Premiership medal for players who have contributed during the year

[HTPunter]

I think it's worth mentioning (because it continually gets forgotten for some reason), that awarding premiership medals to only players who participated in the Grand Final was a marketing invention created by channel 7.

Before 1977, clubs and sponsors often minted their own premiership medals for the entire playing list (sometimes even staff). There was no consistent, league-issued medal system until the VFL partnered with Channel 7 in 1977. That’s when the league formalised the idea of awarding medals only to the players who took the field on Grand Final day.. because it looked better for TV, simple as that. The spectacle was more important than the nuance of contributions.

Prior to that, it was up to the clubs, and guess what? A lot of them did spread the medals more widely. They recognised that footy’s a squad game, and it’s not always the 22 on the day that get you there. That’s why this isn’t some radical new concept; it’s actually going back to a time when footy was more local, more club-driven, and dare I say, more loyal to the whole playing group.

People love to talk about the “elusive” premiership medal, but let’s not kid ourselves that this system is sacred or even all that old. It was a marketing decision to boost a TV product. And while I get the idea of rewarding the players on the day (the best on the big stage), the modern game has 45-man lists, rotations, and injuries that force guys who’ve given their all to sit out. Think about guys like Bob Murphy, and Prestgiacomo, massive contributors who had just as much right to call themselves premiership players as the bloke who barely touched it in the Grand Final.

As for “where do you draw the line?” Well, other sports manage it just fine. The World Cup, for example, gives medals to all squad members, and it doesn’t diminish the prestige of the tournament one bit. A compromise might be to stamp or engrave “Grand Final player” vs. “squad member” on the medals. That way, you preserve the distinction without forgetting the contributions that got you there.

At the end of the day, no system is perfect. But let’s at least acknowledge that the current AFL approach is a TV-era holdover and not some deep cultural 150 year tradition that can’t be questioned.

It is now a deep cultural tradition though. Being the players to go up on the Dias to accept it is their moment now regardless of how it started.

As for the whole post, it is hilarious that you started with a premise (everyone gets a medal at the World Cup) only to end up with the same distinction as we have now (well, the grand final winning players could get something different!).

 

[HTPunter]

It still bewilders me that this comes up every year and people still feel so strongly about it. FiNd mE a coHerEnT arGuMeNt.

It makes it more special. More important. No matter the starting reason for it, making something in less supply makes it more coveted. It’s pretty basic stuff.

Easy as.

I assume the “change it” crowd also want the Brownlow changed from the umpires to coaches, want a night grand final, and a slurry of other changes that aren’t required because they aren’t broken.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Because one is a premiership. I.e played in a winning grand final, player.

And the other didn’t.

It’s not a “best players” award. It’s who played in the winning grand final.

If you’re going down your argument, why should Zane Zakostelsky be a premiership player ?

I would love a coherent argument as to why the AFL must “honour” players, instead of clubs honouring the contributions of their entire playing list as they see fit. There is no need for the AFL to do so.

A premiership is awarded annually. It’s for the season. You don’t get one just for winning a GF, you have to win enough games to make the finals, then win the finals to get to the GF.

It’s called the AFL Premiership Season. The AFL themselves call it that. Look on their website.

Clubs play each week for premiership points.

Billing didn’t play in a winning Grand Final yet is a premiership player. Makes no sense.

And Zakostelky shouldn’t get one. Those who played the premiership season should get one.

The current situation and the arguments for it are totally nonsensical and inconsistent with how the game is viewed and organised. It’s just a stupid hangover of decades ago.

The AFL has chosen to award premiership medals. If they don’t want to then don’t do it, leave it to the clubs. But if they are going to, do it correctly.

 

[Captain_Plane]

People forget that sport is about entertainment, narrative, excitement, escapism ... not justice! Bob Murphy not getting a medal might be "unfair", but so what? It gave us the really A+ moment of Bevo inviting Murphy up on the stage, which probably heaps of dogs fans will remember for the rest of their lives (and the men involved). It doesn't matter that there's no coherent argument, the fact that it's unfair gives it gravitas

 

[powerrrrrrrrrrrr]

Honestly don’t think many players would want a medal who didn’t play on the day.

