Kevin Sheedy Biography

Essendon turns to legendary coach Kevin Sheedy to help lift itself out of its mire by making him a board member.

The four-time Essendon premiership coach will join the Bombers' board of directors next month, replacing outgoing director Katie Lio, who has announced her resignation.

"My role is to support Sean Wellman as football director and along with Simon Madden, advise the board on football matters, that is my strength and that is what I will focus on," Sheedy said.

"I have more than 50 years of playing, coaching and football experience, and I will bring that to the board to assist with key football department decisions."

Football pioneer Kevin Sheedy, former AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick and legendary commentator Dennis Cometti are among those honoured in Australia Day celebrations.

The influential trio were acknowledged for their significant contributions to the sport.

A quarter of a century after Kevin Sheedy dropped Derek Kickett from Essendon's 1993 premiership side, the pair have allegedly buried the hatchet.

Fellow Essendon champion Tim Watson has revealed details of the meeting, which was arranged by club chief executive Xavier Campbell.

"He spoke to Derek and Derek said, yes, it's time. Kevin said, yes, it's time," Watson explained on SEN radio.

"He organised for them to go to his place.

"They met for the first time in 25 years and Derek was very confrontational because there are a lot of things he had on his chest that he needed to get off.

"He did, and he apparently did that in a very forcible way and in a very direct way. Kevin, apparently, was magnificent in the way he accepted that.

"They [spoke] for about half an hour, back and forward, and they buried the hatchet and moved on."

Kevin Sheedy is elevated to legend status as part of the 2018 Australian Football Hall of Fame ceremony.

"You dream as a kid. To think it could come true is another difficult story," Sheedy said.

Kevin Sheedy has pleaded with the AFL industry to welcome Dean Wallis back into its ranks.

Wallis departed Essendon under acrimonious circumstances in 2013 as part of the fall-out from the supplements scandal, and Fairfax Media reported earlier this year that Wallis was seeking WorkSafe compensation from the club and also alleging that a fraud took place involving a healthcare rebate.

There were also suggestions of a blackmail investigation by the police.

"I've told some clubs to go and get him because his preparation is the best I've ever had from any assistant coach," Sheedy said.

"Statistically he presented a case of why I should get certain recruits as an assistant coach, not overriding the recruiting department but assisting the recruiting department in getting players that would've been very good for us to have a chance at a Grand Final.

"His performance in that area was incredible, particularly when he played football like I did which was, we'll just say, reckless. So, for a reckless person, I've never known a more dedicated, professional and prepared person as a full-time assistant coach as he was."

Kevin Sheedy will lead a contingent of Essendon officials to India as the Bombers seek to tap into the growing Indian community around the club and, longer term, eye hosting an AFL game on the subcontinent.

"We have a lot of Indian people out in the Essendon catchment area who barrack for the Bombers, they've come out here to live and they've fallen in love with our game. When you look at that happening you've really got to support that," Sheedy said.

"I was reading the other day the numbers of Chinese and Indian people wanting to come to Australia, and also wanting to live in Australia, have really spiked.

"We should welcome that and make sure that they feel every part of living in Australia and, of course, in enjoying our great Australian game."

Former GWS coach Kevin Sheedy takes aim at critics of the Giants' rise in 2016.

"People can walk around with negatives all of their lives ... tell them to get a life," Sheedy said.

"I had a person tell me the other day, 'Look, it's very unfair for Melbourne clubs with the Giants making it'.

"I said, 'Go back to Hawthorn 20 years ago when they nearly merged with Melbourne. They didn't sit there and sulk. They got out and worked their butts off and have (won) what, three premierships, nearly four, and been in Grand Final after Grand Final'.

"That's what whingers and sooks should go and look at. The reconstruction of Hawthorn has been one of the best deals ever done and built in the AFL."

Media personalities were on hand to raise money to find a cure for motor neurone disease in the Big Freeze 2 campaign led by Neale Daniher on Queen's Birthday.

All hands were on deck to help raise money for the cause, with Eddie McGuire, David Koch, Samantha Armytage, Kevin Sheedy, Matthew Richardson, Jonathan Brown, Matthew Lloyd, Cameron Ling, Dave Hughes, Gerard Whateley and Anthony Lehmann going down a slide at the MCG and plunging into an icy pool.

"My heart goes out to other MND sufferers, but they would all be overwhelmed and encouraged by the support that the community has given to the cause," Daniher told ABC radio.

"We keep our costs down, we're a small foundation, to make sure that every dollar counts."