Inaugural Adelaide Club Doctor Brian Sando has been inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame.

An international leader in the field of sports medicine, Dr Sando’s involvement with South Australian football began in the SANFL in 1964 as club doctor with the Norwood Football Club. He was a member of the SANFL’s Development Foundation for 26 years and also served on the League’s Drug and Disciplinary Tribunal.

Dr Sando was made a SANFL Life Member in 1988 as recognition of his outstanding service to the competition.

He was then appointed as Adelaide’s first Club Doctor upon the Crows’ entry into the AFL in 1991 and held the position for almost two decades, forming close relationships with players, coaches and staff alike.

A kind and professional clubman, Dr Sando was made a Life Member of the Adelaide Football Club in 2008.

The Club introduced the Dr Brian Sando OAM Trophy in his honour following his passing in 2012. The annual award recognises a player’s outstanding and professional attention to detail in preparation for being an AFL footballer.

But the distinguished career Dr Sando extended far beyond football.

He held a number of positions with national and international sporting bodies, including the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Health, Medical and Research Committee, the FINA Doping Control Review Board and the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority - of which he was Chairman.

Dr Sando also served at seven consecutive Olympic Games beginning in Moscow in 1980, and was Senior Medical Director for the Australian Olympic team in 1988, 1992, 1996, and the 2000 Games in Sydney. He also lent his expertise at three Commonwealth Games.

Dr Sando was inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame as part of the SANFL’s Magarey Medal presentation at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday evening.

Dr Brian Sando’s son, Andrew, accepted the honour on his father’s behalf.

“My dad was my hero,” Andrew said.

“He would’ve been very, very proud to receive this, but he would’ve been very humbled by it.

“For him, what it was about was the love of the game.”

Dr Sando joins a host of former Crows, including Brownlow Medallist Mark Ricciuto, Coleman Medallist Tony Modra, Dual Norm Smith Medallist Andrew McLeod and premiership coach Malcolm Blight, among the prestigious list of previous SA Hall of Fame inductees.

The South Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 2002 to recognise those who have made a significant contribution to the game of Australian Football. It now features 204 of the state’s greatest players, administrators, staff, umpires and media identities.

Inductees are selected by the South Australian Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, which currently comprises Max Basheer (Chairman), Laurie Argent, John Halbert AM MBE, Bob Hammond AM, Neil Kerley AM, Chris McDermott, Michelangelo Rucci and Bill Sanders.