Carlton legend Anthony ‘Kouta’ Koutoufides has been inducted into the AFL’s Hall of Fame, becoming one of six to get the nod this year.
Koutoufides was honoured for his athletic ability and one of a kind tricks after 278 games over 16 seasons before he retired in 2007. He was able to pick up the ball with one hand while running at pace and became known as one of the best utility players thanks to his track and field experience before the AFL.
He famously tore Essendon apart in Carlton’s upset 1999 preliminary final win and rose up to become captain and an all star player a number of times.
Kouta joins Matthew Richardson (Richmond), Andrew McLeod (Adelaide), Warren Tredrea (Port Adelaide) and Brad Johnson (Western Bulldogs) in the esteemed group, while Carlton and Perth captain Ern Henfry, who played in the 1930s and ’40s, is the sixth member of this year’s induction group.
Henfry died in 2007, and was a member of Perth’s team of the century and is in the Carlton and WAFL halls of fame.
All of the players inducted this year were surprisingly all one-club players, showing that loyalty and longevity is a trait the AFL applauds.
Richardson, one of the most popular players of the league and a crowd favourite at the event, was honoured for his amazing 800 goal tally.
McLeod is one of the greatest indigenous players in AFL history and won the Norm Smith Medal in Adelaide’s grand final wins in 1997-98.
The hall of fame judges made Wayne Carey and Gary Ablett Sr wait for their inductions because of off-field issues and it appears the same will apply to Ben Cousins.
Cousins is a walk-up start to the hall of fame purely on his football career, but the Brownlow Medallist is a confessed drug addict and continues to have health problems.
The six honoured this year takes the membership of Australian football greats to 257.
No members were elevated to join the 25 official Legends of the game.