Editing Russell Ebert (section)

{{short description|Australian rules footballer (1949–2021)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Russell Ebert<br />{{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}}
| image = Russell_Ebert_statue.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Russell Ebert statue at [[Adelaide Oval]]
| fullname = Russell Frank Ebert 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1949|06|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Berri, South Australia]]
| originalteam = Loxton, Waikerie
| height = 183 cm
| weight = 90 kg
| position = [[Australian rules football positions|Midfielder]]
| statsend = 1985
| coachstatsend = 1990
| years1 = 1968–78, 80–85
| club1 = [[Port Adelaide Football Club (SANFL)|Port Adelaide]]
| games_goals1 = 392 (294)
| years2 = 1979
| club2 = [[North Melbourne Football Club|North Melbourne]]
| games_goals2 = {{0}}25 {{0}}(15)
| games_goalstotal = 417 (309)
| sooyears1 = 1970–83
| sooteam1 = [[South Australia Australian rules football team|South Australia]]
| soogames_goals1 = 29
| sooyears2 = 1996–98 
| sooteam2 = [[South Australia Australian rules football team|South Australia]] <small>(Coach)</small>
| soogames_goals2 = {{0}}3
| coachyears1 = 1983–87
| coachclub1 = [[Port Adelaide Football Club|Port Adelaide]]
| coachgames_wins1 = 116 (64–52–0)
| coachyears2 = 1988–90
| coachclub2 = [[Woodville Football Club|Woodville]]
| coachgames_wins2 = {{0}}64 (24–40–0)
| careerhighlights = '''Club'''
* 3× {{AFL Por}} premiership player ([[1977 SANFL Grand Final|1977]], [[1980 SANFL Grand Final|1980]], [[1981 SANFL Grand Final|1981]])
* 4× [[Magarey Medal]] (1971, 1974, 1976, 1980)
* [[Jack Oatey Medal]] (1981)
* 6× [[John Cahill Medal|Port Adelaide best & fairest]] (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1981)
* [[List of Port Adelaide Football Club captains|Port Adelaide captain]] (1974–1978, 1983–1985)
* [[List of Port Adelaide Football Club leading goalkickers|Port Adelaide leading goalkicker]] (1968)
* [[List of Port Adelaide Football Club records#Games|Port Adelaide 'All-Time' games record holder]] (392)
* {{AFL PA}} best first year player (1968)
'''Representative'''
* 3× [[South Australia Australian rules football team|South Australian]] captain (1975, 1977, 1983)
* 29 games for  [[South Australia Australian rules football team|South Australia]]
* [[South Australia Australian rules football team|South Australian]] coach 1996, 1997, 1998
'''Honours'''
*[[Port Adelaide Football Club#Greatest Team|Port Adelaide's greatest team]] (centre)
* [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]], inducted 1996, Legend status 2022
* [[South Australian Football Hall of Fame]] (2002)
* [[South Australian National Football League|SANFL]] life member
* {{AFL Por}} life member (1977)
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2021|11|5|1949|06|22}}
}}

'''Russell Frank Ebert''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (22 June 1949 – 5 November 2021) was an [[Australian rules football]]er and coach. He is considered one of the greatest players in the history of [[Australian rules football in South Australia]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://sanfl.com.au/ebert-honoured-with-sculpture/|title=Ebert Honoured With Sculpture|date=2015-08-15|work=SANFL|access-date=2017-06-12|language=en-US|archive-date=4 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104013829/http://sanfl.com.au/ebert-honoured-with-sculpture/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/07/30/1027926889370.html|title=Port poised to pick up son of SA legend Ebert – realfooty.com.au|website=The Age|date=31 July 2002 |access-date=2017-06-12}}</ref> Ebert is the only player to have won four [[Magarey Medal]]s, which are awarded to the best and fairest player in the [[South Australian National Football League]] (SANFL).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://sanfl.com.au/magarey-medal/|title=Magarey Medal |work=SANFL|access-date=2017-06-12|language=en-US}}</ref> He is one of four Australian rules footballers to have a statue at [[Adelaide Oval]], the others being [[Ken Farmer]], [[Malcolm Blight]] and [[Barrie Robran]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Rucci|first=Michaelangelo|date=18 August 2017|title=Robran to Ebert to Blight to Farmer — the roll call of SA football greats cast in bronze at Adelaide Oval is complete|work=The Advertiser|url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/local-footy-sa/sanfl/north-adelaide/robran-to-ebert-to-blight-to-farmer-the-roll-call-of-sa-football-greats-cast-in-bronze-at-adelaide-oval-is-complete/news-story/d6015166e12b82f7f1e4aeb630991a0c|access-date=17 January 2022}}</ref> Football historian John Devaney described Ebert as coming "as close as any player in history to exhibiting complete mastery over all the essential skills of the game,"<ref>{{Cite web|last=Devaney|first=John|title=Russell Ebert|url=https://australianfootball.com/players/player/Russell%2BEbert/11335|access-date=17 January 2022|website=australianfootball.com}}</ref> and he is widely regarded as the [[Port Adelaide Football Club]]'s greatest-ever player.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Rucci|first=Michelangelo|date=6 November 2021|title=Remembering Port Adelaide's greatest hero|work=portadelaidefc.com.au|url=https://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/1029459/rucci-ebert|access-date=22 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Turner|first=Matt|date=26 May 2020|title=Port Adelaide's 150 Greatest Players in 150 years: Who has made the top five?|work=The Advertiser|url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/teams/port-adelaide/port-adelaides-150-greatest-players-in-150-years-who-has-made-the-top-five/news-story/0e814b0e52eb061b01975a252536d8c5|access-date=22 January 2022}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=McLachlan|first=Gillon|date=5 November 2021|title=Vale Russell Ebert: AFL remembers Port Adelaide legend|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/686659/vale-russell-ebert-afl-remembers-port-adelaide-legend|website=afl.com.au}}</ref> Aside from his 392 games at Port Adelaide, Ebert played 25 games for {{AFL NM}} in the [[1979 VFL season]] and collected over 500 possessions as a midfielder for the club, which reached the preliminary final.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nmfc.com.au/news/1029471/vale-russell-ebert|title=Vale Russell Ebert|work=nmfc.com.au|date=6 November 2021}}</ref> Ebert was an inaugural inductee into the [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]] in 1996, and he was [[Posthumous award|posthumously]] elevated to [[Australian Football Hall of Fame#Legends|Legend]] status in June 2022, the highest honour that can be bestowed onto an Australian footballer.<ref name=LegendHOF>{{cite web|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/776056|title=SA football icon Russell Ebert now a Hall of Fame Legend|work=afl.com.au|date=14 June 2022|author=Patrick Keane}}</ref>