Australian Football Association of North America

6. Major Awards (updated August, 2006)

The Brownlow Medal

The Charles Brownlow Trophy was instituted in 1924 for the "Fairest and Best" player in the VFL home and away season. The trophy itself is an ornate lacquered medallion, no larger than an American silver dollar coin. It has been awarded every year since except the Second World War years of 1942-1945.

It perpetuates the memory of Charles Brownlow (1862-1924), who served both the Geelong Football Club and the old VFA/VFL for over forty years. A jeweler/watchmaker by trade, he played with Geelong in the VFA prior to the formation of the breakaway VFL (1896). After his retirement as a player, he coached the club and was later appointed secretary of the Geelong Football Club. Many committee meetings were held in his shop after hours. For many years, the old VFL was run not by an independent commission, but rather by club officials appointed to various roles on a VFL committee. Brownlow once served as vice-president of the VFL while still on Geelong's committee and even filled in as president (1917-1919) when one O. M. Williams stepped down from the position. Brownlow fell ill in 1923 and passed away in January, 1924. After his death, the medal named for him was created and the inaugural winner in 1924 was Geelong player Edward "Carji" Greeves (Geelong 1923-33).

• The medal is awarded as follows: the field umpires in consultation after each game award six votes; three votes to the best player, two to the second best and one to the third best. These votes are collected and kept by the AFL until the week before the Grand Final. The award ceremony is a huge black-tie dinner affair with players and their wives, girlfriends, partners, etc, dressed to the nines. The whole affair is televised with the votes being counted round by round. The player gaining the most votes from the season is awarded the Brownlow medal. Players who are suspended can during the season can still garner votes, but are ineligible to win the award.
  Two examples of this are:
  
• In 1996, Brisbane's Michael Voss, Kangaroo Corey McKernan, and Essendon's James Hird tied for the medal but McKernan was ineligible due to an early season 1 game suspension for tripping.
  

In 1997, Bulldog Chris Grant polled 1 vote more than St. Kilda's Robert Harvey but was also ineligible due to suspension and Harvey won by default.

Should two or more players have the same number of votes then two or more medals are awarded. This replaced a countback system used in 1931-1981, in which ties were broken by counting numbers of "three" votes among the tied players, then "two" votes, etc.

In 1980, the countback system was scrapped and retrospective medals were awarded to all players who had lost under the old system.

The 1998 Brownlow Medal was won for the second consecutive year by on-baller Robert Harvey of St. Kilda with 32 votes, which ties him for the highest total ever awarded. His winning margin of eight votes over midfielder Nathan Buckley of Collingwood was also one of the highest ever.

The John Coleman Medal

The Coleman Medal was instituted in 1981, and is awarded to the player who kicks the most goals during the Home and Away Season. The Medal honors John Coleman, a spectacular forward player for Essendon (and later a dual premiership coach of the same club), who many feel would have been the game's greatest ever player had a knee injury not prematurely ended his career after just 4 1/2 years. Coleman kicked 537 goals in only 98 games.
In 2004, it was decided to award retrospective medals to the leading goalkickers from 1955 (a year after Coleman's retirement) to 1980.

Tony Lockett (St. Kilda/Sydney) won a record 4 Coleman Medals - 1987, 1991, 1996, 1998. Hawthorn's Jason Dunstall won it 3 times in 1988-89 and 1992, as did Geelong great Gary Ablett 1993-95.

In an ironic twist of fate, because Geelong and Carlton played off in that year's Grand Final, the AFL decided to present the Coleman Medal for the only time after the Grand Final. Ironic because Gary Ablett, the 1995 winner, was held goalless in that Grand Final by Carlton's miserly defense.

The Norm Smith Medal

The Norm Smith Medal is awarded to the player voted best on ground during that season's Grand Final. Norm Smith was a player for Melbourne and Fitzroy, and coached South Melbourne as well as the previous two teams. He coached Melbourne to an incredible 6 Premierships between 1955 and 1964. The Medal was first instituted in 1979.

In 2001, restrospective Norm Smith Medals were awarded to the Grand Final best on ground players for 1965-1978. A panel from the football publication AFL Record was selected to determine the winners. It was decided to go back only as far as 1965 because of a lack of video footage prior to that. In a way, it is somewhat fitting as 1964 was Melbourne's last premiership, and won under the coaching of Norm Smith.

The Sandover and Magarey Medals  

The Sandover and Magarey Medals are the equivalent "Fairest and Best" medals from the Westar Rules (WAFL) and SANFL competitions respectively.

