THE 2010 Australian Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony has ended with Fitzroy champion Kevin Murray being elevated to Legend status.

Murray, who won the Lions' best and fairest award an amazing nine times, received the honour in a fitting climax to the gala ceremony at Melbourne's Crown Palladium on Thursday evening.

Earlier, six Hall of Fame inductees were announced to the gathered AFL luminaries, with North Melbourne great Wayne Carey the last member for 2010.

Collingwood premiership skipper Tony Shaw, West Perth legend Stan 'Pops' Heal, former St Kilda star Ross Smith, 300-gamer Gavin Wanganeen and Melbourne premiership hero Brian Dixon rounded out the elite group.

Murray was an inaugural inductee into the Hall of Fame in 1996 on the back of a decorated 333-game career that saw him named All-Australian twice and win the Brownlow Medal in 1969.

Murray is the only man to have captained both Western Australia and Victoria in state of origin football and he was introduced to the podium by two former teammates.

"It's an amazing feeling really because you heard Allen Aylett before and you heard Bobby Skilton and we just had something special going when we played for Victoria," Murray said.

"I'm very fortunate. Football's been very good to me, [but] it's been hard work. It hasn't been easy."

The announcement of his elevation was well-received on a night which began with Shaw's induction.

Collingwood's current games record holder (313 games) claimed two Copeland Trophies and was named All-Australian twice during the course of his decorated career, but his crowning achievement came in 1990.

Shaw's dream season saw him lift the premiership cup, win the Norm Smith Medal, take out his second best and fairest and be named captain of the All-Australian side.

Shaw made light of his height and lack of pace when he took the stage to accept his award.

"I played this great game for 17 years. I was short, slow and couldn't kick so I'm pretty happy to be up here as a matter of fact," he said.

"I knew my position within the game, I knew my position within the team and I knew my limitations, so you play to that. I did whatever I was asked to do [early] and later on you just start to get enormous belief, you get prepared and make sure that you survive."

WA great 'Pops' Heal performed the rare feat of playing in premierships on either side of the continent in the same season. After finishing runner-up in the 1940 Sandover Medal count he joined Melbourne for a brief eight-game stint that included the 1941 premiership win over Essendon.

Just a week later Heal was back in his native Western Australia where he helped West Perth defeat East Fremantle in the grand final.

Heal, already a 'Legend' in the Western Australian Football Hall of Fame, played 180 games for West Perth and was captain-coach of premiership sides in 1949 and 1951.

Smith's induction is a fitting tribute to a brilliant career that saw the courageous rover play 234 games for the Saints, including their 1966 premiership triumph.

Smith also played 39 games for Subiaco and was captain-coach of the club during its 1973 premiership.

He captained St Kilda on 68 occasions, but his crowning personal achievement came in 1967 when he won the Brownlow Medal. Smith took out St Kilda's best and fairest award the same year and repeated the dose in 1971.

Smith would later be named in the Saints' Team of the Century, coach the side in 1977 and complete three separate stints as an assistant coach.

Wanganeen, Port's inaugural club captain, took out the 1993 Brownlow Medal, was a five-time All-Australian and became the first indigenous player to reach 300 games over a 16-year career with Essendon and Port.

He played in a premiership side for both clubs and was named in both the Essendon and the Indigenous Team of the Century.

Dixon, a member of the Demons' Team of the Century, played 252 games for the club and was part of the golden era that saw Melbourne play in seven grand finals between 1954 and 1964 for five premierships.

And, despite off-field controversies, Carey's extensive list of team and personal achievements meant it was only a matter of time before he was ushered into the elite group.

Over the span of his 272-game career, Carey tasted premiership success twice, won his club's best and fairest award four times and was named All-Australian a staggering seven times with four of those as captain.

He paid tribute to his family and teammates.

"One reason I'm here is because we were a very good side, the Kangaroos, throughout the '90s," he said.

"It gets overlooked that we played in seven preliminary finals in a row and three of those grand finals. It's for that reason that I stand here.

"One thing about a team is that when you've got your backs to the wall or you're not in good form, your teammates are always there to pick you up.

"On the other side of that life, when things aren't going well you have your family and close friends to be there. If it wasn't for those people ... I wouldn't be standing here."