Looking over the names of all the clubs B&F awards, it appears from the outside that some are named after players who in comparison to others, have received significantly fewer playing or coaching accolades over their careers for their respective clubs.
I mean no disrespect to these past players and they have obviously had huge impacts on their clubs and the development of the game in their own rights. However, is it time for a changing of the guard for some teams and who would you name it after for your club?
Changing the name would show greater recognition of clubs recent history rather than some going back to the 1920s/30s. As we can see below, some of the clubs have named their awards after player who I’m sure had a huge significance at their club, but may have since had others go well and truly past them in terms of influence and achievements.
I dont know the full stories behind a number of these players who have had the award named after them or the significane they played at their club, however I would argue that perhaps Melbourne, Bulldogs, Geelong, North Melbourne, Hawthorn, St Kilda, Essendon and Collingwood would all have past players deserving of the award being changed in their name.
There is precedence where clubs have changed the name of their B&F from one individual to another.
Between 1927-55 the Western Bulldogs went from the McCarthy trophy, to the Con Weickhardt trophy, to the Charlie Sutton medal all in the space of 30 years.
In 2004, Carlton changed the name of their B&F from a the Robert Reynolds Trophy to John Nicholls.
There is some very limited info that the Saints B&F was previously the C T Suhr trophy before the 90s.
There is references to the Geelong B&F previously being named the Theo Lewis Cup before the Carji Greeves medal too.
Melbourne:
Keith William "Bluey" Truscott
44 games and 31 goals
Enlisted in the RAAF in WW2
Bulldogs:
Charlie Sutton (42-56)
173 games 65 goals playing
162 games as coach
1x B&F, 1 x club Leading Goal kicker, Bulldogs Premiership coach
Port Adelaide:
John Cahill (58-73)
264 games 286 goals
624 games coached (inc Coll 47, West Ade 69 and South Ade 20)
4 x Premiership player, 4 x B&F, 1 x club Leading Goal kicker, 10 x Port Premiership coach,
Geelong
Carji Greeves (23-33)
124 games 17 goals
2 x VFL premiership player, 1924 Brownlow medalist (first awarded)
Swans:
Bon Skilton (56-71)
237 Games 412 goals
3 x Brownlow, 9 x B&F, 3 x club Leading Goal kicker
North Melbourne
-Syd Barker (1907-27)
-68 games 25 goals. VFA/VFL (57 Essendon)
-61 games coaches (43 Essendon)
-4 x Nth premiership player, 2 x Essendon Premiership Coach
Hawthorn
-Peter Crimmins (66-75)
-176 games 231 goals
-1 x Premiership player
-Tragically passed away aged 28 with testicular cancer
St Kilda
-Trevor Barker (75-89)
-230 games 134 goals
-2 x B&F
Fremantle
-George Doig (33-45)
-202 games 1095 goals
-3 x premiership player, 6 x WA LG, 9 x club Leading Goal kicker
West Coast
-John Worsfold (86-98)
-233 games 41 goals
-387 games coach (281 WCE)
-1 x B&F, 2 x Premiership player, 1 x Premiership coach
Adelaide
-Malcolm Blight (68-82)
-330 games 786 goals
-364 games coach (74 with Ade)
-2 x VFL premiership player, Brownlow medalist, Coleman medalist, 4 x North Leading Goal kicker, Margery medal, Ken farmer medal, 2 x AFL premiership coach (Ade)
Carlton
-John Nicholls (57-74)
-328 Games, 307 Goals
-97 Games coach of Carlton
-3 X VFL Premiership player, 5 x B&F, 1 X Simpson Medal, Carlton's first 300 game player and 1 X Premiership Coach
Richmond
-Jack Dyer (31-49)
-311 Games, 443 Goals
-222 Games coach of Richmond
-2 X VFL Premiership Player, 5 X B&F, 2 x club Leading Goal kicker, 1X VFL Premiership Coach
Essendon
-Wally Crichton
-No games played
-Essendon committee member 1926-31, Vice President 32-40, President 41-59 and VFL Delegate 34-58
GWS
-Kevin Sheedy (67-79)
-251 Games, 91 Goals (Richmond)
-634 Games Coach (Essendon), 44 GWS Coach
-Inaugural GWS Coach, 3 x VFL Premiership Player, 1 X B&F, 4 X V/AFL Premiership Coach
Gold Coast
-Simply referred to as 'Club Champion Award'
Brisbane
-Merrett-Murray
-Merrett (78-96) / Murray (55-66)
-Merrett 313 Games, 433 Goals (149 Essendon, 164 Brisbane Bears)
-Murray 377 Games, 71 Goals (333 Fitzroy, 44 East Perth)
-Merrett awards - VFL Gardiner Medal, 2 x Essendon Premiership player, 3 x Brisbane Bears Leading Goal kicker
-Murray awards - 1 x Brownlow medalist, 9 X Fitzroy B&F, 2 X All Australian, East Perth B&F
Collingwood
-Copeland Trophy
-Named after Ern Copeland who was the club secretary in 1895, retiring in 1924.
