Champions — Crows superstar Andrew McLeod and Port Adelaide premiership captain Warren Tredrea at the Australian Football Hall of Fame ceremony. Picture: Tony Gough. Source: Tony Gough / News Corp Australia
ANDREW McLeod and Warren Tredrea have claimed the greatest accolade for their resilience against near-crippling knee injuries with induction to the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
McLeod, arguably the greatest Crow, and Tredrea, the Power's first AFL premiership captain, were among the six inductees at the black-tie event in Melbourne on Wednesday night.
It is the first time since the Hall began in 1996 that both a former Crows and Power player earned induction on the same night.
Crows star Andrew McLeod left many players in his wake.
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McLeod is the fourth Crow in the Hall, following Brownlow Medallist Mark Ricciuto (2011), premiership captain Mark Bickley (2009) and Darren Jarman (2007). He is the first non-South Australian Crow in the Hall as he maintains his status as a Northern Territorian.
Tredrea is the first all-Power player in the Hall and follows inaugural Power captain Gavin Wanganeen (2010) who started his AFL career at Essendon.
The Hall also introduced modern-day heroes Matthew Richardson (Richmond), Brad Johnson (Western Bulldogs) and Anthony Koutoufides (Carlton) and West Australian Ern Henfry, who was captain of Carlton's 1947 premiership side.
McLeod was emotional last night as he wished he could have shared his induction with his mother, Marie, who died in 2013.
Andrew McLeod with the 1997 premiership cup. He was best-on-ground in the match. Source: News Limited
"This has to be one of the greatest achievements — and it is quite humbling," said McLeod, the Norm Smith Medallist as the best-afield in Adelaide's 1997-98 premiership double.
"To be considered worthy of being in the Hall of Fame is surreal."
Both McLeod and Tredrea earned selection on their first ballots. An AFL player must wait three years after his retirement to be inducted to the Hall of Fame.
Tredrea described his induction as "a huge honour" particularly when he recalls the players who retired in 2010.
"Thinking back to the players who went around with me at the 2010 grand final as retired players — Brad Johnson, Jason Akermanis, Ben Cousins, Simon Goodwin and Andrew McLeod — that is a fair bunch," Tredrea said. "To get in straight away is a nice recognition."
Both McLeod and Tredrea endured long-running battles with knee injuries to finish their careers with the games records at their clubs — McLeod with 340 games; Tredrea with 255.
Tredrea retired in 2010. Picture: Ray Titus
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McLeod had 13 operations after his right knee locked while in a contest for the ball with Richmond opponent Joel Bowden at Football Park in 1998. He recalled being almost in tears in 2002 when Crows club doctor, the late Brian Sando, declared there were no cures for his degenerating knee.
McLeod found the strength to play another 200 AFL games.
Today, he is in need of more surgery and told of how he still wakes up in the middle of the night with pain in the joint.
Tredrea damaged both his knees twice during his career with his torment starting in 1998 at Princes Park where his breakout game — with eight goals and 17 marks against Carlton — ended with his right knee cap being dislocated.
Tredrea's career seemed over in a trial game in 2006 when teammate Damon White crashed across his left knee. He battled through another 75 AFL games and today cannot run.
McLeod and Tredrea last night both took delight in entering the Hall as one-club players after each was tempted to leave the Crows and Power during their careers.
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