Sandover Medal

The Samdover 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 since 1985 it is possible for multiple medals to be awarded in the event of a tie.

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

YearPlayerTeamVotes
1921Cyril HoftPerth
Tom OutridgeSubiaco
1922Harold BoydWest Perth6
1923William "Digger" ThomasEast Perth
1924Jim GosnellWest Perth
1925George OwensEast Perth4
1926Johnny LeonardSubiaco6
1927Jim CraigWest Perth7
1928Jack RocchiSouth Fremantle5
1929Johnny LeonardSubiaco5
Billy ThomasEast Perth5
1930Ted FlemmingWest Perth23
1931Lin RichardsEast Fremantle34
1932Keith HoughClaremont-Cottesloe32
1933Sammy ClarkeClaremont-Cottesloe15
1934Sammy ClarkeClaremont-Cottesloe24
1935Lou DailySubiaco25
George KreppSwan Districts25
1936George MoloneyClaremont30
1937Frank JenkinsSouth Fremantle34
1938Haydn Bunton, Sr.Subiaco27
1939Haydn Bunton, Sr.Subiaco20
1940Ed O'KeefeWest Perth29
1941Haydn Bunton, Sr.Subiaco22
1942Laurie BowenWest Perth13
1943Terry MoriartyPerth28
1944Jim DaviesSwan Districts33
1945George BaileyPerth24
1946John LoughridgeWest Perth26
1947Clive LewingtonSouth Fremantle22
1948Merv McIntoshPerth22
1949Gordon MaffinaClaremont17
1950Frank AllenEast Perth23
Jim ConwayEast Fremantle23
1951Fred ButtsworthWest Perth25
1952Steve MarshSouth Fremantle20
1953Merv McIntoshPerth14
1954Merv McIntoshPerth22
1955John ToddSouth Fremantle25
1956Graham FarmerEast Perth15
1957Jack ClarkeEast Fremantle19
Graham FarmerEast Perth19
1958Ted KilmurrayEast Perth20
1959Brian FoleyWest Perth24
1960Graham FarmerEast Perth26
1961Neville BeardPerth22
Ray SorrellEast Fremantle22
1962Haydn Bunton, Jr.Swan Districts22
1963Ray SorrellEast Fremantle20
1964Barry CablePerth23
1965Bill WalkerSwan Districts24
1966Bill WalkerSwan Districts20
1967John ParkinsonClaremont19
Bill WalkerSwan Districts19
1968Barry CablePerth25
1969Mal BrownEast Perth21
1970Pat DaltonPerth17
Bill WalkerSwan Districts17
1971David HollinsEast Fremantle26
1972Ian MillerPerth20
1973Barry CablePerth25
1974Graham MelroseEast Fremantle20
1975Alan QuartermaineEast Perth16
1976Peter SpencerEast Perth21
1977Brian PeakeEast Fremantle24
1978Phil KellyEast Perth26
1979Phil KellyEast Perth24
1980Stephen MichaelSouth Fremantle24
1981Stephen MichaelSouth Fremantle37
1982Phil NarkleSwan Districts19
1983Bryan CousinsPerth16
John IronmongerEast Perth16
1984Steve MalaxosClaremont17
Michael MitchellClaremont17
Peter SpencerEast Perth17
1985Murray WrenstedEast Fremantle46
1986Mark BairstowSouth Fremantle39
1987Mark Watson Perth30
1988David BainEast Perth42
1989Craig EdwardsSouth Fremantle39
1990Mick GrassoSwan Districts36
1991Ian DargieSubiaco34
1992Robbie WestWest Perth32
1993Neil MildenhallWest Perth38
1994Ian DargieSubiaco34
1995Craig TrelevenEast Fremantle43
1996Jeremy WasleySwan Districts37
1997Brady AndersonEast Perth30
1998Adrian BromageEast Fremantle32
1999Gus SeebeckPerth33
2000Richard AmbroseSubiaco34
2001Ryan TurnbullEast Perth31
2002Allistair PickettPeel Thunder33
2003Shane BerosSwan Districts39
2004Allistair PickettSubiaco42
2005Jaxon CrabbClaremont39
Toby McGrathSouth Fremantle39
2006Matt PriddisSubiaco58
2007Anthony JonesClaremont29
2008Hayden BallantynePeel Thunder42
2009Ross YoungPerth45
2010Andrew KrakouerSwan Districts44
2011Luke BlackwellClaremont42
2012Kane MitchellClaremont58
2013Rory O'BrienEast Fremantle55
2014Aaron BlackWest Perth47
2015Aidan TropianoPerth45
2016Jye BoltonClaremont49
2017Haiden SchloitheSouth Fremantle52
2018Jye BoltonClaremont52
2019Lachlan DelahuntySubiaco28
2020Sam FisherSwan Districts13 §

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

The following players have won the Sandover Medal multiple times.

MedalsPlayerTeamSeasons
4 Bill WalkerSwan Districts1965, 1966, 1967, 1970
3 Haydn Bunton, Sr.Subiaco1938, 1939, 1941
Merv McIntoshPerth1948, 1953, 1954
Graham FarmerEast Perth1956, 1957, 1960
Barry CablePerth1964, 1968, 1973
2 Johnny LeonardSubiaco1926, 1929
Sammy ClarkeClaremont1933, 1934
Ray SorrellEast Fremantle1961, 1963
Phil KellyEast Perth1978, 1979
Stephen MichaelSouth Fremantle1980, 1981
Peter SpencerEast Perth1976, 1984
Ian DargieSubiaco1991, 1994
Allistair PickettPeel Thunder / Subiaco2002, 2004
Jye BoltonClaremont2016, 2018

References

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