Syd Barker Medal

The Syd Barker Medal is awarded to the North Melbourne Football Club player who has been judged the best and fairest of the footy season. The award has been given out continuously since 1937. Before then it was known as the Syd Barker Memorial Trophy.

The award is named after Syd Barker who was a popular captain of the North Melbourne Football Club in 1915–1919, 1921 & 1927. He was a brilliant ruckmen of his time, starring in North Melbourne's 1910, 1914, 1915 and 1918 premiership sides, and captaining the famous "Invincibles" side that went undefeated in a record 58 games.

The voting system as of the 2017 AFL season, consists of each player earning up to 20 votes in a match, with votes from their best 20 games and finals counting towards their final total.[1]

Recipients

^ Denotes current player
+ Player won Brownlow Medal in same season
Season Recipient(s) Ref.
1929 Charles Cameron
1930 —
1931 —
1932 Jack Patterson
1933 —
1934 —
1935 Wally Carter
1936 Charlie Skinner
1937 Wally Carter (2)
1938 Jock Cordner
1939 Sid Dyer
1940 Jim Adamson
1941 Bill Findlay
George Kennedy
1942 Jack Allister
1943 Don Kemp
1944 Alan Crawford
1945 Les Foote
1946 Don Condon
1947 Keith McKenzie
1948 Dally O'Brien
1949 Les Foote (2)
1950 Les Foote (3)
1951 Jock Spencer
1952 Jock McCorkell
1953 Jack O'Halloran
1954 John Brady
1955 Bob Brooker
1956 Jack Edwards
1957 Bryan Martyn
1958 Allen Aylett
1959 Allen Aylett (2)
1960 Allen Aylett (3)
1961 Laurie Dwyer
1962 Bill Serong
1963 Noel Teasdale
1964 Noel Teasdale (2)
1965 Noel Teasdale+ (3)
1966 Noel Teasdale (4)
1967 Laurie Dwyer (2)
1968 John Dugdale
1969 Sam Kekovich
1970 Barry Cable
1971 David Dench
1972 Ken Montgomery
1973 Barry Davis
1974 John Rantall
1975 Barry Davis (2)
1976 David Dench (2)
1977 David Dench (3)
1978 Malcolm Blight+
1979 Gary Dempsey
1980 Keith Greig
1981 David Dench (4)
1982 Ross Glendinning
1983 Ross Glendinning+ (2)
1984 Kym Hodgeman
1985 Matthew Larkin
1986 Jim Krakouer
1987 Matthew Larkin (2)
1988 Matthew Larkin (3)
1989 Mick Martyn
1990 John Longmire
1991 Mick Martyn (2)
Craig Sholl
1992 Wayne Carey
1993 Wayne Carey (2)
1994 Wayne Schwass
1995 Wayne Schwass (2)
1996 Wayne Carey (3)
1997 Anthony Stevens
1998 Wayne Carey (4)
1999 Anthony Stevens (2)
2000 Peter Bell
2001 Shannon Grant
2002 Adam Simpson
2003 Brent Harvey [2]
2004 Brady Rawlings [3]
2005 Brent Harvey (2) [2]
2006 Brady Rawlings (2) [3]
2007 Brent Harvey (3) [2]
2008 Brent Harvey (4) [2]
2009 Andrew Swallow [4]
2010 Brent Harvey (5) [5]
Brady Rawlings (3)
2011 Andrew Swallow (2) [6]
Daniel Wells
2012 Andrew Swallow (3) [7]
2013 Scott Thompson [8]
Daniel Wells (2)
2014 Ben Cunnington [9]
2015 Todd Goldstein [10]
2016 Robbie Tarrant [11]
2017 Shaun Higgins [12]
2018 Shaun Higgins (2) [13]
2019 Ben Cunnington (2) [14]
2020 Luke McDonald^ [15]
2021 Jy Simpkin^
2022 Jy Simpkin^ (2)
2023 Harry Sheezel^ [16]
2024 Luke Davies-Uniacke^ [17]

Multiple winners

^ Denotes current player
Player Medals Seasons
Brent Harvey 5 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010
Wayne Carey 4 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998
David Dench 4 1971, 1976, 1977, 1981
Noel Teasdale 4 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966
Allen Aylett 3 1958, 1959, 1960
Les Foote 3 1945, 1949, 1950
Matthew Larkin 3 1985, 1987, 1988
Brady Rawlings 3 2004, 2006, 2010
Andrew Swallow 3 2009, 2011, 2012
Wally Carter 2 1935, 1937
Ben Cunnington 2 2014, 2019
Laurie Dwyer 2 1961, 1967
Ross Glendinning 2 1982, 1983
Shaun Higgins 2 2017, 2018
Mick Martyn 2 1989, 1991
Wayne Schwass 2 1994, 1995
Jy Simpkin^ 2 2021, 2022
Anthony Stevens 2 1997, 1999
Daniel Wells 2 2011, 2013

References

General
  • "Honour Roll". NorthMelbourneFC.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  • Downing, Gerard (1997). The North Story. Sydney: Playright Publishing Pty Ltd.
Specific
  1. ^ "AFL Best and Fairest winners 2017: Who won your team's club champion award?". Fox Sports Australia. News Corp Australia. 3 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d "Brent Harvey has re-signed for 2015, making it his 20th AFL season". Triple M. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Brady Rawlings–Player Inductee". Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame. AFL Tasmania. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  4. ^ Rucci, Michelangelo (2 October 2009). "Vince joins Adelaide club greats". The Advertiser. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Harvey and Rawlings share North Melbourne medal". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. 30 September 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  6. ^ Murnane, Matt (6 October 2011). "Wells, Swallow share medal". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Kangaroos captain Andrew Swallow snares his third Syd Barker Medal ahead of Scott Thompson". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  8. ^ Bowen, Nick (7 October 2013). "Wells, Thompson share North's best and fairest". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  9. ^ Ward, Roy (4 October 2014). "Ben Cunnington narrowly wins the Syd Barker Medal". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  10. ^ Matthews, Bruce (9 October 2015). "Todd Goldstein wins North Melbourne's Syd Barker Medal, Brent Harvey finishes fourth". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  11. ^ Bowen, Nick (7 October 2016). "North defender breaks through for maiden best and fairest". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  12. ^ Clark, Jay (15 September 2017). "Shaun Higgins wins North Melbourne best and fairest in close finish". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  13. ^ Bowen, Nick (5 October 2018). "Classy Roo pips Cunnington to go back-to-back". afl.com.au. Telstra. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  14. ^ "Ben Cunnington claims second Syd Barker Medal". nmfc.com.au. Telstra. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  15. ^ "Luke McDonald wins first Syd". nmfc.com.au. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  16. ^ "Sheezel wins 2023 Syd Barker Medal". 16 September 2023.
  17. ^ Beveridge, Luke (14 September 2024). "LDU pips pair of AA Roos to win first Syd Barker Medal". Australian Football League. Melbourne. Retrieved 19 September 2024.