- Norm Smith Medal
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The Norm Smith Medal is the award given in the AFL Grand Final to the player adjudged by an independent panel of experts to have been the best player in the match.
Contents
History
The Norm Smith Medal is named after former Melbourne player and coach, Norm Smith. It was named in his honour mostly due to his coaching feats in Grand Finals: he coached six Melbourne premiership sides.
As with most individual awards in team sports, the Norm Smith Medal is usually awarded to a player on the winning side. Only four players have won the award in losing sides: Maurice Rioli in 1982, Gary Ablett, Sr. in 1989, Nathan Buckley in 2002 and Chris Judd in 2005. It is notable that Ablett, Buckley and Judd won their medals in very close Grand Finals, whereas Rioli won his in the 1982 Grand Final, despite his team being convincingly beaten by Carlton.Chris Judd is the only player to go on and play in a winning premiership team(West Coast 2006) after his Norm Smith medal in 2005 in a losing team. Buckley Rioli and Ablett did not play in a VFL/AFL premiership team.
Gary Ayres and Andrew McLeod are the only players to have won the medal twice. In the 1997 and 1998 grand finals McLeod won consecutive Norm Smith Medals, and to date remains the only man ever to achieve this feat. The first winner of the medal, Wayne Harmes, was Norm Smith's nephew.
Voting
The medal is voted for by a panel of five experts from the media, with one member designated as the chairman. The panel-members independently award 3-2-1 votes to the players they adjudge to be the best three players in the game. These votes are tallied, and the highest number of votes wins the medal.
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 3-votes;
- the player with the higher number of 2-votes;
- the player deemed best by the panel chairman.
In the case of a grand final being drawn and a replay being required, a separate Norm Smith Medal is awarded in each game.
List of winners
1 – Two medals were awarded as the grand final was drawn, and a second match was played the following week.
2 – Winner played on losing team
References
- Collins, Ben (2008). The Red Fox, The Biography of Norm Smith Legendary Melbourne Coach. Australia: The Slattery Media Group. ISBN 9780980346626.
See also
External links
Awards in the Australian Football League AFL awards AFL Rising Star · All-Australian team · Brownlow Medal (Winners) · Coleman Medal · Goal of the Year · Mark of the Year · Michael Tuck Medal · Norm Smith MedalAFLPA Awards Media awards Herald Sun Player of the Year · Lou Richards Medal · Australian Football Media Association Player of the YearAustralian rules football Leagues and competitions History History of the VFL/AFL · Origins · Marn Grook · Early VFL Final systems · Australian rules football during the World Wars · Interstate footballVariations International Awards Brownlow Medal (Winners) · Coleman Medal · All-Australian team · Norm Smith Medal · Australian Football Hall of Fame · AFL Rising Star · AFLPA Awards – Leigh Matthews Trophy · Best and Fairest · Goal of the Year · Mark of the Year · Michael Tuck Medal · Sandover Medal · Magarey MedalMajor events AFL Grand Final · International Rules Series · Anzac Day clash · The Showdown · Queensland Clash · Western Derby · Dreamtime at the 'G · Queen's Birthday Clash · Carlton–Collingwood AFL rivalry · Robert Rose CupCulture Terms and jargon · Footy tipping · Australian rules football families · Banner · AFL Record · AFL video games · Mascot ManorRelated articles VFL/AFL Premiers · VFL/AFL Coaches · VFL/AFL records · After the siren kicks · First kick/first goalCategories:- Australian Football League awards
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