Kangaroo Hall of Fame

The article below is from the official club site:

Eight inducted into Hall of Fame
kangaroosfc.com.au
4:03:28 PM Sun 21 July, 2002
 

On Saturday night at Crown Casino, the Kangaroos inducted eight heroes as the inaugural members of their Hall of Fame.

Eligibility was determined as follows:

• The hall of fame covers outstanding commitment and contribution since the club’s foundation in 1869.
• The inaugural members inducted into the hall of fame, including he who is awarded legend status, have been determined by the club board.
• In future years a panel chaired by a hall of fame member will nominate annual members and legends.
• There is no minimum, nor maximum, number that can be admitted each year.
• Only players who have been retired for at least five years are eligible for consideration. Coaches, administrators and officials are eligible upon retirement. Other specially valued supporters are eligible for consideration at any time.

Presenters included Mick Nolan, Peter "Crackers" Keenan, Laurie Dwyer, Denis Pagan, club historian Fr Gerard Dowling and former CEO, Greg Miller.

The Kangaroos are pleased to announce the members of our inaugural Hall of Fame are:

KEITH GREIG

Keith Greig was the first North Melbourne player to win the Brownlow medal and epitomised the Brownlow tradition - skilled, courageous and scrupulously fair. A former captain, his name is revered as one of the famous 20 in the club’s first premiership team in 1975. A member of both the AFL and Kangaroos’ Team of the Century he has been a magnificent contributor to his club and the game.

WAYNE SCHIMMELBUSCH

Wayne Schimmelbusch was the first Kangaroo to play 300 games and, as a blisteringly quick wingman and half forward, was blessed with tons of courage. He would be a cornerstone of the new look Roos in the early seventies holding his own against the raft of champions assembled from all corners of the land. A club captain and member of the club’s historic first premiership side and Team of the Century and a man known to one and all... quite simply as "Schimma".

LES FOOTE

Les Foote was the first man to captain North Melbourne into a VFL Grand Final in 1950. He was also the first player to captain the club for four seasons..the first to win the Syd Barker trophy more than once..the first to win it in consecutive years and the first to win it three times. His game it was said, was built on a potent cocktail of balance, power, pace and courage and when the club named it’s Team of the Century last year it came as no surprise that he was named in the centre.

WALLY CARTER

Wally Carter was the first man to win the Syd Barker trophy as North Melbourne’s best and fairest, the first man to take the Roos into a VFL Grand Final and the first to coach North in 200 games. He was a man who gave this club so much for so long. A man who was blue and white until the very end and will always be revered by all at the club.

RON BARASSI

Ron Barassi was the first man to coach North Melbourne to a VFL flag, doing what 22 others before him had failed to achieve. He ushered in his own fierce brand of football professionalism. He demanded perfection, he looked for innovation and achieved his goal to keep North Melbourne at the forefront of football not only in the VFL but Australia wide. He coached the club 198 times over eight seasons missing the finals only once, and directing the team in six consecutive Grand Finals winning twice.

RON CASEY

Ron Casey was the first media "megastar" to take the helm of an AFL club. Under his astute chairmanship, the Roos would become the most powerful and successful side of the nineties with the club winning flags in 1996 and 1999. He spent a lifetime broadcasting and televising sporting events from all corners of the globe but his one true sporting love was always the Kangaroos.

RON JOSEPH

Ron Joseph made the transformation from schoolboy into VFL secretary and powerbroker with breaking stride. Assistant secretary in 1963, he would take over the following year and become one of the trendsetters in football administration for the next four decades. When the club won its groundbreaking flag in 1975, Joseph could lay claim to signing 19 of the 20 players who would become known as the immortals. His strength lay in his love for his men, the total confidence in their ability and a trust that went beyond normal administrative duties.

JAMES GARDINER

James Gardiner was 21 when he helped found the club in 1869 and was simply the "first". The first to believe this club we know and love, could survive. The first to believe this club could become a powerful entity in the VFA, and the first to rally in support of its admission to the VFL. He saw North win six VFA premierships, a record 49 games in a row and climbed off his deathbed to push for admission to the VFL.

Wayne Schimmelbusch was inducted as the inaugural Legend.