The AFL has apologised for prematurely mourning a former player’s death at this week’s Hall of Fame.
On Tuesday night the AFL inducted Dane Swan into the Hall of Fame and elevated Hawthorn’s Jason Dunstall to Legend status in a glittering ceremony in Melbourne.
The event is one of the most prestigious on the AFL calendar but unfortunately a major mistake was made during the ‘In Memoriam’ segment acknowledging figures in the game who had passed away in the last year.
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Speaking on Channel 7’s The Front Bar on Thursday night, Hawthorn great John Kennedy Jr couldn’t believe former Hawks player Michael Porter flashed up on the screen.
Porter played 78 games for Hawthorn and was a member of their 1971 VFL premiership team. The 79-year-old is alive and well.
Host Sam Pang said: “That 71 team, obviously a famous team and important team in Hawthorn’s history, but I believe John you have a cheerio you’d like to give to one of the players.”
Kennedy replied: “I’d like to send one out to Michael Porter who played in the 71 Grand Final. ‘Portholes’ they called him.
“He was noted as deceased last night on the AFL Hall of Fame, as one of the deceased people.
“The issue is he’s alive. So Portholes, if you’re listening mate or you’re up there in NSW, let us know when the wake is because we’ll be all there mate!”
A league spokesman said: “Once this innocent mistake was realised we moved quickly to ring and apologise to everyone affected, including Michael, and thank him for his understanding.”
On Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, reporter Glenn McFarlane revealed he had spoken to Porter on Thursday, saying he “took it in great spirit”.
“I got all these phone calls on Tuesday night, the first being from a mate I played with at Hawthorn named John Fisher, When I answered he just said ‘thank god”, I said ‘why” and he told me the AFL Hall of Fame had killed me off,” Porter told the Herald Sun.
“Then Ian Bremner rang saying ‘Parko’ (David Parkin) and John Kennedy Jnr had contacted him. It spread like wildfire.
“I’ve just turned 79 and feel healthy enough. Maybe there was a benefit in it because I’ve been playing like sh-t on the golf course but today (off a handicap of 14) I had 43 points. I reckon St Peter played with me today.
“It didn’t really worry me although I have wondered how it could actually happen, because someone has to initially say you have actually died. Was there another Mike Porter who died? I don’t know the answer but look at it this way, it did get me mentioned on the AFL Hall of Fame night (laughter).”