Former Hawthorn champion Jason Dunstall has described being elevated to Legend status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame as the highest honour he could imagine – albeit one that’s a little embarrassing.
A four-time premiership player, Dunstall kicked 1254 goals in a glittering 269-game AFL/VFL career before injuries forced him into retirement in 1998.
Only Tony Lockett (1360) and Gordon Coventry (1299) are higher on the competition’s all-time list of leading goal-kickers.
Queensland-born Dunstall will officially be elevated to Legend status at the Hall of Fame induction dinner in Melbourne on June 18.
“It’s an incredible privilege. I feel very humbled, almost to the point of embarrassment,” the 59-year-old told reporters on Monday.
“When you consider there’s just a tick over 30 Legends in the game, it’s the highest honour you can imagine.
“I feel incredibly grateful to the AFL. It’s been a massive part of my life and to sit amongst names that are synonymous with the game now is incredibly humbling.”
Dunstall’s career-best 17 goals against Richmond in May 1992 remains the second-highest tally ever kicked by a player in a single match – behind Fred Fanning’s 18 for Melbourne against St Kilda in 1947.
Dunstall is one of only six players in AFL/VFL history to have kicked more than 1000 goals and was the most prolific spearhead in a golden era for Hawthorn.
“I was at the end of the production line at Hawthorn,” he said.
“When you’re full-forward and you’ve got all these great players further afield that continue to pump the ball down to you … I always defer to my teammates.
“I was blessed to be on the receiving end of some of the most skilful players to have ever played the game.”
Three-time Coleman medallist Dunstall came from a great era of full-forwards that included fellow leading goal-kickers Lockett and Gary Ablett.
“Plugger (Lockett) and I had a very healthy rivalry, we had a great competitiveness,” Dunstall said.
“I had a couple of knee (injuries) at the end and my body was just done.
“I wanted to beat him badly, make no mistake about that … but he was just too good.
“We had a good crop of full-forwards at the time that motivated and pushed each other along.”
Dunstall’s career was almost cut short when he suffered a fractured skull from an accidental knock from an opponent’s knee in 1990.
He returned wearing a protective helmet after several weeks on the sidelines and won his fourth flag with the Hawks the following year.
Dunstall spent a brief period assisting Hawthorn coaches Ken Judge and Peter Schwab after his retirement as a player but admits he never had the patience to pursue coaching.
“A little taste of it was enough for me,” Dunstall said.
“I’m still emotionally involved as a Hawthorn supporter through and through, but just not to have some skin in the game is nice.
“I’ve been involved in the club for a long time and did 10 years on the board, so it’s nice to sit back and actually now just be a supporter and watch.”
JASON DUNSTALL’S CAREER RECORD
Games: 269 (Hawthorn 1985-98)
Goals: 1254 (third all-time)
Premierships: Four (1986, 1988, 1989, 1991)
Best-and-fairest: Four (1988, 1989, 1992, 1993)
Club leading goal-kicker: 12 (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998)
Coleman Medal: Three (1988, 1989, 1992)
All-Australian: Four (1988, 1989, 1992, 1994)
Hawthorn captain: 1995-98
Hawthorn Team of the Century
State games: Eight (Victoria three, Queensland four, Allies one)
E.J. Whitten Medal: 1989
Shayne Hope
(Australian Associated Press)
