The Sandover Medal has been awarded 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.
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 has changed over the years, with 5,4,3,2 and 1 point votes awarded between 1985 and 2018. From 1930-1984 the current 3,2,1 system was used, and prior to 1930 there was only one vote per game.
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 presidents 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.
Season | Winner | Club | Votes |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Nik Rokahr | Swan Districts | |
2024 | Callan England | Claremont | |
2023 | Hamish Brayshaw | East Perth | 26 |
2022 | Blaine Boekhorst | East Fremantle | 25 |
2021 | Bailey Rogers | Claremont | 30 |
2020 | Samuel Fisher | Swan Districts | 13 |
2019 | Lachlan Delahunty | Subiaco | 28 |
2018 | Jye Bolton | Claremont | 52 |
2017 | Haiden Schloithe | South Fremantle | 52 |
2016 | Jye Bolton | Claremont | 49 |
2015 | Aidan Tropiano | Perth | 47 |
2014 | Aaron Black | West Perth | 47 |
2013 | Rory Obrien | East Fremantle | 55 |
2012 | Kane Mitchell | Claremont | 58 |
2011 | Luke Blackwell | Claremont | 42 |
2010 | Andrew Krakouer | Swan Districts | 44 |
2009 | Ross Young | Perth | 45 |
2008 | Hayden Ballantyne | Peel Thunder | 41 |
2007 | Anthony Jones | Claremont | 29 |
2006 | Matthew Priddis | Subiaco | 58 |
2005 | Toby Mcgrath | South Fremantle | 39 |
2005 | Jaxon Crabb | Claremont | 39 |
2004 | Allistair Pickett | Subiaco | 42 |
2003 | Shane Beros | Swan Districts | 39 |
2002 | Allistair Pickett | Peel Thunder | 33 |
2001 | Ryan Turnbull | East Perth | 31 |
2000 | Richard Ambrose | Subiaco | 34 |
1999 | Gus Seebeck | Perth | 33 |
1998 | Adrian Bromage | East Fremantle | 32 |
1997 | Brady Anderson | East Perth | 30 |
1996 | Jeremy Wasley | Swan Districts | 37 |
1995 | Craig Treleven | East Fremantle | 43 |
1994 | Ian Dargie | Subiaco | 34 |
1993 | Neil Mildenhall | West Perth | 38 |
1992 | Robert West | West Perth | 32 |
1991 | Ian Dargie | Subiaco | 34 |
1990 | Mick Grasso | Swan Districts | 36 |
1989 | Craig Edwards | South Fremantle | 39 |
1988 | David Bain | East Perth | 42 |
1987 | Mark Watson | Perth | 30 |
1986 | Mark Bairstow | South Fremantle | 39 |
1985 | Murray Wrensted | East Fremantle | 46 |
1984 | Michael Mitchell | Claremont | 17 |
1984 | Peter Spencer | East Perth | 17 |
1984 | Stephen Malaxos | Claremont | 17 |
1983 | Bryan Cousins | Perth | 16 |
1983 | John Ironmonger | East Perth | 16 |
1982 | Phillip Narkle | Swan Districts | 19 |
1981 | Stephen Michael | South Fremantle | 37 |
1980 | Stephen Michael | South Fremantle | 24 |
1979 | Phil Kelly | East Perth | 24 |
1978 | Phil Kelly | East Perth | 26 |
1977 | Brian Peake | East Fremantle | 24 |
1976 | Peter Spencer | East Perth | 21 |
1975 | Alan Quartermaine | East Perth | 16 |
1974 | Graham Melrose | East Fremantle | 20 |
1973 | Barry Cable | Perth | 25 |
1972 | Ian Miller | Perth | 20 |
1971 | David Hollins | East Fremantle | 26 |
1970 | William (Bill) Walker | Swan Districts | 17 |
1970 | Pat Dalton | Perth | 17 |
1969 | Malcolm Brown | East Perth | 21 |
1968 | Barry Cable | Perth | 25 |
1967 | John Parkinson | Claremont | 19 |
1967 | William (Bill) Walker | Swan Districts | 19 |
1966 | William (Bill) Walker | Swan Districts | 20 |
1965 | William (Bill) Walker | Swan Districts | 24 |
1964 | Barry Cable | Perth | 23 |
1963 | Ray Sorrell | East Fremantle | 20 |
1962 | Haydn Bunton (jun) | Swan Districts | 22 |
1961 | Neville Beard | Perth | 22 |
1961 | Ray Sorrell | East Fremantle | 22 |
1960 | Graham (Polly) Farmer | East Perth | 26 |
1959 | Timothy Foley | West Perth | 24 |
1958 | Ted Kilmurray | East Perth | 20 |
1957 | Graham (Polly) Farmer | East Perth | 19 |
1957 | John (Jack) Clarke | East Fremantle | 19 |
1956 | Graham (Polly) Farmer | East Perth | 15 |
1955 | John Todd | South Fremantle | 25 |
1954 | Mervyn Mcintosh | Perth | 22 |
1953 | Mervyn Mcintosh | Perth | 14 |
1952 | Stephen Marsh | South Fremantle | 20 |
1951 | Frederick Buttsworth | West Perth | 25 |
1950 | James Conway | East Fremantle | 23 |
1950 | Frank Allen | East Perth | 23 |
1949 | Gordon Maffina | Claremont | 17 |
1948 | Mervyn Mcintosh | Perth | 22 |
1947 | Clive Lewington | South Fremantle | 22 |
1946 | John Loughridge | West Perth | 26 |
1945 | George Bailey | Perth | 26 |
1944 | James Davies | Swan Districts | 33 |
1943 | Terrance Moriarty | Perth | 28 |
1942 | Laurence Bowen | West Perth | 13 |
1941 | Haydn Bunton (snr) | Subiaco | 22 |
1940 | Terence (Checker) O'keefe | West Perth | 29 |
1939 | Haydn Bunton (snr) | Subiaco | 20 |
1938 | Haydn Bunton (snr) | Subiaco | 27 |
1937 | Frank Jenkins | South Fremantle | 34 |
1936 | George Moloney | Claremont | 30 |
1935 | L.J. Daily | Subiaco | 25 |
1935 | George Krepp | Swan Districts | 25 |
1934 | Sydney Clarke | Claremont | 24 |
1933 | Sydney Clarke | Claremont | 15 |
1932 | Keith Hough | Claremont | 32 |
1931 | Lindsay Richards | East Fremantle | 24 |
1930 | Edward Flemming | West Perth | 23 |
1929 | William (Billy) Thomas | East Perth | 5 |
1929 | John Leonard | Subiaco | 5 |
1928 | John Rocchi | South Fremantle | 5 |
1927 | James Craig | West Perth | 7 |
1926 | John Leonard | Subiaco | 6 |
1925 | Albert Owens | East Perth | 4 |
1924 | Jim Gosnell | West Perth | 0 |
1923 | William (Digger) Thomas | East Perth | 0 |
1922 | Harold Boyd | West Perth | 6 |
1921 | Thomas Outridge | Subiaco | 5 |
1921 | Cyril Hoft | Perth | 5 |