The Premiership medal argument

[Golumless]

Whilst it's not a hill I'm willing to die on, I'm for everyone in the squad getting one just because it took all of them to get there (even if it was just being a a moving training cone to sharpen up the boys), though I can also appreciate they're almost meaningless to the ones who weren't out there.

Mainly I just hope clubs are doing something to show their appreciation to everyone in the squad once they've won it all. Whether it's a trinket, massive piss up, whatever.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

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.



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.

Keating isn't more deserving than Modra, that's why it's heartbreaking. That's why it's dramatic, that's why it's theatre.

The Holy Grail

It's not the Deserving Olympics

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Whilst it's not a hill I'm willing to die on, I'm for everyone in the squad getting one just because it took all of them to get there (even if it was just being a a moving training cone to sharpen up the boys), though I can also appreciate they're almost meaningless to the ones who weren't out there.

That's just something you say to make the non-selected players and support staff feel good

Yeah, yeah they might have helped and should get every pat on the back short of a medal

I agree with the last bit. Even if they changed the rules and everyone gets one the attitude towards them will be the same. Did you play in a winning grand final?

 

[jo172]

Always find that the relay swimmers who swim in the heats but not the final getting a medal odd.

Especially since they're not up on the podium and getting the moment of elation.

 

[SugarShane]

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

First time my team won a cricket grand final I'd played most of the season and got dropped to 12th Man for the finals as the captains' mates were all available at the same time.

I still got a medal as 12th man, but it's not on display with my other medals and trophies. All I see when I look at it is myself sitting in the stands after playing 3 consecutive losing grand finals watching them win one.

Selfish, probably. Bad team spirit, likely. But I didn't play. I may have looked at it differently if the captain had the thought to sub-field me but he was too wrapped up in breaking the drought.

At presentation night we got a plaque as a player in the premiership season. That's about all AFL players need, club recognition and a club provided award that you contributed.

 

[AFC979810]

First time my team won a cricket grand final I'd played most of the season and got dropped to 12th Man for the finals as the captains' mates were all available at the same time.

I still got a medal as 12th man, but it's not on display with my other medals and trophies. All I see when I look at it is myself sitting in the stands after playing 3 consecutive losing grand finals watching them win one.

Maybe it wasn't the Captains 'Mates' that keep you out of the team comes finals time? You couldn't get over the hill 3 times in a row and the 4th time when they dropped you they won it all.

Selfish, probably. Bad team spirit, likely.

Yup this is it. Sounds like a mixture of survivors guilt and selfishness.

But I didn't play. I may have looked at it differently if the captain had the thought to sub-field me but he was too wrapped up in breaking the drought.

At presentation night we got a plaque as a player in the premiership season. That's about all AFL players need, club recognition and a club provided award that you contributed.

I guess this proves the point. You think you would deserve a medal because the Captain subbed you onto the field of a game already won when you would have zero influence?

Weird.

 

[AFC979810]

Keating isn't more deserving than Modra, that's why it's heartbreaking. That's why it's dramatic, that's why it's theatre.

Well then - let's make it even more theatrical by only having 15 medals. Have a lucky dip to decide which of the 15 players gets the medal. Sure some of them aren't more deserving than the other 7, but thats what makes it so heartbreaking- imagine the drama and the theatrics.

The Holy Grail

It's not the Deserving Olympics

May as well remove Gaudi's name from the Basílica de la Sagrada Família when it is finished next year.

 

[Truck25]

I guess it depends on your motivation, individual glory or team, that grand final win was the culmination of a journey the group under took, if you view the fallen soldier as collateral damage to the final victory, or do you view their sacrifice as an integral part. I'm not saying the boot studder should get one, but I am saying if you played a game that season, some of your blood sweat and tears was paid for that cup. The one thing that Bevo ever did that got my admiration was handing his medal to Murphy. Just seemed right. One thing that never seemed right was Mod's missing out.

 

[Crows I Am]

First time my team won a cricket grand final I'd played most of the season and got dropped to 12th Man for the finals as the captains' mates were all available at the same time.

I still got a medal as 12th man, but it's not on display with my other medals and trophies. All I see when I look at it is myself sitting in the stands after playing 3 consecutive losing grand finals watching them win one.

Selfish, probably. Bad team spirit, likely. But I didn't play. I may have looked at it differently if the captain had the thought to sub-field me but he was too wrapped up in breaking the drought.

At presentation night we got a plaque as a player in the premiership season. That's about all AFL players need, club recognition and a club provided award that you contributed.

100% agree with this. If you are not out on the field with the team it would not really mean much to have the same medal as everyone else. That's just my opinion anyway.

 

[jimvic]

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.

horse, meet cart. Lets win at least one final before we get into this

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Well then - let's make it even more theatrical by only having 15 medals. Have a lucky dip to decide which of the 15 players gets the medal. Sure some of them aren't more deserving than the other 7, but thats what makes it so heartbreaking- imagine the drama and the theatrics.



May as well remove Gaudi's name from the Basílica de la Sagrada Família when it is finished next year.

It's a cruel game, sometimes.

This is one of the cruel bits.

Don't need to sand off the corners so that it's warm fuzzies all round.

Got to time your run and yes it sometimes involves a bit of luck. Like sport, like life.

 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

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

Nope. I got to play a small amount at the end when the result was already decided. So in no way did I contribute to the outcome.

We won the GF again the following year and I got to play proper game time. That win actually meant something to me.

 

[FR0GGY]

Nope. I got to play a small amount at the end when the result was already decided. So in no way did I contribute to the outcome.

We won the GF again the following year and I got to play proper game time. That win actually meant something to me.

Yeah right, I wonder how the feeling would be if you had a quiet game but played a lot?

 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

Yeah right, I wonder how the feeling would be if you had a quiet game but played a lot?

I’d have been fine with that. The issue was not even getting a chance to play good or bad. Watching the game from the bench was worse than being a spectator.

 

[screech]

It is not the medal that is significant in this, only the players should receive them on the day, and is good if the rest of the squad is acknowledged soon after.
It is the status of premiership player that should apply, Roo should be considered a two-time premiership player, rather than just 1998 - he contributed significantly to them even being there on the final day, likewise Modra.

Clubs win premierships, a lot more goes into it than the team that happens to take the park on the day.

At my community club, over 20 years I researched the details and then reframed all our premiership photos to acknowledge every player who contributed a game during the season as part of the "Premiership Squad" and identifying the "Grand Final Team".

 

[Scorpus]

Other sports have this wrong awarding winning medals to the entire squad

Always weird seeing in cricket for example, players that didn't even play once getting a medal for winning the World Cup

 

[NSolis]

Everyone in the squad should get one.