Former club captains Gary Ablett, Luke Hodge, Jarrad McVeigh and Matthew Boyd are among the 11 new AFL life members set to be inducted by the league at its annual general meeting in March.
The AFL announced on Tuesday that its Commission had confirmed that the four active ex-skippers, along with St Kilda veteran Leigh Montagna, would become life members having qualified for the honour by playing their 300th official AFL match in the last 12 months. Umpires Deam Margetts, Simon Meredith and Matthew Nicholls are also due to be rewarded with the gong for passing the milestone.
Dual Essendon premiership player John Birt, inaugural West Coast captain and 1983 Brownlow medallist Ross Glendinning and former AFL commissioner and now Sydney director Sam Mostyn will also be honoured with life membership. Those three received their awards under the provision of "special service to the game." Mostyn will be just the second woman to be recognised as an AFL life member after the late Jill Lindsay. Mostyn made history in 2005 when she became the first woman to join the AFL Commission.
"Thank you AFL Commission for honour of AFL Life Membership. I am extremely humbled & will continue to serve the game," Mostyn tweeted on Tuesday.
As well as playing 193 games for the Dons, Birt coached the club and worked for Collingwood, Footscray, Fitzroy and the Brisbane Lions.
Geelong volunteer Les Bailey was awarded the Jack Titus service award after 40 years with the Cats.
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