THE EIGHT inductees into the Australian Football Hall of Fame for 2009 come from diverse backgrounds and different eras, but are all champions in their own right.
Adelaide premiership captain Mark Bickley, Essendon great Paul Salmon, West Coast stalwart Guy McKenna, Hawthorn favourite Chris Langford, Carlton team of the century member Ken Hands, SANFL giant Peter Carey, Brownlow Medallist Bill Morris and League powerbroker Ross Oakley make up the latest intake.
No-one was awarded Legend status this year.
Bickley enters the Hall of Fame after playing 272 games for the Crows and writing his name into the history books as the club's first premiership captain.
He held the cup aloft for the first time in 1997 and, under the tutelage of fellow Hall of Famer Malcolm Blight, did so again the very next year.
A three-time All-Australian, Salmon played 324 games and kicked 561 goals in a career that began at Windy Hill in 1983 and included a five-year stint with Hawthorn.
The 'Big Fish' tasted premiership success with the Bombers in 1985 and 1993. He crossed to Hawthorn in 1996, took out his new club's best and fairest award in his first season and backed it up with his second in 1997.
Salmon was the Dons' leading goalkicker on seven occasions.
McKenna was such a consistent contributor over the course of his 13-year career with West Coast that nine seasons separated his two best and fairest awards.
He took part in the club's inaugural premiership success in 1992 and was there again in 1994. He played in 267 games, skippered the Eagles 68 times and won All-Australian honours on four occasions.
Langford was the Hawks' tough and uncompromising full-back during a golden era for the club.
The four-time All-Australian played in 25 finals, was part of four premiership sides and claimed two EJ Whitten Medals.
Hands is a member of Carlton's team of the century having played a role in the club's premiership triumphs of 1945 and 1947.
He also captained the Blues on 99 occasions and took out the John Nicholls Medal in 1953.
Carey, a goliath in stature and of the South Australian game, played an Australian record 448 matches for Glenelg.
He was judged best on ground for a six-goal performance in the Tigers' 1973 premiership and skippered the side to back-to-back triumphs in 1985 and 1986.
Morris played 140 games for Richmond and took out the Jack Dyer Medal three times (1945, 1948 and 1950), but his crowning achievement was the Brownlow Medal in 1948.
Oakley was at the forefront of the competition's shift from a suburban league to a national power during his time as chief executive officer between 1986 and 1996.
The former St Kilda player took control of soon-to-be AFL during a volatile period of revolution and was responsible for dramatic changes. They included vast increases in the value of television rights, club membership numbers and match attendances through strategic marketing.
He also oversaw the introduction of West Coast and the Brisbane Bears (1987), Adelaide (1991), Fremantle (1995) and Port Adelaide (1997), as well as the 1996 merger between the Bears and Fitzroy.
At the end of his reign, the League was distributing $23.68 million to the clubs: a far cry from the $10.4 million they received a decade earlier.
Established in 1996, the Hall of Fame recognises players, coaches, umpires, administrators and media representatives who have made an outstanding contribution to Australian football.
There were 136 inaugural inductees and, after Thursday night's function at Crown Palladium, the total number is now 227.
Twenty-two of those are Hall of Fame Legends.