The Magarey Medal for 1998 was won by Andrew Osborn of South Adelaide, with 16 votes. Most remarkably, he may be the first player ever to win such a medal without a single best-on-ground vote.
A number of Magarey Medalists also played AFL football: Malcolm Blight (won 1972, played for Kangarooos), Tony McGuinness (1982, Adelaide Crows), John Platten (1984, Hawthorn), Greg Anderson (1986, Essendon & Adelaide), Andrew Jarman (1987 & 1997, Adelaide), Gilbert McAdam (1989, St Kilda & Brisbane), Scott Hodges (1990, Adelaide), Nathan Buckley (1992, Brisbane & Collingwood),
Josh Francou (1996, Port Adeliaide), Ryan O'Connor (2001, Essendon & Sydney).

Notable VFL/AFL players who won the Sandover Medal:
Hayden Bunton Sr (1938-39, 1941, Fitzroy), Graham "Polly" Farmer (1956-57, 1960, Geelong), Barry Cable (1964, 1973, North Melbourne), John Ironmonger* (1983, Fitzroy), Steve Malaxos (1984, Hawthorn & West Coast), Mark Bairstow (1986, Geelong), Ryan Turnbull (2001, West Coast), Jaxon Crabb (2005, West Coast)

John Ironmonger is currently the coach of the Golden Gate Kangaroos in the USAFL

The Dr. William C. McClelland Trophy

The McClelland trophy was inaugurated in 1951. It was awarded to the club accumulating the highest number of points over three levels of competition (Senior, Reserves and Under-19). This was maintained until 1990, when the move to a one team national competition was undertaken. The McClelland Trophy is now awarded to the Minor Premier (i.e., the team finishing on top of the ladder after the Home and Away season.) The trophy was instituted to recognise the service of Dr. McClelland as a player, club delegate for Melbourne and VFL President from 1926 - 1955.

The Essendon Football Club won the McClelland Trophy in 1999 for finishing the Home and Away season on top of the ladder with 18 wins from 22 starts.

State Of Origin Football

State of Origin Football was instituted in 1977. Games between the different states had been played since the early origins of football; however, the situation arose where the VFL had acquired many of the star players from other states as these players were attracted to Victorian teams and their higher salaries. State of Origin was born out of the intense interstate rivalries, and allowed footballers to play for their "home" state.

Players were allowed to come from anywhere in Australia to play for their home state as opposed to the previous system where the State team was chosen from the players in the respective state league regardless of where the player originally came from. This now meant that WA and SA could challenge Victoria to interstate football games and field their best players, who were likely to be playing over in the VFL.

The definition of where a players home state was changed almost yearly however, meaning some players were forced to play for different states according to the rule changes (e.g., where you were born, where you played your first Senior football game, where you were at age 16, etc.) This was seen to undermine the credibility of State of Origin Football. An additional factor was the creation of the National Competition, where WA and SA, the two main instigators of State of Origin football, were seen to have had practically State of Origin teams in the Adelaide and West Coast football clubs (an altogether incorrect idea, however).

In its prime, State of Origin football saw games of the highest quality, and in front of large crowds, it is the closest to an All-Star game that Australian Football has.

The AFL, wishing to regenerate enthusiasm for State of Origin Football, moved in 1995 to set one weekend aside during the middle of the season for two State of Origin Games, involving Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and a composite "rest of Australia" side known as the Allies which allows some of the big name stars not originating from the Big Three footballing states to play at that level in a legitimate way (as opposed to playing for one of the Big Three or missing out altogether).

To qualify for a state team, a player had to have lived in and played the majority of his junior career in that state. Five medals can be awarded during a State of Origin game.

• The EJ Whitten Medal - Awarded to the best Victorian player in a State of Origin match.
• The Simpson Medal - Fairest and Best in Westar Rules Grand Final OR best player in an interstate game in WA. (Doesn't have to be a WA player.)
• The Fos Williams Medal - Awarded to the best South Australian player in a State of Origin match.
• The Graham Moss Medal - Awarded to the best Western Australian player in a State of Origin match.
• The Alex Jesaulenko Medal - Awarded to the best Allies player in a State of Origin match.
  
  Ted "EJ" Whitten was a champion player for Footscray (now the Western Bulldogs. A gregarious character, he was a great proponent of state footy and loved nothing better than "sticking it up em" in beating  bitter rival South Australia
  
  Fos Williams was an icon of South Australian football, and more specifically the Poirt Adelaide Magpies, which still exist in the SANFL. His son Mark is currently the coach of the AFL's Port Adelaide Power.
  
