St Kilda has post-humously honoured one of its first Indigenous pioneers after six decades left waiting on the wings.
Graeme Lee was Tasmania's first and the club's second Aboriginal VFL player, but was not recognised for his role until last week.
The wingman, who arrived at Junction Oval in 1960 but left in 1962 after 18 games due to inury, has been added to St Kilda's honour roll of Indigenous players to represent the club.
A club spokesperson said Lee's omission was an oversight.
Graeme Lee. Picture: AFL Tasmania.
The Palawa man captain-coached Launceston for six seasons on his return home and skippered Tasmania during the 1966 national carnival in nipaluna (Hobart).
After calling time in the game from coaching East Devonport in 1975, Lee was the first Aboriginal man to be inducted into the Tasmanian Hall of Fame in 2005 before he was elevated to Legend status in 2010.
Lee died in April 2021, aged 81.
His name now sits behind Victorian James Wandin, who made 17 club appearances in 1952 and 1953, as the club's first Aboriginal footballers to play a senior game.
The pair's involvement with the Saints laid down the foundation for another 28 Indigenous players to run out for the club in the past 48 years.
Just 23 Indigenous players had joined a VFL club before the 1980s, but more than 200 others have since been recruited in the AFL era.
St Kilda's Indigenous Senior Players
James "Jim" Wandin 1952-53
Graeme "Gypsy" Lee 1961-62
Robert Muir 1974-80
Eric Clarke 1975-76
Phil Narkle 1984-86
Greg McAdam 1985
Nicky Winmar 1987-98
Russell Jeffrey 1987-91
Bob Jones 1988-89
Jim Krakouer 1990-91
Gilbert McAdam 1991-93
Dale Kickett 1991-92
Gavin Mitchell 1998-2000
Sean Charles 1999-2000
Freddie Campbell 2000-01
Xavier Clarke 2002-08
Allan Murray 2003-06
Raphael Clarke 2004-12
Nicholas Winmar 2010-12
Terry Milera 2012-14
Jade Gresham 2016-
Ben Long 2017-22
Koby Stevens 2017-2018
Matthew Parker 2019-2020
Robbie Young 2019
Paddy Ryder 2020-22
Bradley Hill 2020-
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera 2022-
Jarrod Lienert 2022-
Marcus Windhager 2022-
Story by Andrew Mathieson
