List of Gippsland Football League best and fairest winners

The Gippsland Football League (GFL) is an Australian rules football competition played in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.

History

The Gippsland Football League was formed when the Northern Gippsland Football Association (NGFA) officially changed their name to "The Gippsland Football League" in 1921.

The R. Frank Jensen Trophy, was initially awarded to the best and fairest player in the Gippsland Football League in 1927 and was named after the donor. Then T. Victor Trood donated the award from 1928 onwards. Trood, originally from Sale, was a former VFL player with University former Sale FC footballer and Sale FC delegate, who went onto become the GFL President (1933 & 1936 to 1938) and a life member.

The Rodda Medal was initially awarded to the best and fairest winner in the Central Gippsland Football Association in 1936, after Morwell player, Fred Rodda suffered fatal injuries in a match in 1936.

In 1944 and 1945, there was a Central Gippsland Wartime Football League and the Rex Hartley Memorial Medal was first presented to the best and fairest player. This competition only went for two years and this award continued on with Central Gippsland FL Reserves competition from 1946 to 1953. The Gippsland FL then continued this Reserves award from 1954 to present day.

Both the Trood Award and the Rodda Medal were continued on in the newly formed La Trobe Valley Football League in 1954, as the senior football best and fairest trophy, after the Central Gippsland Football League folded, when seven clubs joined the new La Trobe Valley Football League.

25 of the winners below, played senior VFL / AFL football either before or after winning this most prestigious football award.

The following list represents the best and fairest winners in all grades of football since 1927.