No need for it beyond the 22/23. The club and fans can honour the whole list in whatever way they see fit otherwise.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

A premiership is awarded annually. It’s for the season. You don’t get one just for winning a GF, you have to win enough games to make the finals, then win the finals to get to the GF.

It’s called the AFL Premiership Season. The AFL themselves call it that. Look on their website.

Clubs play each week for premiership points.

Billing didn’t play in a winning Grand Final yet is a premiership player. Makes no sense.

And Zakostelky shouldn’t get one. Those who played the premiership season should get one.

The current situation and the arguments for it are totally nonsensical and inconsistent with how the game is viewed and organised. It’s just a stupid hangover of decades ago.

The AFL has chosen to award premiership medals. If they don’t want to then don’t do it, leave it to the clubs. But if they are going to, do it correctly.

The club is awarded a Cup and a flag for that premiership season. But the Grand Final itself can only be won by the 23 players that win it for you on the day.
That other players have helped get you into that particular game matters not, they are part of the club that won the premiership. They have not however helped in anyway on actual GF day to win that particular match and hence the GF winning team are awarded these special medals as they did it for their club.

Your logic goes to every person in the footy department getting one, Coach and all assistant coaches, all footy staff, Trainers, water boys, boot studder, recruiting staff, General manager of football, Ceo, How about the cheer squad, etc etc. They are all a part of it according to how you want people rewarded.

I know you feel strongly about it but only 23 players can win you that particular game and hence they get a medal. It is why it is so coveted.

 

[RCAB]

Honestly don’t think many players would want a medal who didn’t play on the day.

No need for it beyond the 22/23. The club and fans can honour the whole list in whatever way they see fit otherwise.

Players wanted it before 1977 for 100 years. You're just buying into Channel 7 marketing.

 

[voorhees]

no..
why must we always attempt to change things for the sake of changing.
If you battle on the day, you get a medal.
If not,unfortunately you don't that's life.

 

[RCAB]

no..
why must we always attempt to change things for the sake of changing.
If you battle on the day, you get a medal.
If not,unfortunately you don't that's life.

We changed it in 1977, prior to that the whole list could've received a medal, including staff.

You were happy with "change" in 1977, hmm.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

If anybody can give a cogent argument as to why Kevin Billing is a “premiership player” and Tony Modra isn’t, I’d love to hear it.

The reality is, you can’t.

Notwithstanding the fact i dont know what cogent means, I'm going to guess that one played in a winning grand final and one didn't?

 

[powerrrrrrrrrrrr]

Players wanted it before 1977 for 100 years. You're just buying into Channel 7 marketing.

Have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about with channel 7 marketing so I’m going to say that’s a no to that.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Notwithstanding the fact i dont know what cogent means, I'm going to guess that one played in a winning grand final and one didn't?

Incorrect - neither did.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

The club is awarded a Cup and a flag for that premiership season. But the Grand Final itself can only be won by the 23 players that win it for you on the day.
That other players have helped get you into that particular game matters not, they are part of the club that won the premiership. They have not however helped in anyway on actual GF day to win that particular match and hence the GF winning team are awarded these special medals as they did it for their club.

Your logic goes to every person in the footy department getting one, Coach and all assistant coaches, all footy staff, Trainers, water boys, boot studder, recruiting staff, General manager of football, Ceo, How about the cheer squad, etc etc. They are all a part of it according to how you want people rewarded.

I know you feel strongly about it but only 23 players can win you that particular game and hence they get a medal. It is why it is so coveted.

No, anybody who took part in a premiership match. It’s pretty straightforward. You can award them to others if you wish. My approach is very simple and I’ve got no desire to hand them out to staff members. They don’t take part in premiership matches.

Winning a prelim final is every bit as critical to a premiership as winning a grand final. If you don’t win it, you don’t win a flag.

