Australian Football Hall of Fame 2022: WA Football Royalty HonouredWednesday, June 15, 2022 - 6:40 PM - by Mark Readings

FIVE West Australian football greats have been inducted into the 2022 Australian Football Hall of Fame. 

Former Dockers champion Matthew Pavlich, West Perth legend Bill Dempsey, South Fremantle and St Kilda star Nicky Winmar, former Subiaco and Carlton great Mike Fitzpatrick, and West Perth goalkicking hero Ted Tyson were among eight former players given Hall of Fame status. 

Pavlich, the former games record holder at Fremantle, is the most recently retired local player. 

The 40-year-old is a six-time club fairest and best winner who kicked 700 goals during his career and achieved six All Australian selections. 

Pavlich was deeply honoured by the recognition. 

“Particularly to celebrate it with my wife Lauren who’s been an incredible support of mine, along with our family," Pavlich said.

"Mum and Dad have flown across from Adelaide along with Lauren’s family from Perth. 

"It’s such a great pleasure to be here in the room with so many greats." 

With his career ending in 2016, Pavlich retains a vivid memory of his farewell match. 

“I look back so fondly now to that last day in my last game where I was able to walk around the oval with 40 odd thousand people cheering and spotting individual men and women crying," Pavlich reflected.

"Not that I necessarily realised at the time how much I personally had grown up with the club, but also the fact the club had grown up alongside me." 

Lifelong friendships were forged at Fremantle. 

“It’s the likes of Ross Lyon, Chris Bond, Jason Webber, a young Matthew De Boer," said Pavlich said.

"Nick Suban, Hayden Ballantyne, Nathan Fyfe, Anthony Morabito, Luke McPharlin, and Aaron Sandilands. 

"Just those beautiful relationships that you build." 

Dempsey’s induction comes after he was named as the 2022 Sir Doug Nicholls Round honouree after his achievements as a West Perth Team of the Century player and a member of the Indigenous Team of the Century. 

Dempsey was a three-time WA premiership player and three-time Northern Territory premiership player. 

In total, he played 343 games for West Perth, which is the second most WAFL games ever played. 

“I grew up in the Territory and to go to Perth I thought oh god, what am I doing here but I thought I don’t care I’m going to stay here,” said Dempsey at Tuesday night’s function. 

Winmar was celebrated as a 309-game player, two-time fairest and best winner and three-time All Australian. 

The athletic midfielder was also selected in the St Kilda Team of the Century and Indigenous Team of the Century. 

“It’s very special, especially coming from WA in a little town called Pingelly," Winmar said.

"It was a boyhood dream being able to play footy." 

Mike Fitzpatrick celebrated a long history as an AFL Commissioner (2003-2017) later becoming the AFL Chair (2008-2017). 

Fitzpatrick played 150 games with Carlton, kicking 150 goals as well as 97 games with Subiaco, 11 State games for Western Australia and two State games for Victoria. 

The late Ted Tyson was celebrated with 228 games for West Perth and being named a two-time WAFL leading goalkicker and six-time century goalkicker. 

Tyson was also named in the West Perth Team of the Century. 

The careers of the new Hall of Fame members covered the current national competition at AFL Level and state leagues in WA, SA, and Tasmania. 

The other inductees are Terry Cashion, Brent Harvey, and Michael Taylor. 

Port Adelaide great Russell Ebert was elevated to Legend Status. 

AFL Commission Chair Richard Goyder, Chair of the Hall of Fame selection committee, thanked his fellow selectors, Tania Armstrong, Graham Cornes, Ross Glendinning, Karen Lyon, Paul Marsh, Alister Nicholson, Michael O’Loughlin, David Frith (Statistics and History Consultant) and Patrick Keane (Secretary) and said he was delighted to host the function after two years interrupted by Covid. 

"I’m pleased to be able to celebrate tonight and acknowledge the 2020 and 2021 inductees who tonight can join us in recognising their achievements,” said Goyder. 

"The committee considers candidates based on record, ability, integrity, sportsmanship, and character. The number of games played, coached, or umpired or years of service is a consideration only and doesn’t determine eligibility. 

"Players are eligible only after they have been retired from the game for at least five years. Coaches, umpires and administrators and media representatives are eligible only after retirement. "

 
Inductee Career Records: 
 
Russell Ebert (deceased) - Elevated to Legend status (Player)  

• 392 games for Port Adelaide 1968-78, 1980-85, 295 goals. 

