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Sandover Medal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Sandover Medal is an Australian rules football award, given annually since 1921 to the fairest and best player in the West Australian Football League. The award was donated by Alfred Sandover M.B.E., a prominent Perth hardware merchant and benefactor.

Voting system

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After each match, the three field umpires (those umpires who control the flow of the game) confer and award a 3, 2 and 1 point vote to the players they regard as the best, second best, and third best in the match respectively. Voting wasn't always done this way. From 1985-2018, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point votes were given, from 1930–1984, 3, 2 and 1 point votes were given, and prior to 1930 there was only one vote per game.

Just like similar "fairest and best" awards, for example the Brownlow and Magarey Medals, if a player is suspended for a reportable offence throughout the season then they become ineligible to win the award. This in effect is where the "fairest" element of the award comes in.

On the awards night, the votes over the home and away (regular) season are tallied and the eligible player with the highest number of votes is awarded the medal. In the past, ties were decided on a countback system, but after a three-way tie in the 1984 count, the WAFC decided to scrap countback system and award multiple medals to joint winners.

Prior to 1930 when only 1 vote per game was given, and hence a countback was not possible, the WAFL president would cast a deciding vote to decide the winner.

Players that had missed out on a medal due to the countback system were awarded them retrospectively in 1997.

Sandover Medal winners

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Year Player Team Votes
1921 Cyril Hoft ** Perth
Tom Outridge Subiaco
1922 Harold Boyd West Perth 6
1923 William "Digger" Thomas East Perth
1924 Jim Gosnell West Perth
1925 George Owens East Perth 4
1926 Johnny Leonard Subiaco 6
1927 Jim Craig West Perth 7
1928 Jack Rocchi South Fremantle 5
1929 Johnny Leonard ** Subiaco 5
Billy Thomas East Perth 5
1930 Ted Flemming West Perth 23 †
1931 Lin Richards East Fremantle 34
1932 Keith Hough Claremont-Cottesloe 32
1933 Sammy Clarke Claremont-Cottesloe 15
1934 Sammy Clarke Claremont-Cottesloe 24
1935 Lou Daily Subiaco 25
George Krepp Swan Districts 25
1936 George Moloney Claremont 30
1937 Frank Jenkins South Fremantle 34
1938 Haydn Bunton, Sr. Subiaco 27
1939 Haydn Bunton, Sr. Subiaco 20
1940 Ed O'Keefe West Perth 29
1941 Haydn Bunton, Sr. Subiaco 22
1942 Laurie Bowen West Perth 13
1943 Terry Moriarty Perth 28
1944 Jim Davies Swan Districts 33
1945 George Bailey Perth 24
1946 John Loughridge West Perth 26
1947 Clive Lewington South Fremantle 22
1948 Merv McIntosh Perth 22
1949 Gordon Maffina Claremont 17
1950 Frank Allen ** East Perth 23
Jim Conway East Fremantle 23
1951 Fred Buttsworth West Perth 25
1952 Steve Marsh South Fremantle 20
1953 Merv McIntosh Perth 14
1954 Merv McIntosh Perth 22
1955 John Todd South Fremantle 25
1956 Graham Farmer East Perth 15
1957 Jack Clarke East Fremantle 19
Graham Farmer ** East Perth 19
1958 Ted Kilmurray East Perth 20
1959 Brian Foley West Perth 24
1960 Graham Farmer East Perth 26
1961 Neville Beard Perth 22
Ray Sorrell ** East Fremantle 22
1962 Haydn Bunton, Jr. Swan Districts 22
1963 Ray Sorrell East Fremantle 20
1964 Barry Cable Perth 23
1965 Bill Walker Swan Districts 24
