Norm Smith Medal

The Norm Smith Medal is an Australian rules football award presented annually to the player adjudged the best on ground in the Grand Final of the Australian Football League (AFL). Prior to 1990 the competition was known as the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1] It was first presented in the 1979 VFL Grand Final, and was won by Wayne Harmes, playing in Carlton's premiership victory against Collingwood.[2] The award is named in honour of Norm Smith[2] who won four VFL premierships as a player and six as coach for the Melbourne Football Club.[3]

Norm Smith Medal
Dustin Martin is the most recent recipient of the Norm Smith Medal, and the only person to win the medal three times
LeagueAustralian Football League
Given forThe best on ground in the VFL/AFL Grand Final
LocationMelbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) (1979–1990, 1992–2019)
Waverley Park (1991)
The Gabba (2020)
History
First award1979
First winnerWayne Harmes
Most winsDustin Martin (3)
Most recentDustin Martin (2020)

The award is usually won by a player on the winning team in the Grand Final; only four players have received the award as members of the losing teams: Maurice Rioli in 1982, Gary Ablett Sr. in 1989, Nathan Buckley in 2002 and Chris Judd in 2005.[4] Lenny Hayes remains the only player to have won the award in a drawn Grand Final in 2010, with Scott Pendlebury winning the award for the Grand Final replay the following week. Dustin Martin (2017, 2019 and 2020) is the only player to win the award three times.[5] The club with the most Norm Smith Medal wins is Hawthorn, with eight awards won by players representing the team. The most recent recipient of the award is Richmond's Dustin Martin, winning in 2020, going back to back and winning the medal for a third time.

Voting and presentation

The winner is voted on by a five-member panel consisting of former players, journalists and media personalities, with one member designated as the chair.[6] Each panellist independently awards 3 votes, 2 votes and 1 vote to the players they regard as the best, second best and third best in the match respectively. These votes are tallied, and the highest number of combined votes wins the medal.[7]

There is no chance of a tie for the medal; if two players are tied for votes, the following countbacks will apply in order:

  • the player with the higher number of three-votes;
  • the player with the higher number of two-votes;
  • the player deemed best by the panel chair.[7]

Paul Chapman is the only player to win on a countback,[8] after he and Jason Gram tied with nine votes apiece in 2009.[9][10]

In some years judges were required to lodge their decisions prior to the completion of the match, to ensure votes were compiled in time for the ceremony.[11] This was changed following the 2002 AFL Grand Final, after Michael Voss had five crucial possessions in the last five minutes of the close game which could have swayed the voting, but eventually placed fourth behind Nathan Buckley.[11] After the match, three of the five judges suggested they would have voted differently if they had lodged their votes after the final siren.[11]

Prior to the 2016 season, if the Grand Final resulted in a draw, the game would be replayed the following week.[12] In such instances, a separate Norm Smith Medal was awarded in each game.[13] Since 2016, a drawn Grand Final would result in the use of extra time to determine the winner, rather than a full match replay.[12]

The medal is presented in a post-match ceremony held immediately after the conclusion of the match. Since 2004, former Norm Smith medallists have presented the award, in the order of the year in which they won;[14] as of 2019, Gary Ablett Sr. is the only former winner to decline presenting the award;[14] and Nathan Buckley's position in the sequence was skipped in 2019 as he was coaching Collingwood, who were yet to be eliminated when the decision on presenter had to be made.[15]

Recipients
Andrew McLeod and Dustin Martin are the only players to have won consecutive Norm Smith Medals. McLeod winning in 1997 and 1998, while Martin winning in 2019 and 2020.[5]
Nathan Buckley is one of just four players to have received the Norm Smith Medal as a member of the losing Grand Final team.[4]
Chris Judd is the most recent player to receive the medal as a member of the losing Grand Final team, winning in 2005.[4]
Luke Hodge is one of just four players to have won multiple Norm Smith Medals, winning in 2008 and 2014.[5]
Paul Chapman is the only player to win the Norm Smith Medal on a countback, winning in 2009.[9]
Lenny Hayes is the only player to have won a Norm Smith medal in a drawn Grand Final, doing so in 2010.[13]
Table key
^ Player was member of losing team
Table of recipients
Year Recipient Club Ref
1979 Wayne Harmes Carlton [2]
1980 Kevin Bartlett Richmond [16]
1981 Bruce Doull Carlton [17]
1982 Maurice Rioli^ Richmond [18]
1983 Colin Robertson Hawthorn [19]
1984 Billy Duckworth Essendon [20]
1985 Simon Madden Essendon [21]
1986 Gary Ayres Hawthorn [22]
1987 David Rhys-Jones Carlton [23]
1988 Gary Ayres (2) Hawthorn [22]
1989 Gary Ablett Sr.^ Geelong [24]
1990 Tony Shaw Collingwood [25]
1991 Paul Dear Hawthorn [26]
1992 Peter Matera West Coast [27]
1993 Michael Long Essendon [28]
1994 Dean Kemp West Coast [29]
1995 Greg Williams Carlton [30]
1996 Glenn Archer North Melbourne [31]
1997 Andrew McLeod Adelaide [5]
1998 Andrew McLeod (2) Adelaide [5]
1999 Shannon Grant North Melbourne [32]
2000 James Hird Essendon [14]
2001 Shaun Hart Brisbane Lions [33]
2002 Nathan Buckley^ Collingwood [34]
2003 Simon Black Brisbane Lions [35]
2004 Byron Pickett Port Adelaide [36]
2005 Chris Judd^ West Coast [37]
2006 Andrew Embley West Coast [38]
2007 Steve Johnson Geelong [39]
2008 Luke Hodge Hawthorn [40]
2009 Paul Chapman Geelong [41]
2010 Lenny Hayes St Kilda [42]
Scott Pendlebury Collingwood [43]
2011 Jimmy Bartel Geelong [44]
2012 Ryan O'Keefe Sydney [45]
2013 Brian Lake Hawthorn [46]
2014 Luke Hodge (2) Hawthorn [47]
2015 Cyril Rioli Hawthorn [48]
2016 Jason Johannisen Western Bulldogs [49]
2017 Dustin Martin Richmond [50]
2018 Luke Shuey West Coast [51]
2019 Dustin Martin (2) Richmond [52]
2020 Dustin Martin (3) Richmond


