– Glenelg Football Club

By ZAC MILBANK

SANFL is celebrating the richly-deserved induction of two South Australian greats into the Australian Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday night.

Inaugural Adelaide Football Club captain and Glenelg premiership midfielder Chris McDermott, together with Sturt Team of the Century member and premiership half-forward Michael Graham were honoured at a gala ceremony in Melbourne.

Both inducted as inaugural members of the South Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2002, McDermott and Graham’s significant achievements have now been fittingly feted on the national stage.

“The South Australian Football Commission and SANFL are delighted to see Chris and Michael receive this richly-deserved honour of being inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame,’’ South Australian Football Commission Chairman The Hon. Rob Kerin said.

“Both have made a remarkable contribution to our game, whilst being tremendous community leaders and ambassadors for South Australian football.

“To see Chris and Michael elevated to football’s highest honour list is a particularly proud moment for the SANFL, the Glenelg and Sturt football clubs and undoubtedly the broader football community in South Australia.”

Incredibly courageous, loyal and extremely committed to the South Australian cause, Chris McDermott was a fearless warrior.

Often found at the bottom of the pack or running back with the flight of the ball without fear for his safety, McDermott’s first love came with playing for the Glenelg Football Club in 277 SANFL matches between 1981 and 1990 and then 1995-1996.

A triple best-and-fairest winner with the Tigers, McDermott was a critical midfield piece in the Bays’ famous back-to-back premierships of 1985 and 1986.

Captaining Glenelg in 1989 and 1990, the man affectionately known as ‘’Bone’’ had already shone on the national stage with All-Australian selection in 1986 and 1987 before adding another in 1992.

He was an obvious choice as the Adelaide Football Club’s inaugural captain from its AFL inception through to 1994, where he featured in 117 AFL matches from 1991 to 1996, winning the club’s best-and-fairest in 1992.

A fierce advocate for State of Origin football, McDermott played in 15 matches for South Australia while donning the treasured red guernsey as captain for seven years.

A member of both the Adelaide and Glenelg Football Club Hall of Fame, McDermott is also a SANFL Player Life Member.

Die-hard fans of the Sturt Football Club are still quick to gush about the feats of Michael Graham on the football field.

There’s little wonder why Graham earned the nickname of ‘’Flash’’ throughout his 282 SANFL games between 1971 and 1985.

Incredibly evasive, skillful and boasting a lightning turn of speed, Graham’s penchant for hitting the scoreboard is reflected in him recording 455 goals for the Double Blues.

A vital member of Sturt’s 1974 and 1976 premiership teams, Graham was also selected in the club’s Team of the Century at half-forward.

A proud torch-bearer for SANFL’s First Nations players, he was chosen at half-forward in SANFL’s Indigenous Team of the Century and on the interchange in the AFL’s Indigenous Team of the Century.

Featuring in 11 matches for South Australia across his career, Graham’s SANFL achievements are even more meritorious considering he also played during each summer for St Mary’s in the NTFL, where he lined up in 230 games and played in three premierships between 1969 and 1987.

As a result, the SANFL Player Life Member was named at half-forward of the Northern Territory Team of the Century.