Adam Goodes is officially a Legend after being inducted into the Sydney Swans Hall of Fame and immediately elevated to Bloods Legend status at the club’s Guernsey Presentation and Hall of Fame Induction Dinner, presented by Volkswagen, held at The Star on Wednesday night.

Goodes has joined an illustrious group of Swans Legends, which includes Bob Skilton, Bob Pratt, Paul Kelly, Peter Bedford, J. Herbie Matthews, Ron Clegg and Peter Burns.

Over a career spanning 18 years, Goodes played a club-record 372 games, kicked 464 goals, claimed two Brownlow Medals, won two premierships, collected three Bob Skilton Medals, earned four All-Australian blazers, was a three-time club-leading goal-kicker, took out an AFL Rising Star honour, was named in the Indigenous Team of the Century and was the 2014 Australian of the Year.

In that time, he also co-founded the Goodes-O’Loughlin (GO) Foundation, which this year is helping to provide educational scholarships to 300 Indigenous Australians in Sydney and Adelaide.

Swans coach John Longmire paid tribute to Goodes on the night.

“A couple of things that stood out to me about Adam, apart from his ability, was how mentally strong he was, particularly his ability to play with injury – he was just so incredibly tough to be able to go out there to train and play on a consistent basis,” Longmire said.

“Adam was also incredibly selfless. He would do anything for the team and play any role, including towards the end of his career and going back to play reserves footy.

“When you consider how good a player he was and how much of a distinguished record he had, that was an incredible, selfless act to play reserves footy – he was the ultimate team man. 

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving to be inducted into the Sydney Swans Hall of Fame than Adam.”

Goodes wasn’t the only Swan to be recognised on the night, with David Ackerly and David McLeish also inducted into the Swans Hall of Fame.

Ackerly played 138 games for the Swans between 1979 and 1985 before joining North Melbourne.

In just his second year of senior football, aged 19, Ackerly claimed the Club Champion award, becoming the youngest Swan ever to win the coveted honour – a record that still stands.

Quick, skilful and strong overhead, Ackerly claimed a second Club Champion award in 1982 and was a key member of the Swans when they relocated 1000 kilometres from South Melbourne to Sydney.

Fellow defender McLeish played 213 games with South Melbourne between 1969 and 1980.

Super consistent, McLeish was a terrific team player, who was nominated as a member of the club’s Team of the Century and played representative football with Victoria.

After retiring in 1981, McLeish was recruited as captain-coach of Wodonga in the Ovens and Murray League, leading the club to premiership glory in seniors, reserves and third grade – the first time this had happened in the league’s history.

At an action-packed event, the club’s 10 new recruits and draftees and their families were officially welcomed to the Swans.

The club’s 2019 draft class – Nick Blakey, James Rowbottom, Justin McInerney, Zac Foot, Durak Tucker, Harry Reynolds and Sam Wicks – and recruits Ryan Clarke, Jackson Thurlow and Daniel Menzel, joined all 2019 players in receiving their official guernseys ahead of the club’s premiership campaign, which will be led by co-captains Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker and Dane Rampe.

The Swans also added three items to the club’s Heritage List at the Guernsey Presentation and Hall of Fame Induction Dinner, presented by Volkswagen.

The three items added were:

• 1888-1890 premierships: South Melbourne accomplished a rare achievement by claiming three successive VFA premierships in 1888, 1889 and 1890.

• Harold Robertson’s 14 goals and the goalkicking Robertson family: Harold Robertson, along with Australian Football Hall of Fame Legends Tony Lockett and Bob Pratt, is one of just three Swans players in history to have kicked 14 goals or more in a game. Moreover, younger brother Austin Sr was the Swans’ leading goal-kicker in 1929, 1930 and 1931, and he kicked 250 goals from 154 games for South Melbourne. Lastly, Austin Jr is the greatest WAFL goal-kicker of all time (1211 goals), and he booted 60 majors across 18 games for South Melbourne in 1966.

• 2012 premiership: Sydney and Hawthorn played out an epic Grand Final, which the Swans won 14.7 (91) to 11.15 (81) in front of 99,683 at the MCG. Sydney midfielder Ryan O’Keefe became the first Swans player ever to win a Norm Smith Medal.