Players with multiple wins
Table of multiple recipients
Player Team Medals Years
Dustin Martin Richmond 3 2017, 2019, 2020
Gary Ayres Hawthorn 2 1986, 1988
Andrew McLeod Adelaide 2 1997, 1998
Luke Hodge Hawthorn 2 2008, 2014

Club totals
Table of clubs' totals
Club Total Years
Hawthorn 8 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015
Richmond 5 1980, 1982, 2017, 2019, 2020
West Coast 5 1992, 1994, 2005, 2006, 2018
Carlton 4 1979, 1981, 1987, 1995
Essendon 4 1984, 1985, 1993, 2000
Geelong 4 1989, 2007, 2009, 2011
Collingwood 3 1990, 2002, 2010 replay
Adelaide 2 1997, 1998
North Melbourne 2 1996, 1999
Brisbane Lions 2 2001, 2003
Port Adelaide 1 2004
St Kilda 1 2010
Sydney 1 2012
Western Bulldogs 1 2016
Melbourne 0 —
Fremantle 0 —
Greater Western Sydney 0 —
Gold Coast 0 —

See also

References
  1. Lovett 2010, p. 521
  2. Bidmeade, Robert (30 September 1979). "Blues take flag by five points". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. pp. 17, 24–25. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018 – via Trove.
  3. "Norm Smith made AFL Legend". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 20 July 2007. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  4. "Grand final focus: Medal no comfort for Judd". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. AAP. 22 July 2018. Archived from the original on 24 June 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  5. Porter, Ashley (29 September 2016). "Greatest AFL finals heroes: Andrew McLeod, No.2". The Age. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  6. Harrington, Anna (23 August 2017). "David King says AFL coaches should take over the voting for the Norm Smith Medal on Grand Final day". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  7. Paton, Al (28 September 2012). "Former Carlton coach Brett Ratten heads Norm Smith Medal voting panel". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  8. Auciello, Michael (5 September 2014). "2009 Geelong Cats premiership: Paul Chapman wins Norm Smith Medal". Geelong Advertiser. News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  9. Ralph, Jon (29 September 2011). "Does Jason Gram deserve a retrospective Norm Smith Medal?". The Advertiser. Adelaide: News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  10. Lovett 2010, p. 18
  11. Quayle, Emma (1 October 2002). "AFL to delay medal vote until siren". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  12. "AFL drops replays for drawn grand finals, extra time to decide level scores". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 19 April 2016. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  13. Green, Warwick (15 July 2014). "Humble Saint Lenny Hayes a true champion". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  14. "James Hird to present Norm Smith Medal at AFL grand final, league confirms". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 10 August 2017. Archived from the original on 17 December 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  15. Black, Sarah (2 September 2019). "Buckley OUT, Black IN: Former September stars to present key medals for finals". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  16. Connolly, Rohan (30 September 2016). "AFL finals heroes: Numbers don't lie on Richmond's Kevin Bartlett". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
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  19. Holmesby & Main 2009, p. 712
  20. Holmesby & Main 2009, p. 228
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  31. Little, Craig (28 September 2017). "How a player can cope with the madness of an AFL grand final". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  32. Bowen, Nick (31 August 2016). "AFL names the presenters of major medals". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Archived from the original on 1 September 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  33. "Religion lifts Hart to football's heights". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media. AAP. 30 September 2002. Archived from the original on 2 March 2003. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  34. Saltau, Chloe (29 September 2002). "Decorated, devastated". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  35. Blake, Martin (28 September 2003). "Black right on the ball". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  36. "Pickett claims Norm Smith medal". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 26 September 2004. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
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  41. Paine, Chris (26 September 2009). "Cats crowned 2009 AFL premiers". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
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  43. "Pendlebury wins Norm Smith medal". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 2 October 2010. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
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  46. Ryan, Peter (28 September 2013). "Recruiting gamble pays off as Hawk defender Lake storms to Norm Smith Medal". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  47. Schmook, Nathan (27 September 2014). "Luke Hodge joins Hawthorn greats by winning second Norm Smith Medal". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Archived from the original on 22 April 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  48. Quayle, Emma (3 October 2015). "A family affair: Cyril Rioli wins the Norm Smith Medal". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  49. Schmook, Nathan (1 October 2016). "Norm Smith: Bulldog Jason Johannisen springs a medal surprise". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
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Bibliography
  • Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2009). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (8th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Bas Publishing. ISBN 978-1-921496-00-4.
  • Lovett, Michael, ed. (2010). AFL Record Season Guide 2010. ISBN 978-0-9806274-5-9.

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