And lol, this is not why it’s coveted. It’s coveted because it’s a premiership, not because of some ridiculous outdated and inconsistent view from when the game was very different.

Plenty of other football leagues in the country have done away with this laughable “GF Day players” garbage. If you think it makes the flag any less coveted, you’re incredibly off the mark.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

The other elephant in the room here is the current scandalous state of the match review process.

It is now extremely easy for any player - including those critical to their team’s premiership success - to miss a GF via suspension due to things totally outside their control and intention.

The game is run by lawyers who are focused on avoiding legal action in 20 years time, so they are suspending players for incidents that could trigger that legal action - so they can feasibly shift legal obligation from themselves to the suspended.

It’s ridiculous enough and totally contrary to the spirit of sport - excluding as punishment those who have done nothing wrong. We don’t need to exacerbate that by denying official recognition of their part in a premiership.

 

[RCAB]

Have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about with channel 7 marketing so I’m going to say that’s a no to that.

Most people don’t know the story because it’s been ignored for decades.

Channel 7 didn’t just influence footy, they reshaped it for TV. Before 1977, there was no one-size-fits-all rule for medals. Clubs handed them out to whoever they saw fit, often the whole playing list. Why? Because footy was seen as a squad game and the guys who busted a gut all year actually mattered.

Then Channel 7 comes in, wants a neat package for TV. So, bang, medals only go to those participating on the day. It looks great on the broadcast, right? Makes for a nice photo op and all that.

Your “no idea” is exactly how they wanted it, to make people think it’s always been that way. But it hasn’t. It was literally a marketing move to jazz up the Grand Final for the cameras.

So if we’re talking about traditions, let’s at least be honest about where they came from... a TV deal.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Works for the NBA... Andew Gaze is a NBA chanpionship winner

So's Chip in HR and Skip in Marketing. The team organises the rings.

The club (in the AFL) could do something similar for everyone it deems worthy.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Honestly don’t think many players would want a medal who didn’t play on the day.

No need for it beyond the 22/23. The club and fans can honour the whole list in whatever way they see fit otherwise.

I feel like I repeat myself every year with that point. And also the point that the medal would be a distant runner-up to the player's guernsey, the team celebration photo with the cup and even their boots from the game in terms of sentimental value.

 

[Scotland]

I would happy to see this introduced. I don't agree with 18 year old rookie list players who aren't getting near a debut getting premiership medals for being there but if you contribute you should be acknowledged.

In the EPL you get a medal if you played 5 matches. In a first past the post system you can't really expect the same 11 players to feature 38 times and the title race can be over with 10 games to go. For the FA Cup, Champions League etc. there are varying rules. Roy Keane won the treble with Manchester United in 1998/99. He played 35/38 league games, 7 FA Cup games and 9 Champions League games, however was suspended from the Champions League final and injured 9 minutes into the FA Cup final. He's still considered a part of all 3 teams.

It would be a silly state of affairs for Michael Ballack to not be considered a World Cup runner up because he got suspended in the semi final in 2002. For a sport like basketball sure, you have a squad of 12 so someone can play a minute or two here and there and otherwise not feature. For soccer, footy, both rugby codes you have bigger squads for a reason.

1992 we had Watters play 18 games, Hynes 17
1994 Turley 15
2006 Graham 24, Staker 23
2018 Sheppard 23, Gaff 19, Waterman 16, Naitanui 15

2005 when we lost we had Michael Braun

Michael Braun

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go out in the prelim and Phil Matera in the QF. Those guys were more deserving of a GF spot than Sam Butler who played 35% game time and had 2 touches or Kasey Green

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played round 20, 21 and the GF all year. But that's footy you pick who you have available.

I would think around a 10-15 game cut off is fair. Plus obviously any player who features on the day. Be harsh to say Marlion Pickett

50

Marlion Pickett

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isn't a premiership player.

