AFL
ESPN staff 4y

Dennis Cometti, John Abley into Australian Football Hall of Fame

AFL

Legendary commentator Dennis Cometti and seven-time Port Adelaide premiership defender John Abley are the latest inductees into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

With no Hall of Fame function held due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year's inductees have be publicly named by the AFL, with former West Coast ruckman Dean Cox, Port Adelaide's Greg Philips, St Kilda midfielder Lenny Hayes and Brisbane duo Simon Black and Jon Brown previously induced this week.

Cometti and Abley were named in the final presentation on Thursday evening.

Cometti began as a radio commentator in Perth with the ABC in 1972 after a five-season career in the WAFL with West Perth. After a decade with the ABC, he joined the Seven Network and his partnership with Bruce McAvaney is recognised as the pre-eminent calling team in the AFL era.

Abley was a part of the record-breaking Port Adelaide team that won six consecutive SANFL premierships between 1954-59, as well as an automatic selection for SA in state football across his career.

Earlier this week, Hawthorn great John Kennedy Senior was made the 29th Legend of the Australian Football Hall of Fame. He won the Hawthorn best and fairest award four times between 1950-59, and later coached the club to its first three premierships in 1961, 1971 and 1976.

"Our game has not seen any event in our history that has forced us from our ovals and fields for this length of time, and the current temporary absence of football has reminded us of why we love Australian football and we are desperate for its return," AFL Commission Chairman Richard Goyde Goyder said.

"This time has also reminded us of those players, great moments and unforgettable matches that first drew us as fans to the game, the heroes who captured our imagination and the great teams and players to whom we tied our allegiances for life.

"In the Australian Football Hall of Fame, our Legends stand above our greats and, on behalf of the selectors, it is my great honour to declare John Kennedy was elected as a Legend, recognising his six-decade contribution to our game."

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