2017 marks 100 years of Australia Football in Darwin. The first recorded match of Football in Darwin was played in February 1916 on Darwin Town Oval. Three clubs will be celebrating their Centenary milestone this year including the Darwin Football Club (DFC) with one of the highlights of the celebrations being selecting a team of the century.
A painstaking task for selectors, an initial list of 100 players was cut back to a shortlist of 40 with further discussions being held to narrow it down to the final team of 22 players. The final 22 are considered to be the best of the best over the last 100 years that have inspired generations of players and have paved the way for the future of the Darwin Football Club.
One of these players is Andrew McLeod. Andrew is considered to be one of Australia’s greatest Aussie Rules players of all time. From starting out with the DFC in the 1980s, McLeod followed his career to the South Australian Football League (SAFL) playing for Port Adelaide Football Club. He was shortly recruited to the Australian Football League (AFL) and signed to the Adelaide Crows. Throughout his playing career, Andrew won many prestigious awards including being a Dual Norm Smith medallist, the Malcolm Blight Medal, the Jim Stynes medal and other Australian Football League awards.
In February 2017, a Gala Ball was held to unveil the DFC Team of the Century where Andrew was named in the Centre position and Captain of the team. To be honoured with such high distinction at the club where it all began was a highly emotional experience, one which Andrew will never forget. In addition to this honour, Andrew was recognised by the AFLNT for his high achievements and contribution to the overall game of footy in the Northern Territory being named as the Captain of the AFLNT Team of the Century in September 2016.
“Old Buffaloes never die, they simply fade away”
Andrew McLeod at the Darwin Buffaloes Football Gala pictured here with his dad Jock McLeod