Why do premiership coaches get two medals?

[Dazzler9]

I've been curious why, ever since the early 2000's, the premiership coaches end up with two medals around their necks -

Mr Google provided me some background -

Since 2001, the premiership coach is awarded the Jock McHale Medal, in honour of McHale's brilliant coaching record. The AFL has retrospectively made this award to each premiership coach since 1950, the year after McHale retired as a coach.

However I don't understand why the coach gets two medals. Prior to 2001 they just received the "Premiership coach's medal", now they seem to get a premiership medallion on top of the McHale Medal. Why?

Big deal? No.
A curiosity of AFL football? Sure.

Penny for your thoughts.

 

[Altum Volantes]

I would assume it’s a medal winning for the Premiership....and the Jock McHale medal which is awarded for the coach who....wins the Premiership....

Ah.

So in short...I have no idea why they need 2 and why the McHale medal wouldn’t just make the other medal obsolete.

 

[Ochre]

One's meant for Bob Murphy.

 

[Dazzler9]

Sorry all, I meant to post this on the MB (which I subsequently did). Mods please feel free to delete.

 

[FKASC]

 

[MIKE85]

I had the same question a few weeks back (think I put it in one of the guernsey threads) I swear it hasn’t happened every year though?? In 2016, if beveridge had 2, why did he give his jock McHale one to Murphy and not the other one?? Also I don’t remember seeing Simpson actually being awarded the second one, just the one from Pagan??

 

[Rowan18]

I've also wondered why the assistant coaches don't get premiership medals then, with the head coach getting the jock mchale as well.

 

[Chris_6678]

If it was up to me i would give him 8 medals.

 

[avishka5]

delete plz

 

[dewcefault]

If it was up to me i would give him 8 medals.

He'll receive his 8th after the 2021 GF....

 

[The Passenger]

View attachment 583888

the flip is dat!?!?!

 

[Marcel Proust]

One's meant for Bob Murphy.

Correct answer

 

[Rowan18]

I've been curious why, ever since the early 2000's, the premiership coaches end up with two medals around their necks -

Mr Google provided me some background -

Since 2001, the premiership coach is awarded the Jock McHale Medal, in honour of McHale's brilliant coaching record. The AFL has retrospectively made this award to each premiership coach since 1950, the year after McHale retired as a coach.

However I don't understand why the coach gets two medals. Prior to 2001 they just received the "Premiership coach's medal", now they seem to get a premiership medallion on top of the McHale Medal. Why?

Big deal? No.
A curiosity of AFL football? Sure.

Penny for your thoughts.

Good spot. I thought they just got the Jock McHale and the players got the premiership.

I am probably too liberal with this, but I think anyone who made a direct football contribution to the flag should get one. That includes the assistant coaches and possibly GM of football and should definitely include any players that played more than 11 games (1/2 of season) and any finals. If you look at 2018, we probably don't qualify for top 4 if Nic Nat, Gaff and Shep didn't play a lot of games for us that year.

 

[squashface]

Good spot. I thought they just got the Jock McHale and the players got the premiership.

I am probably too liberal with this, but I think anyone who made a direct football contribution to the flag should get one. That includes the assistant coaches and possibly GM of football and should definitely include any players that played more than 11 games (1/2 of season) and any finals. If you look at 2018, we probably don't qualify for top 4 if Nic Nat, Gaff and Shep didn't play a lot of games for us that year.

Can't speak for everyone obviously but I would feel incredibly uneasy accepting a Premiership Medal when I didn't play in the Grand Final

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Can't speak for everyone obviously but I would feel incredibly uneasy accepting a Premiership Medal when I didn't play in the Grand Final

I know the team all received various Premiership packages, even if they didn't play on the day. Mini replica of the trophy, various collection items like medals/badges/pins etc. The squad members still received something.

 

[Rowan18]

Can't speak for everyone obviously but I would feel incredibly uneasy accepting a Premiership Medal when I didn't play in the Grand Final

It would definitely require a cultural change to be acceptable and understand most people probably wouldn't agree.

It's my personal view of team sports, that the team as a whole wins the games. That counts for those who helped get you into the GF in the first place. In my own amateur sport, I'd happily have no stats and see us win a GF, than play a blinder and lose.

 

[TheGhostOfJohnBelushi]

I need to research this more because the internet I think isn't being 100% accurate.

I believe the Jock McHale medal is actually awarded to the All-Australian coach. For the last 20 years, this is the premiership coach. But prior to I think around 2001, the All-Aus coach wasn't always the premiership winning coach. What has happened is because the Premiership coach is now always the All-Australian coach, they receive the medal as well as the regular premiership medal on Grand Final day. And because of this, retrospectively, all Premiership coaches are Jock McHale medalists. Maybe I'm backwards on this but I am sure I've seen it in an old Football Record back in the day.

In any case, I think all coaches now get 2 medals. It does seem haphazard in how they are awarded. Vision shows some years coaches get the Jock McHale medal put around their neck, other years the regular premiership medal. And sometimes they get both, sometimes they don't, and who the **** knows when they get both. No rhyme or reason to it. But I believe that all would get the pair, whether it's on the day or quietly afterward.

Or I could be 100% wrong and be Mandella Effecting this whole story. But I swear I can recall the AA coach being the JM Medalist in an old Footy Record, circa early 90s.