By ZAC MILBANK

SANFL is celebrating the richly-deserved induction of two of its greats into the Australian Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday night.

Port Adelaide’s six-time SANFL leading goal kicker Tim Evans and South Adelaide premiership ruck, the late David Kantilla, were honoured at a gala ceremony in Melbourne.

Both members of the South Australian Football Hall of Fame, Evans and Kantilla’s significant achievements have now been fittingly feted on the national stage.

“On behalf of the South Australian football community, I extend our congratulations to Tim Evans and the late David Kantilla on their induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame,” South Australian Football Commission Chairman Steven Trigg said.

“Tim Evans was one of the most dominant full forwards our game has seen. His remarkable goal kicking record, consistency over more than a decade, and pivotal role in Port Adelaide’s premiership success firmly place him among the SANFL’s all-time greats.

“David Kantilla’s contribution to Australian football transcends statistics. As a trailblazer for Indigenous players in the SANFL, he broke new ground and paved the way for generations to follow.

”His brilliance on the field, highlighted by his best-on-ground performance in the 1964 premiership, and his lasting legacy in both South Australia and the Northern Territory make him an incredibly deserving inductee.

“These honours not only recognise two outstanding football careers, but also their enduring influence on our game and the communities they inspired.”

Tim Evans’ record speaks for itself.

Averaging a remarkable 4.32 goals across his stellar 12-year career with Port Adelaide, the Tasmanian was second only to the great Ken Farmer in total goals kicked with a tally of 1019 in League matches.

Originally from Penguin in Tasmania and recruited from VFL club Geelong, Evans transformed himself from a strong-marking centre half-back into one of SANFL’s greatest spearheads.

The Magpies’ beloved No.5 was SANFL’s leading goal kicker on six occasions and played in four premierships en route to earning player life membership with Port and SANFL.

Not surprisingly selected at full forward in Port’s Greatest Team, Evans also surpassed the century mark in three seasons, including a career-best haul of 146 majors in 1980, then a SANFL record.

Appearing in 10 matches for South Australia, Evans wasn’t an overly tall key forward yet was extremely powerful and quick off the mark to create seperation between himself and his opponents.

And if he didn’t mark strongly on the lead, he was a genuine threat at ground level with his uncanny ability to snap a goal under pressure.

David Kantilla was an incredibly gifted athlete who left an indelible mark in his six-year career with South Adelaide.

Earning the Knuckey Cup as best-and-fairest in his first two seasons with the Panthers, he rose to prominence as a high-flying ruckman after originally starting as a key forward.

His finest hour in the blue and white came when he was widely-regarded as best afield in the club’s breakthrough premiership triumph against Port Adelaide in 1964.

A life member of South Adelaide and a member of the club’s Hall of Fame, Kantilla is fondly remembered for his gentle, and humble, character off the field.

But more importantly, Kantilla was an indigenous trailblazer at a time First Nations people weren’t permitted to vote in South Australia.

Originally from the Tiwi Islands, he became the first indigenous player to reach the 100-game milestone in the SANFL, paving the way for other players from the Northern Territory to test themselves in the southern State Leagues.

His achievements in the Top End are also significant, as a Legend in the NTFL Hall of Fame after featuring in four premierships with the St Mary’s Football Club.

Inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame last year, Kantilla also gained national recognition when he was selected in the AFL’s Indigenous Team of the Century in 2005.

PLAYING RECORD
113 games and 106 goals for South Adelaide 1961 – 1966

MATCHES FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA
4 games and 2 goals 1964, 1965

PREMIERSHIPS
Member of South Adelaide premiership team in 1964
4 Premierships with St Mary’s FC (NTFL)

ACHIEVEMENTS
Best and fairest South Adelaide (Knuckey Cup) 1961, 1962
Runner up Best and Fairest South Adelaide 1964
Leading Goal Kicker for South Adelaide 1961
Life member of South Adelaide 1967
South Adelaide Hall of Fame 2004
First Indigenous SANFL player to play 100 games
AFL Indigenous Team of the Century 2005
David Kantilla Trophy”, South Adelaide’s Best First Year Player
NTFL Hall of Fame and Legend status
NTFL Life Member
NTFL Team of the Century (Vice Captain)
South Australian Football Hall of Fame Member