The E.W. Copeland Trophy is an Australian rules football award given by the Collingwood Football Club to the player adjudged best and fairest for Collingwood during the year.
The Copeland Shield, as it was formerly known, was donated by Ern Copeland, the secretary who came to the club in 1895 and led the club through the 1890s depression, saving it from financial ruin. He remained an employee of Collingwood for 29 years, finally retiring in 1924. The trophy was unveiled in 1932, with the best and fairest award winners from the previous five years engraved on the trophy.
Along with the Copeland Trophy, the R.T. Rush Trophy is awarded to the second best and fairest player, the J.J. Joyce Trophy is awarded to the third placed player, the Jock McHale Trophy to the fourth placed player, and the Jack Regan Trophy to the fifth placed player.
The voting system as of the 2017 AFL season, consists of five coaches awarding 22 votes per match, with no specific distribution required. If two players are tied at the end of the season, the player with the highest average votes-per-game is awarded the winner. If they are still tied, the player with the highest number of 'high value' votes is awarded the winner.
Recipients ^Denotes current Collingwood player+Player won Brownlow Medal in same season
Season Recipient(s)Ref. 1927 + 1928 1929 + 1930 + (2) 1931 1932 (2) 1933 1934 (2) 1935 (3) 1936 1937 1938 (2) 1939 + 1940 + (3) 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 (2) 1948 (3) 1949 1950 1951 (2) 1952 (3) 1953 (4) 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 (2) 1960 1961 (2) 1962 (3) 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 (2) 1969 1970 1971 1972 + (3) 1973 (4) 1974 (2) 1975 1976 1977 (5) 1978 1979 + 1980 (2) 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 (2) 1986 1987 1988 (2) 1989 1990 (2) 1991 1992 1993 (2) 1994 (2) 1995 1996 (2) 1997 (3) 1998 (3) 1999 (4) 2000 (5) 2001 2002 (2) 2003 + (6) 2004 2005 (2) 2006 2007 2008 2009 (2) 2010 (3) 2011 2012 2013 (2) 2014 (3) 2015 (4) 2016 (5) 2017 2018 (2) 2019 (2) 2020 2021 ^ 2022 ^ (2) 2023 ^ 2024 ^ 2025^ 2026 ^ (2)
Multiple winners ^Denotes current Collingwood player
Player Medals Seasons 6 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003 5 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 5 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1977 4 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953 3 1989, 1994, 1997 3 1929, 1934, 1935 3 1937, 1938, 1940 3 1946, 1947, 1948 3 2008, 2009, 2010 3 1957, 1961, 1962 2 2004, 2005 2 1928, 1930 2 1927, 1932 ^ 2 2021, 2022 ^ 2 2024, 2026 2 1982, 1988 2 2018, 2019 2 2001, 2002 2 1992, 1993 2 1958, 1959 2 1979, 1980 2 1971, 1974 2 2017, 2018 2 1984, 1990 2 1981, 1985
Notes
The Copeland Trophy was not awarded in the 1942, 1943, and 1944 VFL seasons because of World War II.
References General
Specific