Tributes have flowed to begin the week as football mourns the passing of one of its greats, Bill Dempsey.

Fans, organisations, those whose lives Mr Dempsey touched, the leagues and clubs he carved out an enduring legacy with over a champion career spanning nearly two decades and thousands of kilometres.

Mr Dempsey passed away on Sunday, aged 83.

A 12-month player, the future Australian Football, AFL Northern Territory and WA Football Hall of Fame inductee and Indigenous Team of the Century member played close to 500 senior games of football, spending the winter in the west and summer in the top end over the bulk of his career.

Born in the remote Northern Territory Town of Birdum and a member of the Stolen Generations, Mr Dempsey began his career at the elite level with Darwin Buffaloes as a teenager in 1959.

He would play an estimated 140 games for the club over 11 years, beginning his regular rotation between the NT and WA in 1960 with West Perth - where Mr Dempsey would go on to play 343 games.

It's the second most in WAFL history, also running out for WA in state games 14 times.

Mr Dempsey split six premierships won through his career evenly between the Buffaloes and Falcons.

"From his early days in Darwin to the heights of the WAFL, Bill was a man of immense resilience, skill, and character. He leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire generations of players, particularly those following in his footsteps from the Top End," Darwin Buffaloes wrote on Sunday.

His original club paid their respects to a man who had a "profound" impact on the game, and his family.

Mr Dempsey was named an AFLNT legend in the league's inaugural Hall of Fame induction in 2010.

He was also honoured as vice-captain in the Buffaloes team of the century.

In WA, Mr Dempsey holds just as much esteem.

West Perth remembers him as "without question, one of the greatest players ever to wear the red and blue".

"On the field he was a warrior of the ruck and a rock in defence," the club wrote in an obituary. "Off the field he was something even greater—a man whose character defined what it meant to be part of the West Perth family."

West Perth best-and-fairest in 1966, captain between 1973-76 and Simpson Medal winner for best on ground in their 1969 grand final triumph, Mr Dempsey is also a member of their team of the century.

"To so many of us, he was more than a champion footballer. He was the greatest clubman you could ever hope to meet, a man whose warmth, humility and generosity left a mark on everyone lucky enough to know him. Though not related by blood, he became family to so many—earning the title that says everything about the man he was: Uncle Billy," West Perth Jimmy Caffieri wrote.

"He carried the values of his heritage and his upbringing in Birdum with quiet pride. He treated people with kindness and respect, whether they were teammates, supporters, or strangers meeting him for the first time. In a world where sporting heroes can sometimes feel distant, Billy was the opposite—approachable, genuine, and deeply decent.

"Great footballers are remembered for what they did on the field. Truly great men are remembered for how they made people feel.

"For those of us who had the privilege to know him, Uncle Billy will always be remembered as both. A champion of West Australian Football League football, a cornerstone of the West Perth Football Club, and one of the most decent human beings you could ever hope to meet."

Mr Dempsey would also prove himself more than capable in an entirely different position on the ground, moving to back pocket and resting ruck with fellow late icon Graham 'Polly' Farmer's arrival at West Perth in 1968.

A true giant of the game, a loyal friend, and a man of immense character

The Polly Farmer Foundation expressed their sadness to hear of Mr Dempsey's passing.

"A true giant of the game, a loyal friend, and a man of immense character - Bill's legacy will live on in all those he inspired," the Foundation wrote on Monday.

"Bill's impact on Australian football and the communities he represented was immense. His extraordinary career across Western Australia and the Northern Territory, his leadership on and off the field, and his role in paving the way for future generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players will never be forgotten."

Mr Dempsey, a long-time friend of the Farmer family, will be remembered with a special place in the foundation's heart, inspiration and "a proud supporter of efforts that uplifted young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people".

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillow said Dempsey would be remembered as "a trailblazer for stars coming to the game from the Northern Territory".

AFL NT chairman Sean Bowden said: "Mr Dempsey's life was testament to the power of football. It made life better for him, and in turn he made life better for others. He showed incredible determination to leave Darwin and make a name for himself in the WAFL, but he always remained a Territory boy and a beloved hero of the Darwin Buffaloes."

WA Football chief executive Brad Wira said Mr Dempsey "was a true legend of WA and Australian football, highlighted by his induction into both the WA Football Hall of Fame and, more recently, the Australian Football Hall of Fame, recognising his monumental contribution to the game".

Mr Dempsey was celebrated as the 2022 honouree of the AFL's Sir Doug Nicholls Round.