Kane Cornes’ Countdown: Current AFL players that will make the Hall of Fame

SEN • April 17th, 2025 11:01 am

Kane Cornes has listed the current AFL players that he is certain will make the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Players are eligible five years after retirement, and Cornes expects these names to be acknowledged immediately once that grace period comes to an end.

Cornes came up with 14 players that he sees as ‘automatic ins’.

Check out his list here.

Kane’s Countdown - “Current players that are automatic Hall of Famers…”

1 – Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong, Adelaide)

“Dangerfield absolutely is in,” Cornes said on SEN’s Sportsday.

2 – Max Gawn (Melbourne)

“Max Gawn, straight in. He’s a six-time All-Australian, premiership captain and everything he’s been for the Melbourne Football Club… straight in.”

3 – Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood)

“Scott Pendlebury is straight in, and maybe he’ll be discussed as a Legend.

“I think that's realistic for him, particularly if he's the games record holder. So, he’s in.”

4 – Lachie Neale (Brisbane, Fremantle)

“He’s in. He's a premiership captain and he's a two-time Brownlow Medallist.”

5 – Patrick Cripps (Carlton)

“He's a Leigh Matthews MVP winner, he's a six-time best and fairest winner.

“Patrick Cripps is in. He has a couple of Brownlow medals.”

6 – Nat Fyfe (Fremantle)

“Nat Fyfe is a certainty. Three-time All-Australian, two Brownlows, three best and fairests and two Leigh Matthews Trophies.”

7 – Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)

“Marcus Bontempelli also will be discussed as a Legend at some point, I would have thought.

“If you're the best player your club has ever had and such a proud club like the Dogs, then that is definitely a discussion that will be had.

“But in the meantime, he's straight in.”

8 – Toby Greene (GWS)

“Toby Greene is straight in.”

9 – Zach Merrett (Essendon)

“Zach Merrett is an interesting one, worthy of discussion.

“But I think by the time his career finishes, he's going to have 350+ games, he’s already got five best and fairests and he can probably make that seven.

“I think he will be straight in.”

10 – Jeremy Cameron (Geelong, GWS)

“Jeremy Cameron's straight in.

“By the time he finishes, he'll probably have 750+ goals, there’s no debate.”

11 – Nick Daicos (Collingwood)

“Nick Daicos will go straight in, even though it's early to call it, but he’s in.”

12 – Christian Petracca (Melbourne)

“Christian Petracca straight in, he’s a four-time All-Australian and two-time best and fairest.

“He’s also a Norm Smith Medal winner, of course, and a premiership player.”

13 – Steele Sidebottom (Collingwood)

“Is Steele Sidebottom straight in?

“350 games by the time he retires, 200 goals plus, a couple of flags, two best and fairests, he was the best finals player in 2018 and he's an Anzac Medallist.

“I think he's straight in, Steele.”

14 – Clayton Oliver (Melbourne)

“The other one, lastly, is Clayton Oliver.

“He's a premiership player, a two-time Champion Player of the Year, a three-time All-Australian and four-time best and fairest winner.

“That record gets you in.”