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 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
Year Player Team Votes 1921 Cyril Hoft ** – Tom Outridge – 1922 Harold Boyd 6 1923 William "Digger" Thomas – 1924 Jim Gosnell – 1925 George Owens 4 1926 Johnny Leonard 6 1927 Jim Craig 7 1928 Jack Rocchi 5 1929 Johnny Leonard ** 5 Billy Thomas 5 1930 Ted Flemming 23 1931 Lin Richards 34 1932 Keith Hough 32 1933 Sammy Clarke 15 1934 Sammy Clarke 24 1935 Lou Daily 25 George Krepp 25 1936 George Moloney 30 1937 Frank Jenkins 34 1938 Haydn Bunton, Sr. 27 1939 Haydn Bunton, Sr. 20 1940 Ed O'Keefe 29 1941 Haydn Bunton, Sr. 22 1942 Laurie Bowen 13 1943 Terry Moriarty 28 1944 Jim Davies 33 1945 George Bailey 24 1946 John Loughridge 26 1947 Clive Lewington 22 1948 Merv McIntosh 22 1949 Gordon Maffina 17 1950 Frank Allen ** 23 Jim Conway 23 1951 Fred Buttsworth 25 1952 Steve Marsh 20 1953 Merv McIntosh 14 1954 Merv McIntosh 22 1955 John Todd 25 1956 Graham Farmer 15 1957 Jack Clarke 19 Graham Farmer ** 19 1958 Ted Kilmurray 20 1959 Brian Foley 24 1960 Graham Farmer 26 1961 Neville Beard 22 Ray Sorrell ** 22 1962 Haydn Bunton, Jr. 22 1963 Ray Sorrell 20 1964 Barry Cable 23 1965 Bill Walker 24 1966 Bill Walker 20 1967 John Parkinson 19 Bill Walker 19 1968 Barry Cable 25 1969 Mal Brown 21 1970 Pat Dalton 17 Bill Walker ** 17 1971 David Hollins 26 1972 Ian Miller 20 1973 Barry Cable 25 1974 Graham Melrose 20 1975 Alan Quartermaine 16 1976 Peter Spencer 21 1977 Brian Peake 24 1978 Phil Kelly 26 1979 Phil Kelly 24 1980 Stephen Michael 24 1981 Stephen Michael 37 1982 Phil Narkle 19 1983 Bryan Cousins ** 16 John Ironmonger 16 1984 Steve Malaxos 17 Michael Mitchell 17 Peter Spencer 17 1985 Murray Wrensted 46 1986 Mark Bairstow 39 1987 Mark Watson 30 1988 David Bain 42 1989 Craig Edwards 39 1990 Mick Grasso 36 1991 Ian Dargie 34 1992 Robbie West 32 1993 Neil Mildenhall 38 1994 Ian Dargie 34 1995 Craig Treleven 43 1996 Jeremy Wasley 37 1997 Brady Anderson 30 1998 Adrian Bromage 32 1999 Gus Seebeck 33 2000 Richard Ambrose 34 2001 Ryan Turnbull 31 2002 Allistair Pickett 33 2003 Shane Beros 39 2004 Allistair Pickett 42 2005 Jaxon Crabb 39 Toby McGrath 39 2006 Matt Priddis 58 2007 Anthony Jones 29 2008 Hayden Ballantyne 42 2009 Ross Young 45 2010 Andrew Krakouer 44 2011 Luke Blackwell 42 2012 Kane Mitchell 58 2013 Rory O'Brien 55 2014 Aaron Black 472015 Aidan Tropiano 452016 Jye Bolton 492017 Haiden Schloithe 522018 Jye Bolton 522019 Lachlan Delahunty 28 2020 Sam Fisher 13 §2021 Bailey Rogers 302022 Blaine Boekhorst 252023 Hamish Brayshaw 26 2024 Callan England 19 Nik Rokahr 192025 Charlie Constable 292026 Jake Florenca 27
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 () polled 46 votes, but was ineligible to win due to suspension.
§ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a shortened 10 game season was played
Multiple winners The following players have won the Sandover Medal multiple times.
Medals Player Team Seasons4 Bill Walker Swan Districts 1965, 1966, 1967, 19703 Haydn Bunton, Sr. Subiaco 1938, 1939, 1941 Merv McIntoshPerth 1948, 1953, 1954 Graham Farmer East Perth 1956, 1957, 1960 Barry Cable Perth 1964, 1968, 19732 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
List of Sandover Medal winners from the Official WAFL website
External links Alfred Sandover Bio