  Graham Moss was a fine ruckman for Claremont in WA and for Essendon.
  
  Alex Jesaulenko was a Carlton champion, who is best remembered for the towering mark he took in the 1970 Grand Final win over Collingwood.  He also coached both Carlton and St. Kilda.

For 1999, only one State of Origin game was played between Victoria and South Australia. State of Origin games are being suspended for the foreseeable future, to ease AFL scheduling during the Olympic year of 2000 and to give the AFL time to reevaluate the concept. Top players would rather rehab minor injuries than play for their state mid-season, and public enthusiasm for State of Origin was on the wane. Some clubs were also becoming more and more reluctant about having their star players risk injury in the state games.

On May 29th at the MCG in Melbourne:

E. J. Whitten Medalist: Brent Harvey (Kangaroos)
Fos Williams Medalist: Andrew McKay (Carlton)

Victoria:
Coach: Robert Walls
Backs: Justin Leppitsch (Brisbane), Stephen Silvagni (Carlton), David King (Kangaroos)
Half-backs: Rohan Smith (Bulldogs), Anthony Koutoufides (Carlton), Wayne Campbell (Richmond)
Centres: Scott West (Bulldogs), Brett Ratten (Carlton), Peter Riccardi (Adelaide)
Half-forwards: Brad Johnson (Bulldogs), David Schwarz (Melbourne), Chris Grant (Bulldogs)
Forwards: Nigel Lappin (Brisbane), Matthew Lloyd (Essendon), Andrew Thompson (St. Kilda)
Followers: Peter Everitt (St. Kilda), Garry Hocking (c)(Adelaide), Nathan Burke (St. Kilda)
Interchange: Brent Harvey (Kangaroos), Angelo Lekkas (Hawthorn), Andrew Leoncelli (Hawthorn), Matthew Allan (Carlton), Trent Croad (Hawthorn), Chad Morrison (West Coast)
Emergencies: Jeff White (Melbourne), Ben Graham (Geelong), Tim McGrath (Geelong)

South Australia:
Coach: Graham Cornes
Backs: Brett James (Adelaide), Sean Wellman (Adelaide), Ben Hart (Adelaide)
Half-backs: Mark Ricciuto (Adelaide), Darren Mead (Port Adelaide), Byron Pickett (Kangaroos)
Centres: Craig Bradley (c)(Carlton), Todd Viney (Melbourne), Craig McRae (Brisbane)
Half-forwards: Scott Camporeale (Carlton), Matthew Robran (Adelaide), Nick Daffy (Richmond)
Forwards: Warren Tredrea (Port Adelaide), Luke Darcy (Bulldogs), Josh Francou (Port Adelaide)
Followers: Matthew Clarke (Adelaide), Nigel Smart (Adelaide), Matthew Rogers (Adelaide)
Interchange: Nick Holland (Hawthorn), David Pittman (Adelaide), Darryl Wakelin (St. Kilda), Tyson Edwards(Adelaide), Peter Burgoyne(Port Adelaide), Andrew McKay (Carlton)
Emergencies: Matthew Nicks (Sydney), Anthony Ingerson (Melbourne), Brenton Sanderson (Geelong)

The All-Australian Team

This team is selected yearly, since 1991, and selects the 18 best players by position for the year (as well as 3 interchange players and coach and umpire of the year). It is determined by a panel after the Home and Away season, and is merely a tribute to some of the better players for that year. Unlike the Brownlow, players that have been reported and found guilty are still eligible to be included in the team.

All-Australian selections for 2005 were:

Begun in the 1980s, an Australian team took on Ireland in a hybrid rules game, using elements of both Aussie Rules and Gaelic Football and using the round Gaelic football. It has been a regular fixture on the post season calaendar since 1998 with the 2 countries alternating annually as hosts. In 2005, Essendon Coach Kevin Sheedy was selected to coach the Australian team and, instead of taking the All-Australian side, he and his panel selected players nore suited to the hybrid game, many of them renowned for their speed.

For 1999, the Players Association selected a "team of the last 25 years." Those honored were:

Club Awards

Most teams have an award for the best and fairest or club champion, honoring the best player for the club in that year. The process of selection for each club for this award varies greatly.

AFL club champions for 2005 were:

Norwich Rising Star Award

Named for a commercial sponsor, the Rising Star Award is given to the best rookie for the past season. "Rookie" is defined as a player under the age of 21 who has been selected for less than ten games prior to the season in question.

*Nathan Buckley was originally drafted by Brisbane and won the award there before deciding he wanted to return home to Victoria and joined Collingwood.