 

[eth-dog]

Yes they should. If it's good enough for the biggest leagues in the world (NBA, EPL, CL, FIFA WC, pretty sure the NFL does the same) then it's good enough for us

 

[PerthBoy86]

I think clubs should do a better job promoting the jobs of the players who played throughout the season but weren't needed on Grand final day. There's about a dozen players who could have taken Pickett's spot in 2019 and probably deserved a medal more. Sydney stack (17 games), Jack Graham (16 games), Kamdyn Mcintosh (17), Higgins (13), Balta (13), Chol (9), Ross (7) and half a dozen more who made a bigger impact to our season.

Maribol Chol especially - played 9 in 2019, and 11 in 2020, Playing as our Ruckman and 2nd key forward in key wins. But because we got lucky and had Nank and Soldo, or Jack and Lynch fit for finals he doesn't get the recognition he deserves.

They made it like it was some big fairytale story when Pickett debuted on gf day, but I felt it was a little unfair. Many players have played so many games then miss our, and he just gets in like that. I just thought he was incredibly lucky, thug did play well in that gf. Was I the only one?

 

[PerthBoy86]

I think it should be awarded to those who play on the day and regular squad members that season, who play at least half the games that season. I always think of Nic Nat, Shep and Gaff as premiership players anyway.

 

[IKnowtheDog]

Goes to show how good Adelaide were to win them without him.

They may not have won any flags with him in the team. Modra injured in 97 meant the Jarman move being played in both the prelim and GF.

In 98 Modra’s form had tapered off and consequently he was dropped.

Aaron Keating one of the most fortuitous footballers of all.

Funny how there’s all this pressure on the AFL to provide medals yet clubs don’t even make their own players life members for participation in a premiership season

 

[greatwhiteshark]

No, anybody who took part in a premiership match. It’s pretty straightforward. You can award them to others if you wish. My approach is very simple and I’ve got no desire to hand them out to staff members. They don’t take part in premiership matches.

Winning a prelim final is every bit as critical to a premiership as winning a grand final. If you don’t win it, you don’t win a flag.

And lol, this is not why it’s coveted. It’s coveted because it’s a premiership, not because of some ridiculous outdated and inconsistent view from when the game was very different.

Plenty of other football leagues in the country have done away with this laughable “GF Day players” garbage. If you think it makes the flag any less coveted, you’re incredibly off the mark.

Yet they have contributed just as much? Strange take this?
Winning a Preliminary final has the reward of getting you into that one game that can win you the flag. There is no other match all season that you can win the premiership in. So yes it is critical to get you into the match but ultimately you don't win anything winning the preliminary final.

And the medal is coveted, that is what makes it so special. I can tell you right now that if Bob Murphy had a premiership medal it would be sitting in a dark draw getting dust with virtually no meaning to him. He knows he didn't play in that one match where you get this medal.

What football leagues have got rid of it? The AFL, VFL, SANFL, WAFL and as far as I know all amateur and country leagues in WA still do it.
Are you talking juniors where participation is rewarded?
Unfortunately I don't think the majority agree with you on this.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

They may not have won any flags with him in the team. Modra injured in 97 meant the Jarman move being played in both the prelim and GF.

In 98 Modra’s form had tapered off and consequently he was dropped.

Aaron Keating one of the most fortuitous footballers of all.

Funny how there’s all this pressure on the AFL to provide medals yet clubs don’t even make their own players life members for participation in a premiership season

life membership is handed out like candy at footy clubs these days. You certainly should not get it because you played in a premiership. Marlion Picket got life membership for service to his club playing one game? What a joke.

 

[IKnowtheDog]

life membership is handed out like candy at footy clubs these days. You certainly should not get it because you played in a premiership. Marlion Picket got life membership for service to his club playing one game? What a joke.

Pickett is a two time premiership player.

Adelaide doesn’t have Aaron Keating in its Hall of Fame.

Clubs can do what they like with life membership and Hall of Fame. I just think it’s rich for clubs to go after the AFL when they themselves don’t have strong recognition of players contributions to a premiership.