Sandover Medal

The Sandover Medal is an Australian rules football award, given annually since 1921 to the fairest and best player in the West Australian Football League. The award was donated by Alfred Sandover M.B.E., a prominent Perth hardware merchant and benefactor.

Voting system

After each match, the three field umpires confer and award a 3, 2 and 1 point vote to the players they regard as the best, second best, and third best in the match respectively. Voting wasn't always done this way. From 1985-2018, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point votes were given, from 1930–1984, 3, 2 and 1 point votes were given, and prior to 1930 there was only one vote per game.
Just like similar "fairest and best" awards, for example the Brownlow and Magarey Medals, if a player is suspended for a reportable offence throughout the season then they become ineligible to win the award. This in effect is where the "fairest" element of the award comes in.
On the awards night, the votes over the home and away season are tallied and the eligible player with the highest number of votes is awarded the medal. In the past, ties were decided on a countback system, but after a three-way tie in the 1984 count, the WAFC decided to scrap countback system and award multiple medals to joint winners.
Prior to 1930 when only 1 vote per game was given, and hence a countback was not possible, the WAFL president would cast a deciding vote to decide the winner.
Players that had missed out on a medal due to the countback system were awarded them retrospectively in 1997.

Sandover Medal winners

Year	Player	Team	Votes
1921	Cyril Hoft **		–
1921	Tom Outridge		–
1922	Harold Boyd		6
1923	William "Digger" Thomas		–
1924	Jim Gosnell		–
1925	George Owens		4
1926	Johnny Leonard		6
1927	Jim Craig		7
1928	Jack Rocchi		5
1929	Johnny Leonard **		5
1929	Billy Thomas		5
1930	Ted Flemming		23
1931	Lin Richards		34
1932	Keith Hough		32
1933	Sammy Clarke		15
1934	Sammy Clarke		24
1935	Lou Daily		25
1935	George Krepp		25
1936	George Moloney		30
1937	Frank Jenkins		34
1938	Haydn Bunton, Sr.		27
1939	Haydn Bunton, Sr.		20
1940	Ed O'Keefe		29
1941	Haydn Bunton, Sr.		22
1942	Laurie Bowen		13
1943	Terry Moriarty		28
1944	Jim Davies		33
1945	George Bailey		24
1946	John Loughridge		26
1947	Clive Lewington		22
1948	Merv McIntosh		22
1949	Gordon Maffina		17
1950	Frank Allen **		23
1950	Jim Conway		23
1951	Fred Buttsworth		25
1952	Steve Marsh		20
1953	Merv McIntosh		14
1954	Merv McIntosh		22
1955	John Todd		25
1956	Graham Farmer		15
1957	Jack Clarke		19
1957	Graham Farmer **		19
1958	Ted Kilmurray		20
1959	Brian Foley		24
1960	Graham Farmer		26
1961	Neville Beard		22
1961	Ray Sorrell **		22
1962	Haydn Bunton, Jr.		22
1963	Ray Sorrell		20
1964	Barry Cable		23
1965	Bill Walker		24
1966	Bill Walker		20
1967	John Parkinson		19
1967	Bill Walker		19
1968	Barry Cable		25
1969	Mal Brown		21
1970	Pat Dalton		17
1970	Bill Walker **		17
1971	David Hollins		26
1972	Ian Miller		20
1973	Barry Cable		25
1974	Graham Melrose		20
1975	Alan Quartermaine		16
1976	Peter Spencer		21
1977	Brian Peake		24
1978	Phil Kelly		26
1979	Phil Kelly		24
1980	Stephen Michael		24
1981	Stephen Michael		37
1982	Phil Narkle		19
1983	Bryan Cousins **		16
1983	John Ironmonger		16
1984	Steve Malaxos		17
1984	Michael Mitchell		17
1984	Peter Spencer		17
1985	Murray Wrensted		46
1986	Mark Bairstow		39
1987	Mark Watson		30
1988	David Bain		42
1989	Craig Edwards		39
1990	Mick Grasso		36
1991	Ian Dargie		34
1992	Robbie West		32
1993	Neil Mildenhall		38
1994	Ian Dargie		34
1995	Craig Treleven		43
1996	Jeremy Wasley		37
1997	Brady Anderson		30
1998	Adrian Bromage		32
1999	Gus Seebeck		33
2000	Richard Ambrose		34
2001	Ryan Turnbull		31
2002	Allistair Pickett		33
2003	Shane Beros		39
2004	Allistair Pickett		42
2005	Jaxon Crabb		39
2005	Toby McGrath		39
2006	Matt Priddis		58
2007	Anthony Jones		29
2008	Hayden Ballantyne		42
2009	Ross Young		45
2010	Andrew Krakouer		44
2011	Luke Blackwell		42
2012	Kane Mitchell		58
2013	Rory O'Brien		55
2014	Aaron Black		47
2015	Aidan Tropiano		45
2016	Jye Bolton		49
2017	Haiden Schloithe		52
2018	Jye Bolton		52
2019	Lachlan Delahunty		28
2020	Sam Fisher		13 §
2021	Bailey Rogers		30
2022	Blaine Boekhorst		25
2023	Hamish Brayshaw		26
2024	Callan England		19
2024	Nik Rokahr		19
2025	Charlie Constable		29

* Awarded retrospective Sandover Medal in 1997

Voting system changed from a single vote per game to 3-2-1 voting in 1930, then to 5-4-3-2-1 voting in 1985, and back to 3-2-1 voting in 2019
In 1987, Derek Kickett polled 46 votes, but was ineligible to win due to suspension.
§ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a shortened 10 game season was played

Multiple winners

The following players have won the Sandover Medal multiple times.

Medals	Player	Team	Seasons
4	Bill Walker	Swan Districts	1965, 1966, 1967, 1970
3	Haydn Bunton, Sr.	Subiaco	1938, 1939, 1941
3	Merv McIntosh	Perth	1948, 1953, 1954
3	Graham Farmer	East Perth	1956, 1957, 1960
3	Barry Cable	Perth	1964, 1968, 1973
2	Johnny Leonard	Subiaco	1926, 1929
2	Sammy Clarke	Claremont	1933, 1934
2	Ray Sorrell	East Fremantle	1961, 1963
2	Phil Kelly	East Perth	1978, 1979
2	Stephen Michael	South Fremantle	1980, 1981
2	Peter Spencer	East Perth	1976, 1984
2	Ian Dargie	Subiaco	1991, 1994
2	Allistair Pickett	Peel Thunder / Subiaco	2002, 2004
2	Jye Bolton	Claremont	2016, 2018