The Premiership medal argument

[skam85]

This whole fiasco this week has brought up another good idea made by yours truly.

If we make the Grand Final the ideal way, Rankine, who has played a significant role in our season, misses out on a medal.

If we make the Grand Final the hard way, a player who has played a role in our finals series and actually getting us to the Grand Final will be the hard luck story of 2025.

Both deserve a medal. Nothing with the AFL surprises me but it's wild that this isn't even a topic of discussion. All squad members or at the very least, each player that's played at least game should receive a premiership medallion.

It's one of the easiest fixes in the league that will provide a significant amount of goodwill. Hell even retrospectively award one to Nic Nat, Barry Standfield and Bob Murphy if you like.

This isn't a classic 2025 mollycoddling participation award thing either. Squads win flags and should be recognised as such.

 

[kirky]

This whole fiasco this week has brought up another good idea made by yours truly.

If we make the Grand Final the ideal way, Rankine, who has played a significant role in our season, misses out on a medal.

If we make the Grand Final the hard way, a player who has played a role in our finals series and actually getting us to the Grand Final will be the hard luck story of 2025.

Both deserve a medal. Nothing with the AFL surprises me but it's wild that this isn't even a topic of discussion. All squad members or at the very least, each player that's played at least game should receive a premiership medallion.

It's one of the easiest fixes in the league that will provide a significant amount of goodwill. Hell even retrospectively award one to Nic Nat, Barry Standfield and Bob Murphy if you like.

This isn't a classic 2025 mollycoddling participation award thing either. Squads win flags and should be recognised as such.

Just like the NFL.

 

[Cromulant]

In 97 and 98 i believe the entire squad got medals, im guessing they were replicas that the club had done ??

 

[BRL121]

In 97 and 98 i believe the entire squad got medals, im guessing they were replicas that the club had done ??

That would be the way to do it.

 

[1990crow]

Not a fan

 

[jamesclean]

the only thing worse than contributing heavily throughout the season and then missing the premiership medal - would be barely contributing at all and getting one. like Billy Frampton

17

Billy Frampton

Age

29

Ht

201cm

Wt

100kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.1

2star

K

5.1

2star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.1

3star

T

0.7

3star

MG

99.0

2star

D

8.5

2star

K

4.8

2star

HB

3.8

3star

M

3.5

3star

T

0.5

1star

MG

99.0

2star

D

9.2

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

3.6

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

1.0

3star

MG

107.0

2star

.

 

[Danger in Texas]

Don’t think I care enough about this to argue implementing it

If you get the job done on the day, you get a medal

 

[Carmo]

This whole fiasco this week has brought up another good idea made by yours truly.

If we make the Grand Final the ideal way, Rankine, who has played a significant role in our season, misses out on a medal.

If we make the Grand Final the hard way, a player who has played a role in our finals series and actually getting us to the Grand Final will be the hard luck story of 2025.

Both deserve a medal. Nothing with the AFL surprises me but it's wild that this isn't even a topic of discussion. All squad members or at the very least, each player that's played at least game should receive a premiership medallion.

It's one of the easiest fixes in the league that will provide a significant amount of goodwill. Hell even retrospectively award one to Nic Nat, Barry Standfield and Bob Murphy if you like.

This isn't a classic 2025 mollycoddling participation award thing either. Squads win flags and should be recognised as such.

Been thinking the exact same thing for years.

 

[daniel_4tw]

Obviously not going to change the rule for Rankine, but this is something I have always felt very passionately about.

Winning the grand final is not achieved by winning one game. It is a SEASONS worth of work. The team wins the flag for the 2025 season. Not individual players with one performance.

If you played a single game in the season, you should get a premiership medal. I would actually go one further and say everyone on the list gets on even if they didn’t play because it’s the TEAM that one, but appreciate that is harder argument.

Sure, a playing medal is considered more important than a non playing medal, but they still contributed.

In US sports even back office staff get rings. Not sure we would give a medal to one of our staff in marketing but I get the sentiment.

 

[Crows I Am]

I personally wouldn't want a medal if I didn't play on the day. Just wouldn't feel the same.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

A medal without having played in the grand final would be meaningless

Sure, your Auskick coach contributed to the journey and played some role in your and the team's success but that knowledge/satisfaction is enough

The medal is just a symbol. It has no value by itself otherwise you'd just go and buy one even if you don't play AFL. It's a symbol that you played in a winning grand final. The ultimate success. What everyone strives for.

I didn't play in a winning grand final but I played some games earlier in the season then watched us win the GF, so same thing. Wrong.

There are allowed to be hard luck stories in sport.

 

[FR0GGY]

Leave it up to the players, i think I’ve heard most say it doesn’t mean anything anyway if they aren’t there on the day.

 

[Cromulant]

Leave it up to the players, i think I’ve heard most say it doesn’t mean anything anyway if they aren’t there on the day.

I know a couple of our 97 squad members felt tbe same way, most actually.

Im neither here nor there on it, so leaving it up to the players is probably the best option.

 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

I personally wouldn't want a medal if I didn't play on the day. Just wouldn't feel the same.