• 25 games for North Melbourne 1979, 15 goals 

• 29 games for SA, eight goals 

• Three-time Premiership player 1977, 1980, 1981 

• Four-time Magarey Medals recipient 1971, 1974, 1976, 1980 

• Six-time Best and Fairest winner 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1981 

• Leading goalkicker 1968 

• Jack Oatey Medal 1981 

• Captain 1974-78 and 1983-85 

• Port Adelaide Greatest Team (Centre) 

• Coached Port Adelaide 116 games 1983-87, 64 wins, 52 losses 

• Coached Woodville 64 games 1988-90, 24 wins, 40 losses 
   

Terry Cashion (deceased):  

• 193 games in New Town /Clarence /Longford /Sandy Bay / Tasmania 1939-40, 1946-54 

• Five games for South Melbourne 1942, five goals 

• 14 games for Tasmania. 

• 1947, 1950, 1953 Carnivals 

• Two-time?Best and Fairest Clarence winner 1946, 1947 

• Three-time?Best and Fairest Longford winner 1948, 1949, 1951 

• Two-time?Best and Fairest Sandy Bay winner 1952, 1953 

• Premiership 1952 Sandy Bay 

• Tassie Medal 1950 (national carnival) 

• Leitch Medal (TFL) 1953 

• Tasmania Team of the Century (rover) 
   

Bill Dempsey?:

• 343 games for West Perth, 1960-76, 89 goals (second-most WAFL games ever) 

• NTFL Player Darwin Buffaloes 1959-69, estimated 140 games 

• 14 games for WA 

• Three-time WA Premiership player?1969 1971 1975 

• Three-time NT Premiership player?1959 1960 1968 

• Simpson Medal 1969 

• West Perth Best and Fairest 1966 

• West Perth Captain 1973-76 

• Darwin Captain 1964-65 

• West Perth Team of the Century, Indigenous Team of the Century 
   

Mike Fitzpatrick:

• 97 games with Subiaco 1970-74, kicking 77 goals 

• 150 games with Carlton 1975-83, kicking 150 goals 

• 11 state games for Western Australia 2 state games for Victoria (captain 1983) 

• Premierships 1973 (WAFL), 1979 (VFL), 1981 (VFL, captain) and 1982 (VFL, captain) 

• 1973, 1974, 1979 Best and Fairest 

• 1980-83 Captain 

• Director of Carlton Football Club, 1989-95 

• AFL Commissioner 2003-17 

• AFL Chair 2008-17 
   

Brent Harvey: 

• 432 games for North Melbourne, 518 goals (all-time AFL games record-holder) 

• 1999 Premiership 

• 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010 Best and Fairest 

• 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008 All Australian 

• 1999 E.J. Whitten Medal 

• 2003 Jim Stynes Medal 

• 2009-2011 Captain 
   

Matthew Pavlich:

• 353 games for Fremantle, 700 goals 

• 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011 Best and Fairest 

• 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 All Australian 

• 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012 Club Leading Goalkicker 

• 2007-2015 Captain 
   

Michael Taylor:

• 289 games for Norwood 1972-80 and 1985-87, 126 goals 

• 94 games for Collingwood 1981-84, 28 goals 

• 13 games for SA 

• Two-time Premiership player?1975, 1978 (captain) 

• National Champion player?1977 

• Six-time Best and Fairest winner 1973, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1985 

• Nine-time SA team of the year 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1986, 1987 

• Captain 1978-80 

• Norwood FC Hall of Fame Legend 

• SA Coach 1993-94, West Adelaide Coach 1996-2000 
   

Ted Tyson (Deceased)  

• 228 games West Perth 1930-45, 1203 goals at 5.25 goals per game average. 

• 4 games for WA 

• Four-time?Premiership player?1932, 1934, 1935, 1941 

• Two-time?WAFL leading goalkicker 1932, 1936 

• 11x Club leading goalkicker 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941 

• Six-time Century goalkicker 1934 (143), 1935 (119), 1937 (124), 1938 (126), 1939 (100), 1941 (111) 

• West Perth Team of the Century 
   

Nicky Winmar  

• 309 games, 415 goals comprising 58 games / 98 goals for South Fremantle 1983-86, 230 games / 283 goals for St Kilda 1987-98, 21 games / 34 goals for Western Bulldogs 1999. 

• Eight games for WA, 10 goals 

• Two-time?Best and Fairest winner 1989, 1995 

• Three-time?All Australian 1989, 1991, 1995 

• Leading goalkicker 1988 

• St Kilda Team of the Century, Indigenous Team of the Century