Qantas Socceroo Craig Moore, Westfield Matilda Di Alagich and journalists Mike Cockerill and Ted Simmons were today honoured at the 2011 Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame in Sydney.
Qantas Socceroo Craig Moore, Westfield Matilda Di Alagich and journalists Mike Cockerill and Ted Simmons were today honoured at the 2011 Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame in Sydney.
The Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame is the game's top honour and provides an opportunity to recognise football's past by paying tribute to the greats, both men and women.
There are two categories - the Hall of Champions which celebrates the legends of the sport on the field and the Hall of Honour which recognises sustained, outstanding contribution off the field.
This year has seen the induction of two greats of the game, both men-s and women-s, with Craig Moore and Dianne Alagich being honoured at the America Club today.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) also honoured football trailblazer and former Qantas Socceroo Ned Zelic who was on hand to accept his 2010 induction into the Hall of Champions.
“FFA is proud to continue the tradition of the Hall of Fame by honouring some of the greats from our recent history ,” said FFA CEO Ben Buckley.
“The three players inducted into the Hall of Champions include Westfield Matilda Di Alagich together with Qantas Socceroos Craig Moore and Ned Zelic, who collected his 2010 induction.
“Di Alagich is widely regarded as an unfaltering competitor who played a long and celebrated career for the Westfield Matildas. Ned Zelic and Craig Moore both enjoyed stellar careers as players and it is wonderful to see their active participation in the game continue as commentators, to further promote football in Australia,” he said.
“Craig Moore-s representation of Australia at every underage level before going on to feature strongly in two FIFA World Cups marks him as one of the true greats of the modern game.”
Those inducted into the Hall of Honour include Mike Cockerill and Ted Simmons.
“Mike Cockerill and Ted Simmons have both had a lasting effect on the game in Australia,” continued Buckley.
“Their contributions to the game using the written word has created a vivid, tangible and lasting impact on football in Australia.
“Both Mike and Ted will be permanently ingrained into Australian football-s psyche as not only influential pundits but friends and admirers of the game.”
In addition to the Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame inductions, FFA assisted the Sport Australia Hall of Fame acknowledgment of the 1974 Qantas Socceroos including head coach Rale Rasic and players Ray Baartz, Ernie Campbell, Ron Corry, Col Curran, John Doyle, Jim Fraser, George Harris, Jack Reilly, Ray Richards, Max Tolson, Doug Utjesenovic, Dennis Yaager as well as team medico, Dr Brian Corrigan, who were in attendance at the event.
Click here to explore the FFA Hall of Fame.