Adelaide star Scott Thompson is one of 10 past and present players who will be among 16 people made AFL life members at the AFL's Annual General Meeting in March.
Thompson, 32, qualified for AFL Life Membership when he reached 300 games, including pre-season and International Rules matches, last season. He was awarded Life Membership of the Adelaide Football Club in 2014.
The All Australian and two-time Crows Club Champion is only 15 games-shy of reaching 300 premiership games. See all the Crows on track to achieve milestones in 2016.
The prolific midfielder has played 246 premiership matches for Adelaide since being traded from Melbourne, where he made 39 appearances.
Alongside Thompson, current players to be awarded life memberships are Hawthorn and Port Adelaide premiership player Shaun Burgoyne, teammate Sam Mitchell, Geelong star and now Essendon top-up player James Kelly, Bombers skipper Brendon Goddard, Western Bulldogs' captain Robert Murphy and North Melbourne forward Drew Petrie
The retired players to be inducted include dual Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd, Cats premiership player Paul Chapman and former Saint goalsneak Stephen Milne.
Brisbane Lions coach Justin Leppitsch will also be recognised with life membership as will umpires Scott Jeffery and Matt Stevic, North Melbourne administrator Geoff Walsh, Geelong doctor Hugh Seward and former AFL commissioner Bill Kelty.
That group qualified automatically having reached 300 games as a player or player and coach with the two umpires automatically qualifying for the same length of service. Walsh, Seward and Kelty were recognised for their special service to the game, having been involved in football for a combined total of more than 80 years.
Scott Thompson
285 premiership games for Melbourne and Adelaide
25 pre-season games for Melbourne and Adelaide
One International Rules match
Best and Fairest 2011, 2012
All Australian 2012
Shaun Burgoyne
295 premiership games for Port Adelaide and Hawthorn
20 pre-season games for Port Adelaide and Hawthorn
One State of Origin Match
Two International Rules matches
Premierships 2004, 2013, 2014, 2015
All Australian 2006
Paul Chapman
280 premiership games for Geelong and Essendon
23 pre-season games for the Geelong and Essendon
One State of Origin match
Premierships 2007, 2009, 2011
Nom Smith Medallist 2009
Best and Fairest 2006
All Australian 2009, 2010
Brendon Goddard
269 premiership games for St Kilda and Essendon
27 pre-season games for St Kilda and Essendon
Four International Rules matches
Best and Fairest 2013
All Australian 2009, 2010
Scott Jeffery
284 premiership games umpired since 2001
39 pre-season games umpired since 2001
Chris Judd
279 premiership games for West Coast and Carlton
19 pre-season games for West Coast and Carlton
One State of Origin match
Two International Rules matches
Premiership 2006.
Brownlow Medal 2004, 2010
Norm Smith Medal 2005
Best and Fairest 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010
All Australian 2004, 2006, 2008 (captain), 2009 (vice-captain), 2010, 2011 (vice-captain)
Captain 2006-12
Justin Leppitsch
227 premiership games for the Brisbane Bears / Brisbane Lions
20 pre-season games for the Brisbane Bears / Brisbane Lions
One State of Origin match
Four International Rules matches
44 premiership games as a coach for the Brisbane Lions
5 pre-season games as a coach for the Brisbane Lions
Premierships 2001, 2002, 2003
Best and Fairest 1999
All Australian 1999, 2002, 2003
James Kelly
273 premiership games for Geelong (now with Essendon)
33 pre-season games for Geelong
One State of Origin match
Two International Rules matches
Premierships 2007, 2009, 2011
All Australian 2011
Jim Stynes Medallist 2011
Stephen Milne
275 premiership games for St Kilda
33 pre-season games for St Kilda
Four International Rules matches
Club Leading Goalkicker 2002, 2010, 2011, 2012
All Australian 2011, 2012
Sam Mitchell
285 premiership games for Hawthorn
27 pre-season games for Hawthorn
One State of Origin match
Two International Rules matches
Premierships 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015
Best and Fairest 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012
All Australian 2011, 2013, 2015
Captain 2008-10
Robert Murphy
292 premiership games for the Western Bulldogs
25 pre-season games for the Western Bulldogs
One State of Origin match
Four International Rules matches
All Australian 2011, 2015
Captain 2015
Drew Petrie
293 premiership games for North Melbourne
31 pre-season games for North Melbourne
Two International Rules matches
Club leading goalkicker 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015
Matt Stevic
279 premiership games umpired since 2004
25 premiership games umpired since 2004
Two International Rules matches umpired
Grand Finals 2012, 2014, 2015
Dr Hugh Seward
Dr Hugh Seward has had a continuous involvement in Australian Football since 1982 - a 34-year period of committed service. In the early 1980s, Dr Seward was one of Victoria’s first formally trained general practitioners in the emerging speciality of Sports Medicine. Almost immediately he became involved in the then-VFL competition with Geelong FC as a team doctor.
Dr Seward’s primary healthcare contribution has been at the Geelong Football Club where he was AFL club doctor and is a current board member.
Alongside this, a further significant contribution has been his leadership of the AFL Doctors Association, formerly the AFL Medical Officers Association. He has led this organisation for over 25 years and in the process established a collegiate medical approach to health care in all AFL clubs.
Geoff Walsh
Geoff Walsh has had 31 years continuous AFL club employment at four clubs. In that time, the clubs he has been involved with have won four premierships, competed in nine Grand Finals and been involved in 22 Finals Series.
Bill Kelty
Bill Kelty gave 17 years service to the AFL Commission after being appointed in 1998 until his retirement in March, 2015. His overall service as a Commissioner is second only to Graeme Samuel who served for 18 years.
His contribution to the game has been immense with a strong commitment to community football, the role of women in the game and the contribution of Indigenous players to the game.
With former GWS Giants and Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy, former AFL Commission Chairman the late Ron Evans and former Federal Government Minister Simon Crean, Bill also played a leading role in the establishment of AFL Sportsready which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2015 and has provided education and job training opportunities for some 12,000 people since 1994.
He has continued his involvement in football since his retirement from the AFL Commission by overseeing a national review into the development of the game at all levels outside the AFL competition.
