 games for Western Australia, kicking one goal.
Premierships 1960, 1969, 1971, 1975.
Best and Fairest 1962, 1964, 1967-68, 1970-73, 1975.
Captain 1977.
Simpson Medal 1975.
West Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Daniel is an Age sports reporter.
Most Viewed in Sport
Morning & Afternoon Newsletter
Delivered Mon–Fri.