1966 Bill Walker Swan Districts 20
1967 John Parkinson Claremont 19
Bill Walker Swan Districts 19
1968 Barry Cable Perth 25
1969 Mal Brown East Perth 21
1970 Pat Dalton Perth 17
Bill Walker ** Swan Districts 17
1971 David Hollins East Fremantle 26
1972 Ian Miller Perth 20
1973 Barry Cable Perth 25
1974 Graham Melrose East Fremantle 20
1975 Alan Quartermaine East Perth 16
1976 Peter Spencer East Perth 21
1977 Brian Peake East Fremantle 24
1978 Phil Kelly East Perth 26
1979 Phil Kelly East Perth 24
1980 Stephen Michael South Fremantle 24
1981 Stephen Michael South Fremantle 37
1982 Phil Narkle Swan Districts 19
1983 Bryan Cousins ** Perth 16
John Ironmonger East Perth 16
1984 Steve Malaxos Claremont 17
Michael Mitchell Claremont 17
Peter Spencer East Perth 17
1985 Murray Wrensted East Fremantle 46 †
1986 Mark Bairstow South Fremantle 39
1987 Mark Watson Perth 30
1988 David Bain East Perth 42
1989 Craig Edwards South Fremantle 39
1990 Mick Grasso Swan Districts 36
1991 Ian Dargie Subiaco 34
1992 Robbie West West Perth 32
1993 Neil Mildenhall West Perth 38
1994 Ian Dargie Subiaco 34
1995 Craig Treleven East Fremantle 43
1996 Jeremy Wasley Swan Districts 37
1997 Brady Anderson East Perth 30
1998 Adrian Bromage East Fremantle 32
1999 Gus Seebeck Perth 33
2000 Richard Ambrose Subiaco 34
2001 Ryan Turnbull East Perth 31
2002 Allistair Pickett Peel Thunder 33
2003 Shane Beros Swan Districts 39
2004 Allistair Pickett Subiaco 42
2005 Jaxon Crabb Claremont 39
Toby McGrath South Fremantle 39
2006 Matt Priddis Subiaco 58
2007 Anthony Jones Claremont 29
2008 Hayden Ballantyne Peel Thunder 42
2009 Ross Young Perth 45
2010 Andrew Krakouer Swan Districts 44
2011 Luke Blackwell Claremont 42
2012 Kane Mitchell Claremont 58
2013 Rory O'Brien East Fremantle 55
2014 Aaron Black West Perth 47
2015 Aidan Tropiano Perth 45
2016 Jye Bolton Claremont 49
2017 Haiden Schloithe South Fremantle 52
2018 Jye Bolton Claremont 52
2019 Lachlan Delahunty Subiaco 28 †
2020 Sam Fisher Swan Districts 13 §
2021 Bailey Rogers Claremont 30
2022 Blaine Boekhorst East Fremantle 25
2023 Hamish Brayshaw East Perth 26
2024 Callan England Claremont 19
Nik Rokahr Swan Districts 19
    • Awarded retrospective Sandover Medal in 1997

† Voting system changed from a single vote per game to 3-2-1 voting in 1930, then to 5-4-3-2-1 voting in 1985, and back to 3-2-1 voting in 2019

‡ In 1987, Derek Kickett (Claremont) polled 46 votes, but was ineligible to win due to suspension.[1]

§ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a shortened 10 game season was played

Multiple winners

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The following players have won the Sandover Medal multiple times.

Medals Player Team Seasons
4 Bill Walker Swan Districts 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970
3 Haydn Bunton, Sr. Subiaco 1938, 1939, 1941
Merv McIntosh Perth 1948, 1953, 1954
Graham Farmer East Perth 1956, 1957, 1960
Barry Cable Perth 1964, 1968, 1973
2 Johnny Leonard Subiaco 1926, 1929
Sammy Clarke Claremont 1933, 1934
Ray Sorrell East Fremantle 1961, 1963
Phil Kelly East Perth 1978, 1979
Stephen Michael South Fremantle 1980, 1981
Peter Spencer East Perth 1976, 1984
Ian Dargie Subiaco 1991, 1994
Allistair Pickett Peel Thunder / Subiaco 2002, 2004
Jye Bolton Claremont 2016, 2018

References

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  1. ^ "North's Indigenous pride". North Melbourne Football Club. 19 May 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
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