Best and Fairest Lists Trood Award / Rodda Medal

Year Seniors (Trood Award/Rodda Medal) Reserves (Rex Hartley Medal) Under 18's (Bruce Wilkinson Medal) Under 16's (Shaw/Carter Medal) Gippsland FL: Trood Award 1927 Bennie Lunn (Rosedale) (7 Votes) & Tom Standing (Traralgon) (7) 1928 Tom Standing (Traralgon) (?) 1929 Tom Standing (Traralgon) (?) 1930 Tom Standing (Traralgon) (?) 1931 Jack Jemmeson (Bairnsdale) (3&1/2) 1932 Sam Barrett (Maffra) (5) 1933 Maurie "Mop" Gibb (Rosedale) (7) 1934 Paul Cameron (Rosedale) (4) 1935 Arthur Davidson (Sale) (4) & Jeff Tudor (Yarram) (4) 1936Jack Collins (Sale ) (3) & W "Bill" Flynn (Bairnsdale ) (3) 1937Jeff Tudor (Yarram) (3) J Halstead (Bairnsdale) (3) 1938T Price (Yarram ) (?) 1939 W Stone (Bairnsdale) (21) 1940-45GFL in recess. WWI 1944Central Gippsland Wartime FL > Dick King (Traralgon) () 1945Central Gippsland Wartime FL > L. Handley (Yarragon) (?) & C. O'Bryan (Mirboo) (?) 1946Leo Brennan (Sale Greens) (?) David Higgins (The Wanderers) (?) T. Dusty L'Estrange (Maffra Blacks) (?) P. Digger L'Estrange (Maffra Blacks) (?) 1947Bruce "Joey" Morrison (Bairnsdale) (15) 1948Jim Shingles (Maffra) (12) 1949Ian Farley (Stratford) (17) 1950Des Calvert (Bairnsdale) (22) 1951 A. Jack E. Spriggs (Bairnsdale) (18) 1952 Bob Mason (Sale) (19) 1953 Max Nixon (Orbost) (16) LaTrobe Valley FL:Trood Award/Rodda Medal 1954 Bob Mason (Sale) (20) Rex Donnelly (Moe) (19) 1955 Bob Mason (Sale) (23) Ron Hayes (Warragul) (20) 1956 Noel Alford (Traralgon) (18) "Mossy" Morgan (Trafalgar) (33) 1957 John Nix (Sale) (21) "Mossy" Morgan (Trafalgar) (16) M.James (Morwell) (19) 1958 Lester Ross (Moe) (31) Tom Hart (Sale) (33) M.West (Warragul) (14) 1959 Peter Bevilacqua (Yarragon) (19) Ray Pollock (Yallourn) N.Hall (Yallourn) (12) 1960 Steve Szabo (Morwell) (20) Alan Rankin (Trafalgar) (20) G.Townsend (St Pat's) (22) 1961 Kevin Coverdale (Bairnsdale) (24) Jack Vinall (Yallourn) (20) G.Townsend (St Pat's) (31) 1962 Ric Belford (Yallourn) (27) Tom O'Callaghan (Traralgon) (18) T.Hunter (Traralgon) (29) 1963 Allan Steele (Moe) (18) Ron Serong (Warragul) (32) R.Foster (St Pat's A) (35) WEST ZONE (Under 18's) Don Keyter (Moe) (23)*ineligible 1964 Mike Collins (Yallourn) (17) Max Prendergast (Bairnsdale) (27) J.Barnett (Sale) (23) B.Pickering (Trar. Colts) (12)1965 Steve Szabo (Morwell) (26) Richard Evans (Maffra) (20) J.Barnett (Sale) (25) P.Lerstang (Traraglon Colts) (23)1966 Terry Hunter (Traralgon) (15) Les Roberts (Sale) (21) G.Fletcher (St Pat's) (20) C.Luxford (Morwell) (18)1967 George Brayshaw (Traralgon) (15) Les Roberts (Sale) (12) D.Scott (Heyfield) (23) Robert Baldry (Warragul) (12)1968 Les Hawken (Trafalgar) (31) Peter Rodaughan (Moe) (28) J.Welsh (St Pat's) (30) E.Gray (Trar. Colts) (25)1969 John Gallus (Bairnsdale) (37) Barry Taylor (Yallourn) (14) P.Speed (Sale) (22) M.Mancuso (Traralgon) (11)1970 John Gallus (Maffra) (30) Lyle Berry (Heyfield) (18) A.Gallagher (St Pat's) (27) G.McFarlane (Morwell) (13)1971 Terry Benton (Leongatha) (20) Graeme Anderson (Heyfield) (18) I.Stanley (Traralgon) (19) P.Shields (Moe) (15)1972 Henro Kornacki (Morwell) (27) Barry