It’s extra special plus, too, to be included in the Brisbane Lions Hall of Fame.

Tim Notting can claim both after his 2026 Hall of Fame induction.

It is a fitting recognition for a career which from 1998-2009 included 208 games, 138 goals, seven finals campaigns, 16 finals, three grand finals and two premierships.

He played in the Lions’ 2001-02 premierships, was an emergency for the 2003 grand final after playing in the preliminary final, and was a member of the beaten grand final side of 2004.

He was the prototype AFL utility player. A long-striding, high-leaping 188cm, armed with a good pair of hands and a thumping kick, he could play just about anywhere. And did.

His six-goal bonanza in a 55-point win over Melbourne at the MCG in Round 21 1999 came in a rare appearance as a key forward in Leigh Matthews’ 21^st game in charge, and put him in an elite group. He’s one of only seven Brisbane players all-time to kick six goals at the MCG.

Brad Hardie (1987), Roger Merrett (1993) and Jarrod Molloy (1997) preceded Notting, and Jared Brennan and Jonathan Brown (2007) and Logan Morris (2025) followed him.

Morris was the youngest at 20 years 84 days, 220 days younger than Notting, but Notting, in his 13^th game, had played 25 games fewer than the rising Lions star.

Brennan kicked his six MCG goals on his 23^rd birthday in his 54^th game, while Molloy was 21 years 34 days in his 63^rd game and his fourth in Brisbane colours. Hardie, a 47-game Brownlow Medallist at Footscray before joining the Bears, was 24 years 322 days in his 68^th career game, and Merrett, a 149-gamer at Essendon before moving north, was 32 years 342 days in his 244^th game.

Notting, labelled a wing/utility when drafted in 1996, also played at times in defence, but his preferred and most common role was on the wing. He loved the wide expanses of the Gabba, and when fully fit was pretty much a regular in the Brisbane side from 2001 onwards.

He finished top 10 in the Merrett/Murray Medal four times – 3^rd in 2007, 7^th in 2001, 8^th in 2006 and 9^th in 2005 – and in the superstar side of the early 21^st century was the ultimate role player. He fitted in anywhere and just did his job.

The Notting AFL journey began in north-west Victoria. He was born in Wycheproof, which according to the 2021 census had a population of 610, grew up 140km south-west in Stawell, which is 10 times bigger and home to Australia’s oldest and richest foot race, and played juniors at Navarre.

He played in the Victorian Under 18 competition with the North Ballarat Rebels, now the Greater Western Victoria Rebels, and was something of a draft rarity, taken at pick #26 in November 1996. It was an in-between time – the Brisbane Bears had been confined to the history books, and the Brisbane Lions had not yet officially begun.

He had to wait until Round 8 1998 for his AFL debut against Essendon at the MCG. But thereafter he blazed what has become a well-trodden path from the Rebels to the Gabba as he was followed by Shane O’Bree and Marcus Picken (1997, Jed Adcock (2003), Matt Austin (2007), Michael Close (2012), Hugh McCluggage, Jarrod Berry and Cedric Cox (2016), Tom Berry (2018) and Harry Sharp (2020).

Now running his own building company in Brisbane, Notting played under three different coaches in his first six games. He debuted under John Northey, played his second game under Roger Merrett, and his sixth under Leigh Matthews. But not until his197th game did he play under his fourth coach – Michael Voss.

Notting was the 26^th Brisbane player to 100 games, sharing the moment with the 200^th game celebrations of Jason Akermanis against Essendon at Marvel Stadium in Round 12 2004. Daniel Bradshaw kicked seven goals and captain Voss picked up three Brownlow Medal votes in a 66-point win.

He was the 13^th Brisbane player to 200 games under coach Voss against North Melbourne at Marvel in Round 10 2009, when Rhan Hooper kicked four goals and Adcock took three votes in an 18-point win.

And, having already logged his career-high bag of six goals in his 13^th game, he delivered arguably his best all-round performance in his 31^st game against Fremantle at the Gabba in Round 5 2001, when he had an equal career-best 31 possessions and kicked four goals in a 49-point win to earn three Brownlow votes. It was Jamie Charman’s debut.

He also played in every one of the Lions’ 20-game winning streak which began in Round 10 2001 with the famous “If it bleeds we can kill it” game against Essendon at the Gabba, continued through the club’s first premiership, and ended at Subiaco in a 46-point loss to West Coast in Round 5 2002.

Having worn jumper #39 in his first two years and 17 games, Notting took over jumper #8 from Andy Gowers in 2000. His 191 games leads the Brisbane games list in #8 from Mike Richardson (81), Rowan Bewick (75) and Gowers (51), but it’s a record with a clear use-by date. Barring an unexpected number change, it will fall to Will Ashcroft.

Still, it’s a record he will hang on to for as long as possible because he’s already lost the mantle of the #1 sports person in his family – he’s married to Olympic swimming Gold Medallist and former world record-holder Jodie Henry OAM.