Both Parkin and Sheehan were awarded an Order of Australia Medal for "service to the sport of Australian rules football".
"I'm a privileged person who chose his parents well and was lucky enough to be able to pursue the things I love and have a passion for," Parkin told News Limited.
Born and raised in Melbourne's inner-east, Parkin played 211 games for Hawthorn between 1961 and '74, captaining the Hawks to the 1971 flag.
The 70-year-old then coached Hawthorn for four seasons, winning a premiership in 1978.
However, Parkin achieved his greatest coaching success at Carlton. He led the Blues to three flags during two stints at the club.
He also coached Fitzroy for three seasons.
Sheehan, who grew up in Bendigo in regional Victoria, played 102 games for Geelong over nine seasons before joining the then-VFL as its first full-time development officer in 1983.
Since then the 59-year-old has played a lead role in the revamping the way talented young players are both identified and nurtured.
