THERE wasn't that much of Barry Cable. At 168cm and 75kg, he was one of the smallest players in an era when the game was rough and tumble and without the 'protection' of video replays.
Yet the West Australian became a giant in Australian football in over 400 senior games on both sides of the continent and achievements to rival any individual in world sport.
Cable was last night elevated to official Legend status at the AFL's Australian Football Hall of Fame function in Melbourne last night.
The Nyoongar former Perth, North Melbourne andd East Perth rover was an original inductee when the Hall of Fame was established in 1996.
Cable (pictured training for WA in the 1970s) was one of six former Indigenous footballers inducted since 1996; the others were Graham 'Polly' Farmer (1996), Stephen Michael (1999), Peter Matera (2006), Michael Long (2007) and Gavin Wanganeen (2010).
Cable, 68, has become just the second Indigenous official football Legend of the game, joining the great Graham 'Polly' Farmer as a Legend.
Cable's playing career began with Perth in the then West Australian National Football League in 1962.
His class was apparent when he was awarded best-on-ground in succcessive grand finals in 1966, '67 and '68.
After 225 games with the Demons, Cable was lured east to join the North Melbourne in the then VFL in 1970, upon which he won the Kangaroos' fairest-and-best.
The pull of home proved irresistable and Cable joined East Perth where he would play 43 games.
An offer to return to Victoria was put to Cable and he re-joined North and shared in the club's historic first premiership, 1975's triumph over Hawthorn. Another flag followed in the 1977 grand final replay over Collingwood (the two teams drew the first grand final).
Cable was part of the first ever State of Origin match in 1977 when playing for Western Australia in its 96-point win over Victoria in Perth.
He would later have a brief stint in coaching the Kangaroos.
Cable won three Sandover Medals as the WAFL's highest individual award, and was runner-up an amazing three times, incredibly by one vote each time.
Under the Hall of Fame rules up to six inductions can be made each year and only one legend elevated from previous years' inductees.
Cable is the 24th Legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Barry Cable
1962-'73 Perth Football Club 225 games
1970-'77 North Melbourne 115
1978-'79 East Perth 43 games
Rep team honours
1964-'78 Western Australia 20 games
1975 Victoria 1 game
Coaching career
1972-'73 Perth
1978-'79 East Perth
1981-'84 North Melbourne for 76 games (40 wins-36 losses-0 draws)
Career highlights
Premierships: Perth 1966, '67, '68; Norrth Melbourne 1975, '77; East Perth 1978
Simpson Medal 1966, '67, '68 (grandd finals); 1969, '77 (State games)
Sandover Medal 1964, '68 '73
Perth B&F 1965, '66, '67, '68, '69, '71, '73
All-Australian 1966, '69
Tassie Medal 1966
Perth captain 1972, '73
North Melbourne B&F 1970
AFL Indigenous Team of the Century
North Melbourne Team of the Century
Australian Football Hall of Fame 1996 inductee
West Australian Football Hall of Fame 2004 inductee
Sport Australia Hall of Fame 1986 inductee