Taylor (Yallourn) (13) T.Munro (Traralgon) (23) L.Ponton (Trar. Colts) (18)1973 Barry Rowlings (Moe) (35) Jack Vardy (Maffra) (21) A.Williams (Traralgon) (19) C.Carr (Morwell) (18)1974 Barry Rowlings (Moe) (28) Gus Eaton (Moe) (20) J.Buntine (Sale) (24) S.McNamara (Leongatha) (15)1975 John Gallus (Warragul) (28) Peter Pacunskis (Traralgon) (15) P.Boyce (Moe) (20) 1976 Ray Christie (Bairnsdale) (19) Jack Vardy (Maffra) (17) J.Morrison (St Pat's) (25) 1977 Peter Hall (Traralgon) (14) Jack Vardy (Maffra) (14) C.Dowd (Leongatha) 1978 Jeff Mogel (Morwell) (22) John Kimberley (Yallourn) (18) W.McInnes (Yallourn) (25) 1979 Jeff Gieschen (Maffra) (22) Allan Light (Warragul) (24) A.Morrison (Warragul) (24) 1980 Ian Salmon (Leongatha) (24) Jeff Swenson (Newborough) (24) Ron Copeland (Morwell) 1981 Ray Mildenhall (Yallourn/YNth) (24) Jock Eason (Moe) (15) Mark Trewella (Warragul) (27) 1982 Jeff Gieschen (Maffra) (27) Kasey Plemper (Moe) (17) G.Scott (Bairnsdale) (27) David Vogel (Morwell) (27) 1983 Ray Mildenhall (Yallourn/YNth) (24) Greg Roughead (Leongatha) (27) C.Dilettoso (Maffra) (33) 1984 Peter Hall (Traralgon) (27) Gary House (TTU) (17) Graeme Rankin (Warragul) (22) 1985 Rod Kerr (Morwell) (30) Ray DeCarli Yall./YN 20 D Thompson Traralgon / TU 40 1986 Jim Silvestro (Traralgon) (26) Darren Slocumb Morwell 12 & Lachlan Sim Moe 27 Garry Kerr Morwell 12 1987 Jim Silvestro (Traralgon) (19) Kevin Mealing Traralgon 14 Greg Morley Traralgon 30 1988 Lachlan Sim (Moe) (27) Ken Fleming, Leongatha, 17 G Stewart Bairnsdale 23 1989 Peter Geddes (Maffra) (20) 1990 John McDonald (Traralgon) (15)Peter Helms (Leongatha) (15) Andrew Blencowe, (Maffra), (28) 1991 Chris Grumley (Maffra) (22) 1992 Greg Morley (Traralgon) (16) 1993 Anthony Gravener (Maffra) (14) 1994 Andrew Pratt (Warragul) (19) 1995 Darren Read (Leongatha) (25) 1996 David Mills (Warragul) (16) 1997 Neil Robertson (Traralgon) (17) 1998 Greg Morley (Traralgon) (21) 1999 Chris Day (Wonthaggi) (20) 2000 Jason Shields (Moe) (17) Michael Geary Traralgon 29 2001 Hayden Burgiel (Maffra) (31) 2002 Adam Mabilia (Wonthaggi) (20)Gary Jones (Maffra) (20) 2003 Greg Morley (Traralgon) (17) 2004 Hayden Burgiel (Maffra) (28) 2005 Andrew Soumilas (Garfield) (23) 2006 Desi Barr (Warragul) (26) 2007 Nick Hider (Maffra) (23) 2008 Nick Hider (Maffra) (24) 2009 Adrian Cox (Sale) (14)Michael Geary (Traralgon) (14) 2010 Gary Jones (Maffra) (26) 2011 Andrew Soumilas (Drouin) (25) 2012 Luke Collins (Sale) (23) 2013 Kelvin Porter (Maffra) (20) Jye Read (Wonthaggi) 2014 Adam Bailey (Morwell ) (20) 2015 Bob McCallum (Drouin) (23) 2016 Brad Scalzo (Warrugal) (21) Nicholas Tucker, Wonthaggi, 13 Hudson Holmes, Maffra, 24 Ben McKinnon, Bairnsdale, 26 2017 James Blaser (Moe) (21) Chris Rump, Leongatha, 17 Matthew Williams, Traralgon, 22 Sam Berry, Maffra, 21 Kane Martin (Sale) (21) Jack Blair (Wonthaggi) (21) 2018 Tom Marriott (Leongatha) (32) James Heslop, Moe 18 Ewan Williams, Traralgon, 18 Luis D'Angelo, Traralgon, 28 2019 Jack Lipman (Sale) (20) Jake Bishop (Traralgon) (15) Thomas Bradshaw (Maffra) (25) Vinnie Caia (Warrugal) (34) 2020 GFL in recess. COVID-19