**Rivers teannate Aaron Davey, an exciting and speedy goalsneak, was a red-hot favorite to win the award in 2004 but missed out after missing 4 late season games with a hamstring injury.        

Premiership Cup and Medallions

The club that wins the Grand Final are referred to as the Premiers. The winners get the right to fly a pennant, much as winning baseball clubs do in America. Since 1959, a silver Premiership Cup has been awarded, which the club keeps in perpetuity. (A notable exception was the Centenary Cup of 1996, which was plated in gold).

At the start of the following season, the "reigning premier" holds a pregame ceremony at which the premiership flag is unfurled and hoisted. The ceremony is held at the team's first home game of the year.

Premiership medallions are awarded to each of the team's players that played in the Grand Final; this is similar to the awarding of championship rings here, except that no non-participant may be voted a medal, which magnifies the pain of late-season injuries and form slumps.

Ansett Australia Cup The NAB CUP

The NAB Australia Cup is the event of the pre-season. It is an annual practice tournament involving every AFL club, with all matches played at night , and throughout Australia; the winners are referred to as "night premiers." The grand final is played at Telsta Dome in Melbourne on the Saturday night 2 weeks before the first home-and-away matches. The Michael Tuck Medal is awarded to the best on ground during the grand final. In 2005, Geelong won the NAB Cup, but the Michael Tuck Medal was awarded to Adelaide's Simon Goodwin. It is the first time in preseason cup history that the medal went to a player from the losing side.

The tournament is employed by the AFL as a means of experimenting with proposed rule changes, just as America's National Football League does during its pre-season. For instance, in recent years, a goal kicked from 50 meters or beyond is worh 9 points instead of 6 points. This includes goals kicked from 50 meter penalties which bring the player from outside 50 to within close range.

The preseason cup is a single elimation tournament with the losers going on to play practice games in far-flung and remote areas of Australia which otherwise might never see a live game. The preseason tournament, whether it be NAB  Cup or practice games, also gives coaches a chance to get a look at the draftees and rookies selected in the previous year's end of season drafts.

TAC Cup The NAB Under 18s Tournament

An annual Under-18 football tournament, with representative teams from each state (including country and city Victoria) selected from the best teenage footballers in the local leagues. The tournament is meant to be a showcase of the young talent available, and attendance is considered mandatory by AFL scouts. This was originally known as the Teal Cup. The name was changed to the TAC Cup due to a sponsorship offer from the Traffic Accident Commission of Victoria, a state agency which investigates accidents, offers collision insurance, and sells safe driving through attention-getting commercials and an AFL club sponsorship. THat sponsorship has since been assumed by the National Australia Bsnk (NAB),, which also sponsors the Under 16's, which allows everyone to get a look at the next generation.

Australian Football Hall of Fame

The Hall was established at the MCG in 1996  (the centennary of Aussie Rules) to honor exceptional players of Australian football, wherever or whenever they played. The Hall of Fame also honors administrators, umpires, and media people who have made outstanding contributions. The first class numbered 100 inductees, and ten Legends of the Game, the "greatest of the great."

Among the 1996 inductees were North Melbourne player and administrator Allen Aylett, St. Kilda's Darrell Baldock, Malcolm Blight (played for North Melbourne, coached Adelaide and St. Kilda), Francis Bourke (Richmond), Albert and Harry Collier (Collingwood), George Couthard (Carlton), Syd Coventry (Collingwood), Bob Davis (Geelong), Robert Flower (Melbourne), Edward "Carji" Greeves (Geelong and the first Brownlow winner), Simon Madden (Essendon), just to name few.

The original 10 Legends are: Ron Barassi (played for Melbourne & Carlton, coached Carlton and Sydney), Hayden Bunton Sr (FItzroy),Roy Cazaly (Hawthorn & St. Kilda),  John Cleman (Essendon), Jack Dyer (Richmond), Graham "Polly' Farmer (Geelong), (Essendon), Leigh Matthews (played for Hawthorn, coached Collingwood, current Brisbane coach), John Nicholls (Carlton), Bob Pratt (South Melbourne), Dick Reynolds (Essendon), Bob Skilton (South Melbourne), and Ted Whitten (Footscray). 

Inductees can be elevated to Legend status in subsequent years. Some inductees later elevated are: Ian Stewart (St. Kilda), Darrel Baldock (St. Kilda), Kevin Bartlett (Richmond), Gordon Coventry (Collingwood), Jock McHale (player and coach of Collingwood), and Barrie Robran (champion player in the SANFL),.

To be eligible, a player must be retired for at least 3 years.