by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago
The Sydney Swans recently held their Hall Of Fame ceremony, with Barry Hall and Craig Bolton the new inductees. The dinner gala also included the guernsey presentations as well as the announcement of club heritage listings.
Hall joined the Swans in 2002 and played 162 matches, booting 467 goals. He ranks third on the club's all-time goal kicking table and led the club's goal kicking for seven consecutive seasons from 2002-2008. He was match day captain for the 2005 Premiership and co-captain in 2006 and 2007 alongside Brett Kirk and Leo Barry. Hall's successor as co-captain in 2008 was fellow inductee Craig Bolton.
Bolton joined the Club in 2003 after three seasons at the Brisbane Lions. The defender played 170 games with the Swans before injury forced him to retire just one game short of the 200 mark. Bolton was a key member of the 2005 Premiership team and the Grand Final side the following season. He co-captained the Club from 2008-2010.
Chairman Andrew Pridham and CEO Andrew Ireland also announced four new items for inclusion onto the Club's Heritage List: The Brownlow Factory, 30 goals in three consecutive weeks and the 1932-1986 Swans Guernsey. On the 100 year anniversary of World War I, the club inducted the 16 men who had represented the club and were lost in World War I and World War II. The guernsey was worn in four Grand Final appearances, including the 1933 Premiership. The 1987 Swans kicked thirty or more goals in three consecutive games Rounds 16-18. The Brownlow Factory appeared regularly on a spectator's sign behind the southern goals at the SCG, a reference to the club's current place in history as the leading winner of Brownlow medals. No club has had more individual or collective winners of the award. The Swans have had a record 11 individual winners – spanning from J.Herbie Matthews in 1940 to Adam Goodes in 2006, for a total of 14 medals.
Nine new players officially received their first Swans guernsey from Club legends Gerard Healy and Paul Kelly. They are Aliir Aliir, Tom Derickx, Lance Franklin, George Hewett, Zak Jones, Jeremy Laidler, Patrick Mitchell, Toby Nankervis and Lloyd Perris.
Swans Hall of Fame Inductees:
Barry Hall
162 matches from 2002-2009, 88 with St Kilda, 39 with the Western Bulldogs
2005 Premiership
Co-Captain 2006-2007
467 goals, third on the club list
Leading goal kicker 2002-2008
Bob Skilton Medallist 2004
All-Australian 2004-2006
Paul Kelly Players' Player 2003-2005
Craig Bolton
170 matches, 29 with Brisbane
2005 Premiership
Co-Captain 2008-2010
All-Australian 2006, 2009
Paul Kelly Players' Player 2007
Source: Jordan Laing
Article last changed on Monday, March 10, 2014 - 6:55 AM EDT
