Which current players will end up AFL Hall of Fame Legends?

Both Kane Cornes and David King are in agreement that Patrick Dangerfield will one day be inducted as a Legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

As things stand, 32 players in the game’s history have received the honour, with Jason Dunstall the most recent inductee in 2024.

Players must wait at least five years post-retirement to be considered for induction, while they also first must be inducted as a Hall of Famer before being elevated to Legend status.

While the duo are in agreement that eight-time All-Australian Dangerfield will one day receive the honour, they couldn’t see eye-to-eye on what other current players could receive the nod.

Cornes and King discussed the prospect of the likes of Scott Pendlebury, Marcus Bontempelli, Max Gawn, Nat Fyfe and Patrick Cripps one day entering Legend discussion.

Cornes: “Does Patrick Dangerfield end up as a Legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame?”

King: “He’s a beauty, absolutely. I mean, what more do you need to do? 

“He's played at the highest level for the best part of 12 years. So he will be a legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. 

“How many others in the current crop are Legends? Pendlebury will be a Legend.”

Cornes: “Do you think Pendlebury will be a Legend? 

King: “Yeah, 100%. He'll be the game record holder when he's finished.”

Cornes: “I don't know, that'd be a 50/50 call, I reckon. 

“Buddy (Lance Franklin) will be a Legend, but he's not playing right now. 

“Is anyone right now other than Dangerfield? There are no arguments (with Dangerfield), but Pendlebury, I’m not confident. 

“In 40 years’ time, I think he (Pendlebury) will be, (but not straight away).”

King: “What more do you need to do in our game to be considered a Legend?”

Cornes: “Is Simon Black a Legend? His resume stacks up with Pendlebury's, other than a few less games.”

King: “This guy's played 410 games.”

Cornes: “You wouldn't say Simon Black's automatically a Legend. Have you seen the queue to get in”

King: “Carey's not a Legend yet. They've got to correct that.”

Cornes: “Junior (Gary Ablett Jr) will be a Legend. There's a long line.

“Dustin Martin, would he get in before Pendles?”

King: “Yes.”

Cornes: “Marcus Bontempelli, would he be a Legend?”

King: “That's a good question. Yes, I think Bontempelli will be. 

“They would be the only ones for me (out of the current group as well as Dangerfield), Pendlebury and Bontempelli.”

Cornes: “Max Gawn?”

King: “No, I don’t think he’s in the Pendlebury bracket.”

Cornes: “I like the discussion.”

King: “Fyfe?”

Cornes: “No. Cripps and Fyfe are probably similar, is Cripps?”

King: “No.”

Cornes: “There you go.”

The only current Legend to have played since the year 2000 is Tony Lockett, who returned for three games in 2002 after initially retiring at the end of the 1999 season.