Charlie King OAM is a doyen of NT sports radio. His induction could easily have been justified for his media work alone, but that would not do justice to his incredible effort over 25 years to promote and develop female football playing opportunities. 

King’s passion is the driving force behind the Northern Territory’s explosion in women playing participation numbers, which has been embraced by all NT clubs, not just in Darwin.

King coordinated one-off women’s matches for decades and created the NT launching pad for the competitions, junior grades and representative teams. His work, along with a small but passionate group, enabled the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) and affiliated leagues to embrace the ambitions of female footballers.

After reaching the 600 game Australian Football commentating milestone in February 2016 after beginning at Gardens Oval in 1996, King’s total calls, if Tiwi Island and other NT leagues are counted, would most likely exceed double that number.

King, by his own statements, had an inauspicious playing career but his modesty may impinge on that. He played Reserves and Premier League with Wanderers before enthusiastically embracing the brotherhood of University Rats in the then Northern Territory Football Association where he won a best and fairest.

In 1999, King earned All Australian Super Rules selection in what is now called Masters Football.

King has also umpired over 100 games of junior, women’s and masters football and has coached Wanderers' juniors and women’s teams as well as a University Rats premiership team.  

As further evidence of his passion, he coached the first NT women’s team at the 2000 and 2002 National Championships.

King commentated at three Commonwealth Games (Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne and Manchester) in addition to two Olympic Games (Beijing and London).

In 2006 King founded the NO MORE Campaign which has been embraced by all local sporting organisations as well as nationally, and led to him being awarded the NT Human Rights Award.

Additionally, in 2015 he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to broadcast media and to remote Indigenous communities.

Finally, and most appropriately, King was selected as the 2019 NT Senior Australian of the Year.

The Australian Football community is truly fortunate having Charlie King amongst its family.