Essendon Football Club wishes to congratulate pioneer Kevin Sheedy on being named an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia (General Division).
Sheedy was awarded the title on Saturday 26 January, 2019, by the Governor-General in his capacity as Chancellor of the Order of Australia.
The Order of Australia is the principal means of recognising outstanding members of the community whose actions have set them apart and enriched our community across a broad range of professional, public and community service sectors.
Arguably one of the most influential figures in Australian rules football, Sheedy’s profound impact and involvement in the game spreads over 50 years as a player, coach, mentor and passionate advocate for the wider community. Recognised for his outstanding contribution to AFL, Sheedy was recently elevated to Legend status at the AFL Hall of Fame in 2018.
Sheedy was elevated to Legend status within the AFL Hall of Fame last year. (Photo: AFL Media)
Following 251 games and three VFL premierships as a player for Richmond throughout the late 1960s and ‘70s, Sheedy was appointed coach of the Essendon Football Club, the side he followed in childhood, in 1981. Leading the club to four premierships in his astonishing and record-breaking 27-year reign, Sheedy revolutionised the game during his coaching tenure.
Sheedy embraces Dean Wallis after triumphing in the 2000 AFL Grand Final - his fourth and final premiership as Essendon coach. (Photo: AFL Media)
A staunch promoter of growing the game across Australia, in a traditional rugby heartland, he went on to coach the inaugural Greater Western Sydney side in 2012.
Known not only for his footballing nous, Sheedy has long been an innovator and was a key figure in the initial development of the AFL Sports Ready program - a national, not-for-profit company dedicated to helping young Australians develop careers through traineeships and educational opportunities.
Since its launch in 1994, AFL Sports Ready has helped in kick-starting the careers of approximately 13,000 young jobseekers, including over 1,500 Indigenous Australians, and helped develop over 700 sporting organisations and other businesses across Australia.
The visionary then became the key figure in the establishment of the now-blockbuster ANZAC Day game at the MCG, first played in 1995 after discussions with the RSL and Collingwood. The mastermind behind the match strived to honour those who have fought, and continue to fight, for Australia, with the game now deemed the biggest home-and-away match outside the AFL Grand Final.
A firm believer in the idea of sport being a vehicle for positive societal change, in 2005 Sheedy, in conjunction with Michael Long and The Long Walk, was also the influencer behind establishing the annual ‘Dreamtime at the ‘G’ game with the Richmond Football Club – a match dedicated to celebrating the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to our game.
Sheedy pioneered the annual Dreamtime at the 'G match alongside Michael Long. (Photo: AFL Media)
Recently, Sheedy was also the brainchild behind the Powercor Country Festival – a blockbuster match first played between Essendon and Geelong in 2016 to recognise and thank regional communities for their contribution to the game of AFL and to our nation more broadly.
Essendon Chairman Lindsay Tanner congratulated Sheedy on becoming an Officer of the Order of Australia.
“Kevin’s contribution to our great game has been - put simply – profound, and on behalf of everyone at the Essendon Football Club, we extend our warmest congratulations on his elevation to an Officer of the Order of Australia (General Division),” Tanner said.
“A forward-thinker, a mastermind and wonderful advocate for community for over 50 years, Kevin has been a fine ambassador for not only our club, but our society more broadly and his contribution to Australian rules football has been enormous and unrivalled.
“There is arguably no-one in our game who is more fitting to deserve this honour today, and we acknowledge Kevin, wife Geraldine and their children on this tremendous recognition.”
The Essendon Football Club would also like to congratulate Michael Long on his State and Territory recognition as the 2019 Northern Territory Australian of the Year.
Kevin Sheedy AO Achievements:
AFL/VFL
Australian Football Hall of Fame (coach – 2008, elevated to Legend 2018)
All-Australian coach 1984, 1985, 1993, 2000
Jock McHale Medal 1984, 1985, 1993, 2000
International Rules coach 2005-2006
Essendon (1981-2007)
Coached 635 games
Team of the Century (coach)
Hall of Fame - Legend
Premiership coach 1984, 1985, 1993, 2000
Richmond (1967-1979)
Team of the Century
Hall of Fame
Premiership player 1969, 1973, 1974
Captain 1978
Best and Fairest 1976
GWS
Coach 2012 -2013
