- Sep 19, 2006
- 48,113
- 50,688
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
- Other Teams
- Rotor Volgograd, The Exers
Looking through the records of the AFL clubs a lot of the Victorian clubs do not record some of their earlier best and fairest players, usually pre World War 2.
I'm of the view looking at the old papers that the trophies were given out but have been inadequately recorded.
I'm happy to say I've had some success.
Fitzroy 1943- apparently unrecorded, the Argus of 14 December 1943 record Fred Hughson as the best player .
Also interestingly the AFL Record suggests that H "Lal" McLellan won the Fitzroy best and Fairest in 1912 and 1913 but the Argus of 14 November 1938 suggests that Lal won the award in 1913, 1914 and 1915. For 1915, the AFL record records that George Holden won the best and fairest and the 1914 Best and Fairest is recorded as having been won by Jack Cooper.
Collingwood are interesting as they record only the results of the Copeland trophy which commenced in 1927 but the Argus reports that Collingwood had a preexisting award for the best and most consistent player called the Austral Trophy which was won by Ernie Wilson in 1924 and Syd Coventry in 1925. This can be located in the Argus of 15 October 1925.
With NM, the records are a little patchy early on but the Age of 18 December 1930 records that the trophy for the most consistent player was given to Johnny Gregory but also that Johnny Lewis was given a trophy as captain and coach.
I'm of the view looking at the old papers that the trophies were given out but have been inadequately recorded.
I'm happy to say I've had some success.
Fitzroy 1943- apparently unrecorded, the Argus of 14 December 1943 record Fred Hughson as the best player .
Also interestingly the AFL Record suggests that H "Lal" McLellan won the Fitzroy best and Fairest in 1912 and 1913 but the Argus of 14 November 1938 suggests that Lal won the award in 1913, 1914 and 1915. For 1915, the AFL record records that George Holden won the best and fairest and the 1914 Best and Fairest is recorded as having been won by Jack Cooper.
Collingwood are interesting as they record only the results of the Copeland trophy which commenced in 1927 but the Argus reports that Collingwood had a preexisting award for the best and most consistent player called the Austral Trophy which was won by Ernie Wilson in 1924 and Syd Coventry in 1925. This can be located in the Argus of 15 October 1925.
With NM, the records are a little patchy early on but the Age of 18 December 1930 records that the trophy for the most consistent player was given to Johnny Gregory but also that Johnny Lewis was given a trophy as captain and coach.