Hawks icon to be awarded AFL legend status

Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall will be elevated to legend status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame, the AFL announced on Monday.

Dunstall will be formally elevated during next month’s Hall of Fame ceremony in Melbourne.

The 59-year-old was first inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

Dunstall joins an illustrious list of 32 legends, which added Russell Ebert, Merv McIntosh and Jack Oatley in recent years.

“I’m a little overwhelmed at the moment, it’s an incredible privilege. I feel very humble, almost to the point of embarrassment,” Dunstall told media on Monday.

“When you consider there’s just a tick over 30 legends in the game, it’s the highest honour. I feel incredibly grateful to the AFL.

“[Football has] been a massive part of my life and to sit amongst names that are synonymous with the game now, it’s incredibly humbling. I’m very grateful.”

Dunstall represented the brown and gold between 1985 and 1998, establishing himself as one of the greatest full-forwards to ever play the game.