I mean no disrespect to these past players and they have obviously had huge impacts on their clubs and the development of the game in their own rights. However, is it time for a changing of the guard for some teams and who would you name it after for your club?
Changing the name would show greater recognition of clubs recent history rather than some going back to the 1920s/30s. As we can see below, some of the clubs have named their awards after player who I’m sure had a huge significance at their club, but may have since had others go well and truly past them in terms of influence and achievements.
I dont know the full stories behind a number of these players who have had the award named after them or the significane they played at their club, however I would argue that perhaps Melbourne, Bulldogs, Geelong, North Melbourne, Hawthorn, St Kilda, Essendon and Collingwood would all have past players deserving of the award being changed in their name.
There is precedence where clubs have changed the name of their B&F from one individual to another.
Between 1927-55 the Western Bulldogs went from the McCarthy trophy, to the Con Weickhardt trophy, to the Charlie Sutton medal all in the space of 30 years.
In 2004, Carlton changed the name of their B&F from a the Robert Reynolds Trophy to John Nicholls.
There is some very limited info that the Saints B&F was previously the C T Suhr trophy before the 90s.
There is references to the Geelong B&F previously being named the Theo Lewis Cup before the Carji Greeves medal too.
Melbourne:
Keith William "Bluey" Truscott
44 games and 31 goals
Enlisted in the RAAF in WW2
Bulldogs:
Charlie Sutton (42-56)
173 games 65 goals playing
162 games as coach
1x B&F, 1 x club Leading Goal kicker, Bulldogs Premiership coach
Port Adelaide:
John Cahill (58-73)
264 games 286 goals
624 games coached (inc Coll 47, West Ade 69 and South Ade 20)
4 x Premiership player, 4 x B&F, 1 x club Leading Goal kicker, 10 x Port Premiership coach,
Geelong
Carji Greeves (23-33)
124 games 17 goals
2 x VFL premiership player, 1924 Brownlow medalist (first awarded)
Swans:
Bon Skilton (56-71)
237 Games 412 goals
3 x Brownlow, 9 x B&F, 3 x club Leading Goal kicker
North Melbourne
-Syd Barker (1907-27)
-68 games 25 goals. VFA/VFL (57 Essendon)
-61 games coaches (43 Essendon)
-4 x Nth premiership player, 2 x Essendon Premiership Coach
Hawthorn
-Peter Crimmins (66-75)
-176 games 231 goals
-1 x Premiership player
-Tragically passed away aged 28 with testicular cancer
St Kilda
-Trevor Barker (75-89)
-230 games 134 goals
-2 x B&F
Fremantle
-George Doig (33-45)
-202 games 1095 goals
-3 x premiership player, 6 x WA LG, 9 x club Leading Goal kicker
West Coast
-John Worsfold (86-98)
-233 games 41 goals
-387 games coach (281 WCE)
-1 x B&F, 2 x Premiership player, 1 x Premiership coach
Adelaide
-Malcolm Blight (68-82)
-330 games 786 goals
-364 games coach (74 with Ade)
-2 x VFL premiership player, Brownlow medalist, Coleman medalist, 4 x North Leading Goal kicker, Margery medal, Ken farmer medal, 2 x AFL premiership coach (Ade)
Carlton
-John Nicholls (57-74)
-328 Games, 307 Goals
-97 Games coach of Carlton
-3 X VFL Premiership player, 5 x B&F, 1 X Simpson Medal, Carlton's first 300 game player and 1 X Premiership Coach
Richmond
-Jack Dyer (31-49)
-311 Games, 443 Goals
-222 Games coach of Richmond
-2 X VFL Premiership Player, 5 X B&F, 2 x club Leading Goal kicker, 1X VFL Premiership Coach
Essendon
-Wally Crichton
-No games played
-Essendon committee member 1926-31, Vice President 32-40, President 41-59 and VFL Delegate 34-58
GWS
-Kevin Sheedy (67-79)
-251 Games, 91 Goals (Richmond)
-634 Games Coach (Essendon), 44 GWS Coach
-Inaugural GWS Coach, 3 x VFL Premiership Player, 1 X B&F, 4 X V/AFL Premiership Coach
Gold Coast
-Simply referred to as 'Club Champion Award'
Brisbane
-Merrett-Murray
-Merrett (78-96) / Murray (55-66)
-Merrett 313 Games, 433 Goals (149 Essendon, 164 Brisbane Bears)
-Murray 377 Games, 71 Goals (333 Fitzroy, 44 East Perth)
-Merrett awards - VFL Gardiner Medal, 2 x Essendon Premiership player, 3 x Brisbane Bears Leading Goal kicker
-Murray awards - 1 x Brownlow medalist, 9 X Fitzroy B&F, 2 X All Australian, East Perth B&F
Collingwood
-Copeland Trophy
-Named after Ern Copeland who was the club secretary in 1895, retiring in 1924.
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