Fremantle's Peter Bell first Docker into hall of fame

Those were the thoughts of former Fremantle and North Melbourne star and and Radio 6PR Afternoons host Peter Bell after getting a letter telling him he was going to be inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame.

"It's a huge thrill. You never expect when you start your AFL career that one day you'll end up in the AFL Hall of Fame. It's a huge honour," Bell said of his induction on Thursday night.

Despite being de-listed by the Dockers after playing just two games in the club's inaugural season, Bell said he was "confident" he would get another shot at the AFL when nominating for the 1996 draft. That confidence plummeted when every club overlooked him.

It was then that Radio 6PR veteran Bob Maumill told friend and former North Melbourne coach Denis Pagan he might find it worth taking a punt on the little bloke running around with South Fremantle.

"Denis Pagan came to my flat in South Perth after Bob, who was involved with South Fremantle at the time, said to Denis: 'this bloke can play'," he said.

"I went across to North and played OK in a scratch match and went from there. So I owe my AFL career to Bob Maumill."

Bell, who was in Melbourne for the induction ceremony on Thursday, said before too long he found himself a chance to play in the 1996 grand final.

But he told Fairfax Media he didn't think he would get a guernsey for the decider after playing what he described was a "putrid" preliminary final against Essendon.

"In those days Denis would walk around to the players and tell you how you performed in front of the other players," he said.  

"He told me 'you just the biggest opportunity of your life slip'.

"I stewed on it for 48 hours, and then he told me on Monday I was in the team, so 'train well this week'."

Bell said the 1996 premiership was surreal.

"It doesn't sink in until you stay out on the ground for a couple of minutes," he said.

"I really felt for the players who had been at the club for years - many of them who had come through the under 19s. I experienced it through their elation."

The 39-year-old said the 1999 premiership was "sweeter", especially after the losing the 1998 grand final to the Adelaide Crows.

He was unlucky not to win the Norm Smith on the day after racking up 31 possessions and kicking four goals.

"We were favourites in 1998 after winning 13 games in a row," he said.

"We kicked poorly in the first half and Adelaide just ran all over us in the second half. So 1999 was very sweet and I felt part of the club by then."

After playing 123 games with North and winning the clubs' best-and-fairest in 2000, Bell said he wanted to head back to WA to finish his career.

And despite flirting with the idea of playing with cross-town rivals West Coast Eagles, Bell said he was always going to finish his playing days with the Dockers.

"It was the hardest decision in my life to leave North Melbourne," he said.

"I loved my time at North and I'm very close to the club. But I felt Fremantle had an exciting list and wasn't far away from success. I just happened to walk into 17 loses in a row."

Bell said he knew it was time to hang his boots up at the Dockers in 2008 after playing 163 games, when he felt himself "cutting corners at training".

"That just didn't sit well with me," he said.

"I felt in my heart if I couldn't give 100 per cent, then it was time to give my place up for someone else on the list.

"There is that moment when you drive out of the football club and the balance has forever changed in your life."

As for the highlights?

"The two premierships," he said.

"I still get jealous now when I see players winning premiership medals. And the first final with Fremantle in 2003 and the club's first finals win over Melbourne in 2006."

Bell is the first Fremantle Docker into the AFL Hall of Fame. He was joined in being inducted on Thursday night by Subiaco goal-kicking ace Austin Robertson Junior.