2004 Premiership ruck Brendon Lade has been inducted into the Port Adelaide Football Club Hall of Fame.

Lade was elevated along with three other former players and a premiership team at the club’s Season Launch and Hall of Fame event in the William Magarey Room at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.

Originally recruited to the club from South Adelaide as part of the inaugural AFL list in 1997, the Kangaroo Island product made his debut in the club’s first game in the AFL at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

He went on to be a highly valued ruck/forward and teammate during a period of success in the early 2000s.

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"He was a privilege to rove to": Hall of Fame inductee, Brendon Lade | PTV

Premiership ruckman Brendon Lade has been inducted into the Port Adelaide Hall of Fame.

Lade made a special mention of his wife and children for their support and love, before paying tribute to coaches John Cahill and Mark Williams in particular for giving him his AFL opportunity.

He then thanked club staff and volunteers

“Clubs are made of people and the people at this football club, when I played and even when I came back four or five years ago, people make great football clubs and this is no exception,” Lade said after accepting the honour on Thursday night.

“I’d like to congratulate everyone else being inducted into the Hall of Fame tonight. It’s a massive honour.

“Reading the names (listed) on the back of the menu – once I got past the dessert – there are some very accomplished players there so I’m truly honoured, humbled and a little bit embarrassed, and proud to be up here.”

A smart and talented big man who balanced strength around the ball with a deft touch in the ruck, Lade overcame two serious leg injuries that kept him out for almost two entire seasons before partnering with Matthew Primus and then Dean Brogan to prove himself to be among the top echelon of rucks in the AFL competition.

Lade was also a strong forward option and potent goalkicker, finishing with 182 goals in his 234 AFL games.

A key member of Port Adelaide’s 2004 AFL Premiership side, Lade was twice named an All-Australian (in 2006 and 2007), was a club vice-captain and won various club honours during his career including the 2006 John Cahill Medal as the club’s best and fairest player.

He retired in 2009 and has since taken on a range of AFL Assistant Coaching roles, including a return to Port Adelaide in 2017 and 2018, as well as stints at Richmond, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs.

Lade was one of the most dominant ruckmen of the 2000s.

Brendon Lade

Playing career: 

Games: 234 (AFL) 1997-2009

Goals: 182 AFL goals

AFL Premiership player (2004)

AFL pre-season Premiership player (2002)

Vice-Captain (2006-2008)

All-Australian (2006, 2007)

Port Adelaide Football Club life member (2005)

John Cahill Medallist (2006)

Fos Williams Medal as best team man (2006)

2x All-Australian (2006, 2007)

AFL Rising Star nominee (Round 7, 1997)

Peter Badcoe Medal (2006)

Port Adelaide Best Finals Player (2003)

Coaching

Richmond ruck/midfield and midfield stoppage coach (2010-2016)

Port Adelaide AFL ruck coach (2017-2018)

St Kilda AFL senior assistant coach (2019-2022)

Western Bulldogs AFL midfield coach (2023-current)