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Important SN update for Southland“Why isn’t he in?”: Blight’s glaring Hall of Fame omission
SEN • June 25th, 2025 2:04 pm
AFL icon Malcolm Blight can’t understand why Dustin Fletcher isn’t yet an Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee.
Fletcher, who is a Legend in Essendon’s Hall of Fame, played 400 games in the red and black, winning two premierships, making two All-Australian teams and even winning the best and fairest in the Bombers’ legendary 2000 flag-winning campaign.
Blight was alerted to Fletcher not yet being a Hall of Fame member after the former Don’s son Mason, who is currently a punter with Cincinnati in College Football, took to Instagram to ponder why Dustin was yet to be inducted.
Given Fletcher retired in 2015, he’s been eligible for induction since 2020 but hasn’t yet been enshrined.
Blight simply couldn’t wrap his head around given all that Fletcher achieved at Essendon as well as his longevity as the player with the sixth-most V/AFL games to his name.
“I was fascinated after the Hall of Fame a couple of weeks ago that a son of a former player came out and got hold of the media somehow and said, ‘Well, why isn't dad in the Hall of Fame?’,” Blight said on SEN Sportsday SA.
“This particular player, who played for Essendon, is Dustin Fletcher.
“The best team I've ever seen in football was Kevin Sheedy's Essendon team in 2000. He won the best and fairest that year, in their best-ever year.
“He’s a two-time All-Australian and a best and at fairest at full-back and played 23 seasons, he started at 16.
“He played on Gary Ablett Sr at 16 or 17 when I was coaching Geelong, and he beat him.
“Why isn't he in now? Of the 350-game players, last year I did this exercise, and I had him in the top five of players to play that many games, but he’s not in the Hall of Fame, I don’t get it.
“How's he missed? It’s an anomaly. Dustin Fletcher is a 400-gamer who has done everything and at full-back.”
The Australian Football Hall of Fame can induct a maximum of eight members each year. The class of 2025 included Nick Riewoldt, Garry Lyon, Luke Hodge, Peter Darley, John Leedham, George Owens, Erin Phillips and Daisy Pearce.
