Mike Fitzpatrick

In mid-June, the AFL held their annual Hall of Fame function with eight new inductees and one previous inductee elevated to Legend status. The Legend elevation was the late Port Adelaide Magpie (SANFL) centerman Russell Ebert, who was also recently named as Port Adelaide's greatest ever player. Ebert is the 32nd player to be named a Legend. He passed away in 2021, and the award was accepted by his widow Dian.

The eight new inductees represented not only the AFL, but the state leagues and Tasmania. They are Terry Cashion, Bill Dempsey, Mike Fitzpatrick, Brent Harvey, Matthew Pavlich, Michael Taylor, Ted Tyson and Nicky Winmar.

The Inductees:

RUSSELL EBERT - elevated to Legend status

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

In September of 2015, prominent Melbourne attorney Jackson Taylor filed court action against AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou, then assistant CEO Gil McLachlan and then chairman Mike Fitzpatrick over the league's handling of the Essendon supplements saga. In his motions, he cited the league for deceptive practices, misleading the public on the of the joint investigation, and their own responsibility regarding player health and safety.