Crows legend Andrew McLeod has been inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Melbourne on Wednesday night.

McLeod, 37, was inducted in his first year of eligibility. The brilliant half-back/midfielder played 340 games for the Crows in a decorated career spanning 16 years.

A two-time premiership player and Norm Smith Medallist, McLeod is the current Adelaide Football Club and Indigenous Games record holder.

The Adelaide great is a five-time All Australian (1998, 2000, 2001, 2006 and 2007 as captain) and won the Crows Club Champion award on three occasions. His third Malcolm Blight Medal win (2007) came a decade after his first (1997) in a reflection of his remarkable consistency and durability. McLeod finished runner-up or third in the best and fairest another six times. The skilful ball winner was runner-up in the Brownlow Medal in 2001 and third in 2000.

A proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, McLeod is a member of the Indigenous Team of the Century. McLeod also represented Australia in the International Rules series on three occasions. He captained his country in 2005 and was awarded the Jim Stynes Medal as the best player of that series. He kicked a total of 275 career goals – ranked third all-time at Adelaide.

McLeod made his AFL debut against Melbourne in Round Six, 1995. The talented teenager quickly developed a reputation as a match winner. In wet conditions at Football Park, McLeod shrugged off two experienced opponents and dribbled through a goal from an acute angle to give Adelaide victory over Hawthorn in only his second game.

McLeod saved his best for the big stage. He won the Norm Smith Medal after amassing 31 possessions and 11 marks in Adelaide’s first-ever Grand Final and premiership against St Kilda in 1997. He helped the Crows return to the game’s biggest stage in 1998, kicking 7.0 to break Bulldog hearts again in the Preliminary Final.

A week later, Adelaide claimed back-to-back flags and McLeod won his second Norm Smith Medal following another influential, 30-possession display. He also won the Michael Tuck Medal for best on ground in the Club’s 2003 pre-season premiership.

Born in Darwin, a young McLeod moved to South Australia to play for SANFL club Port Magpies in 1994. He was listed by the newly established Fremantle Dockers at the end of ‘94’, but was immediately on-traded to the Crows.

The enormously popular and immensely humble character remains involved with the Crows, developing and heading up the Club’s Indigenous Programs with wife Rachael. He designed the guernsey the Adelaide players wore in Indigenous Round on the weekend.

McLeod is also involved in coaching. He coaches Norwood’s SANFL Reserves team and works with the AFL in development pathways for Indigenous players.

McLeod joins an illustrious group of former players, coachesand administrators involved with the Club as Hall of Famers –Mark Bickley, MarkRicciuto, Darren Jarman, Wayne Carey, Malcolm Blight, Graham Cornes, NeilKerley and Max Basheer.

A three-time premiership player (two with Adelaide and one with Hawthorn), Darren Jarman was inducted in 2007. Dual premiership captain Mark Bickley was bestowed the honour in 2009 and two years later, champion midfielder Mark Ricciuto followed suit (2011). Inaugural Crows coach Graham Cornes was inducted as a coach in 2012.

Players are eligible only after they have been retired from the game for at least three years.

Andrew McLeod

PLAYING RECORD

- 23 games and 36 goals for Port Adelaide (Magpies) 1994 - 1996

- 340 games and 275 goals for Adelaide (AFL) 1995– 2010

(31 pre-season games and 18 goals not included)

PREMIERSHIPS

- Member of the Port Adelaide SANFL premiership team 1994

- Member of the Pre-season premiership team for Adelaide (AFL) 2003

- Member of the Premiership teams for Adelaide (AFL) 1997, 1998



INTERSTATE REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES

- 1 game for Allies Team 1997 (State of Origin)

- 1 game for the “Dream Team” 2008



INTERNATIONAL MATCHES FOR AUSTRALIA

- 6 games for Australia 2000, 2001, 2005

- Captain of the International Rules side 2005



ACHIEVEMENTS

- Two time Norm Smith Medal winner 1997, 1998 (only one of two players to achieve this honour)

- Michael Tuck Medal winner 2003

- Winner Malcolm Blight Medal (Best and Fairest AFC AFL) 1997, 2001, 2007

- Runner up for the Malcolm Blight medal 1998, 1999, 2000

- All Australian 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007 (Captain)

- Runner Up in the Brownlow Medal 2001

- AFL Player’s Association Most Valuable Player award 2001

- Member of the Indigenous Team of the Century

- Jim Stynes medal winner 2005

- Life Member of Adelaide (AFL) 2003

- Games record holder for Adelaide (AFL)



COACHING RECORD

- Australian U16 Indigenous Coach for the AFL 2010 – ongoing

- SANFL State Under 21 Indigenous Coach 2011

- Assistant Coach for Norwood 2012 – ongoing