(ABRAHAM JACOBS is  BPL citizen journalist)

Mick 'Scrooge' Malthouse had it right the other day. Ted Whitten didn't deserve to be elevated into the legends section of the Hall of Fame.

Now, Mick might have got some facts wrong. EJ did play 321 games, did play in a premiership team, was one of the best centre half-backs and centre half-forwards ever and was a fixture for Victoria for nearly two decades, but really, what else did he do to deserve legendary status? State football spruiker? Wrestling commentator? Not good enough!

And if EJ is not good enough to be a legend of the game, let's apply the same Malthousian logic to determine why none of the other legends in the AFL Hall of Fame really deserve to be there.

DARRELL BALDOCK: Only played in the VFL for seven years. Spent the rest of his career in Tasmania, where, to be frank, anybody could have got a kick.

RON BARASSI: Destroyed the notion of club loyalty by bolting Melbourne for Carlton. Legends of the game don't break the hearts of thousands of Victorian schoolboys.

KEVIN BARTLETT: Couldn't handball.

HAYDN BUNTON SNR: How many premierships did he play in?

JOHN COLEMAN: Missed a Grand final because he got reported on the eve of the finals. Clearly put himself before the team.

GORDON COVENTRY: Wasn't even the best player in his family.

JACK DYER: Probably couldn't spell 'legend', let alone be one.

POLLY FARMER: See Bunton.

PETER HUDSON: Slower than a wet week.

BILL HUTCHISON: Only the fourth best player ever at Essendon. Do the maths.

ALEX JESAULENKO: Only ran third in the league goal kicking the year he kicked 100 goals.

LEIGH MATTHEWS: Thug.

JOCK MCHALE: Didn't win a flag in his last 15 years as coach of Collingwood.

KEVIN MURRAY: Coached Fitzroy for two years without winning a game.

JOHN NICHOLLS: Cost his team the 1973 flag by allowing Laurie Fowler (Laurie Fowler?) to knock him out in the opening minutes.

BOB PRATT: Poor peripheral vision. Was hit by a truck the day before a grand final. he didn't play and South Melbourne lost.

BARRIE ROBRAN: Never came to play in Victoria.

NORM SMITH: South Melbourne finished last and second last in his last two years as coach.

IAN STEWART: Shamed the Richmond jumper by agreeing to coach Carlton. Even for just three games.

BOB SKILTON: Only ever played in one final.