Rodda Medal

Central Gippsland Football League (1909 to 1953) Senior & Reserves Football Best and Fairest Awards The Central Gippsland Football Association was initially formed in 1909 from the following club's - Bunyip, Drouin, Moe, Morwell, Thorpedale, Trafalgar, Traralgon and Yarragon.

A gold medal was first awarded in 1932, when the Elder-Berwick medal was presented to the CGFL best and fairest player. Mr. George Elder-Berwick was a Morwell FC Delegate and later a CGFL President in 1934 who donated the gold medal.

The Rodda Medal was initially awarded to the best and fairest winner in the Central Gippsland Football Association in 1936, after Morwell player, Fred Rodda suffered fatal injuries in a match in 1936.

In 1944 and 1945, there was a Central Gippsland Wartime Football League and the Rex Hartley Memorial Medal was first presented to the best and fairest player. Hartley was a former Moe FC player. This competition only went for two years and this award continued on with Gippsland FL Reserves competition from 1946 onwards.

Both the Trood Award and the Rodda Medal were continued on in the newly formed La Trobe Valley Football League in 1954, as the senior football best and fairest trophy, along with the Rex Hartley (Reserves) Medal after the Central Gippsland Football League folded, when seven clubs joined the new La Trobe Valley Football League.

10 of the medal winners below, played senior VFL / AFL football either before or after winning this most prestigious football award.

Year 1sts Premiers Seniors B & F Club Votes 2nds Premiers Reserves B & F Club Votes1909 Bunyip 1910 Iona 1911 Trafalgar 1912 Bunyip 1913 Trafalgar 1914 Iona 1915 Bunyip 1916 CGFA in recess. WWI 1917 CGFA in recess. WWI 1918 CGFA in recess. WWI 1919 Iona 1920 Iona 1921 Yarragon 1922 Warragul 1923 Trafalgar 1924 Nar Nar Goon 1925 Yallourn 1926 Yallourn 1927 Warragul 1928 Yallourn 1929 Nar Nar Goon / Iona 1930 Nar Nar Goon / Iona 1931 Yallourn Elder-Berwick Medal 1932 Warragul Harry Andrews Warrugal ? 1933 Morwell Greg Campbell Morwell 5 & 1/2 1934 Leongatha Denis "Dinny" Dowd Drouin ? 1935 Morwell Arthur "Arty" DuncanWarrugal ? Rodda Medal 1936 Yallourn Ivan Williams Moe ? 1937 Morwell Bob BawdenMorwell ? 1938WarragulJack Scott Traralgon ? 1939 Yallourn Blues A "Bert" Tabuteau Moe ? 1940 Leongatha Les Handley Yarragon 5 1941 CGFL in recess.WWI 1942 CGFL in recess.WWI Rex Hartley Medal 1943 CGFL in recess.WWI Central Gippsland Wartime FL 1944 CGFL in recess.WWI Yallourn Dick King Traralgon ?1945 CGFL in recess.WWI Moe L Handley & Yarragon ? C. O'Bryan Mirboo ? Central Gippsland FL: Reserves 1946 Traralgon Bob Flanigan Morwell ? Warragul John Nix Trafalgar ?1947 Traralgon R Jones Yarragon 5 & 1/2 Warragul ? 1948Yallourn F Bateman & Leongatha 4 Yallourn Noel Moller Traralgon 5 Jack Collins Traralgon 4 1949 Traralgon W "Bill" Snell Mirboo North 5 Morwell Noel Moller & Traralgon 4 Jack Young Thorpedale 41950 Morwell Frank O'Leary & Korumburra 5 Morwell* J Hunt Yallourn ? Clarrie Swenson Trafalgar 5 1951 Leongatha Noel Ross Mirboo North 25 & 1/2 Warragul Ralph Shalless Morwell 251952Morwell Eric Moore Trafalgar 18 Traralgon v Warragul Ralph Shalless Morwell 201953 Morwell Jim Shaw Yallourn 20 Warragul Ralph Shalless Morwell ?

Notes - 1950: Morwell Reserves were undefeated in 1950.

Sources

External links Gippsland Football League Gippsland FL Premiership Lists 1927 - Warragul FC & Yallourn FC team photos 2019 - GFL Annual Report Annual Report has a full list of football & netball B&F winners 1931 - Gippsland FL v Central Gippsland FL: team photos 1932 - Trafalgar FC & Warragul FC team photos 1951 - Central Gippsland FL Schoolboys team photo 1952 - Central Gippsland FL Premiers: Morwell FC team photo