Yep. I felt absolutely the same way in a gf I played in where I got barely any game time. I don’t want a medal someone else won for me.

 

[radiojake]

 

[Cromulant]

Yep. I felt absolutely the same way in a gf I played in where I got barely any game time. I don’t want a medal someone else won for me.

I've had a similar experience, first 5 minutes I broke my collarbone and spent the game travelling to get X rays.

Loved getting the medal at that point in time, but the longer time goes on the less I care.

 

[FR0GGY]

Yep. I felt absolutely the same way in a gf I played in where I got barely any game time. I don’t want a medal someone else won for me.

So you didn’t want one even when you played in it, but not a lot?

 

[jo172]

I've never understood this to be honest, albeit i'm not overly materialistic. I have premiership medals. They're in a draw somewhere in my house, couldn't even tell you what one.

You want the memories, the emotion and the experience as having lived through it. You get that by playing the day, and if you didn't play the day, you get the emotions of watching and knowing you've made a material contribution to the journey.

If you need the trinket so be it, no problem with the AFL/Club awarding all players in the squad at the first home game the following season, but it strikes me as one of those bullshit arguments that people spend a lot of time and energy on with reasonably little import.

 

[Cromulant]

I've never understood this to be honest, albeit i'm not overly materialistic. I have premiership medals. They're in a draw somewhere in my house, couldn't even tell you what one.

You want the memories, the emotion and the experience as having lived through it. You get that by playing the day, and if you didn't play the day, you get the emotions of watching and knowing you've made a material contribution to the journey.

If you need the trinket so be it, no problem with the AFL/Club awarding all players in the squad at the first home game the following season, but it strikes me as one of those bullshit arguments that people spend a lot of time and energy on with reasonably little import.

The emotion of it all is what I missed. Its why you play the game and to miss it all was the worst.

There was a premiership reunion in 2015 and again this year, i dont live in the same area as I did then but even so, I wasn't remotely interested in going.

 

[Haymo_of_thor]

Do the crime, do the time. The only way Rankine gets a premiership medal is if we lose the qualifying final and still make it to the granny

 

[AFC979810]

A medal without having played in the grand final would be meaningless

Sure, your Auskick coach contributed to the journey and played some role in your and the team's success but that knowledge/satisfaction is enough

The medal is just a symbol. It has no value by itself otherwise you'd just go and buy one even if you don't play AFL. It's a symbol that you played in a winning grand final. The ultimate success. What everyone strives for.

This is one of those opinions I just can't get behind.

The thought process that Aaron Keatinge who played 3 games for 7 disposals in 1997 (including Grand Final Day) is more deserving to a premiership medal than Tony Modra who played 25 of 26 games and kicked 84 goals is pretty much the worst possible argument.

Shame on you and everything you stand for.

I didn't play in a winning grand final but I played some games earlier in the season then watched us win the GF, so same thing. Wrong.

I played three games and sat on the bench for 80% of each game and had zero influence in the Grand Final but I deserve a medal more than our best forward who kicked 84 goals in 25 of the 26 games.

SHAME!

 

[AFC979810]

Do the crime, do the time. The only way Rankine gets a premiership medal is if we lose the qualifying final and still make it to the granny

I want this to happen. Rest everyone for the Qualifying final. Then we have an easier Elimination final and then go on the road for a Prelim. Imagine Izak back for the GF.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

This is one of those opinions I just can't get behind.

The thought process that Aaron Keatinge who played 3 games for 7 disposals in 1997 (including Grand Final Day) is more deserving to a premiership medal than Tony Modra who played 25 of 26 games and kicked 84 goals is pretty much the worst possible argument.

Shame on you and everything you stand for.




I played three games and sat on the bench for 80% of each game and had zero influence in the Grand Final but I deserve a medal more than our best forward who kicked 84 goals in 25 of the 26 games.

SHAME!

Some players are lucky
Some players are unlucky

That's the beauty of sport

It provides every single range on the emotional rollercoaster

It's not a bad thing that Modra missed out on a medal. Sure, it's heartbreaking but that's part of being human.

It's not all gravy

That's why they're so cherished.

 

[AFC979810]

Some players are lucky
Some players are unlucky

Maybe we should just have 15 premiership medals. Only the 15 that draw the long straw on the day get it - the other 7 (or 8) dont because they are unlucky!

You want to reward luck - play the lottery.

That's the beauty of sport

It provides every single range on the emotional rollercoaster

It's not a bad thing that Modra missed out on a medal. Sure, it's heartbreaking but that's part of being human.

It's not all gravy

That's why they're so cherished.

Its criminal that Modra missed out on a medal.

How anyone can justify Aaron Keatinge sitting on the bench for 90% of Grand Final day is more deserving of a medal than Tony Modra is beyond me.

AFL premierships cannot be won unless you make the finals - Modra was a massive part of that in 1997 and deserves a medal.

Giving medals only to the players on the day is just stupid.

 

[jo172]

Seriously, 2 days after the game its a commerorative souvenir that sits in a draw.