Best All-Rounder - Best & Fairest - Club Champion - The Crimmins Medal

When the Hawthorn Football Club joined the VFL/AFL in 1925 recent research has confirmed that the Best Player Award retained the title Best All-Rounder first introduced in 1902. The title of the award was changed to the Best & Fairest in 1929 when Ernest ‘Tich’ Utting won the award. The winner was decided by player votes until 1932 when the Club’s Committee took over the role. The Coaching Staff now awards the votes.

Leo Murphy was the first player to win the Best & Fairest award back to back, in 1936-37.  Club Legend, Leigh Matthews won the Best & Fairest a record eight times.  The 2012 Brownlow Medalist, Sam Mitchell has won five Crimmins Medals with Club Legends, John Kennedy Snr and Jason Dunstall winning on four occasions - a tally also reached by 1999 Brownlow Medalist, Shane Crawford.

The irrepressible Club Legend, Michael Tuck who won seven Premierships, four as Captain, showed his value as a player placing nine-times in the Best & Fairest, coming second seven times and third, twice. Another consistent performer was the very popular Roy Simmonds from the 1950s. He finished in the top three in seven consecutive seasons. He won this prestigious award in 1956, came second three times and third on three occasions.

In 1976, when Leigh Matthews won the fourth of his eight Best & Fairest Awards, the title the ‘Peter Crimmins Perpetual Trophy’ was added, honouring former Captain, Peter Crimmins who tragically died from cancer two days after the 1976 Premiership. 

In 1985, when Dermott Brereton won the award, the title of the award was changed to Club Champion, retaining the subtitle, the Peter Crimmins Perpetual Trophy.

The title of the award was renamed the Peter Crimmins Medal in 2004, with Peter Everitt receiving this prestigious award. 


Previous winners 

Best All-Rounder

Year First Second Third
1925 Fred Finch Unknown Unknown
1926 Unknown Unknown Unknown
1927 Ted Pool Unknown Unknown
1928 Miles Sellers Unknown Unknown

 

Best & Fairest

Year First Second Third
1929 Ernest Utting Unknown Unknown
1930 John Sharpley Unknown Unknown
1931 Unknown Unknown Unknown
1932 Stan Spinks Unknown Unknown

 

Best & Fairest (Fred Phillips Honour Board Introduced)

Year First Second Third
1933 Albert Mills Stan Spinks Unknown
1934 Ernie Loveless Unknown Unknown

 

Best & Fairest (The President's Trophy - Dr Jona)

Year First Second Third
1935 Albert Mills Stan Spinks Unknown
1936 Leo Murphy Unknown Unknown
1937 Leo Murphy Albert Mills Unknown
1938 Stan Spinks Unknown Unknown
1939 Albert Mills Len Thomas Alec Albiston
1940 Andrew Angwin Stan Spinks Dudley Bragg
1941 Alec Albiston Andrew Angwin Albert Mills
1942 John Barker Andrew Angwin Jack Burke
1943 Jim Bohan John Barker Jack King
1944 Jack Blackman Jim Bohan Jack King
1945 Jim Bohan Jack Blackman Geoff Barwick
1946 Alec Albiston Colin Austen Jim Bohan
1947 Wally Culpitt Kevin Curren Don McVilly
1948 Kevin Curren Alec Albiston Colin Austen
1949 Colin Austen Jim Robson Neil Pearson

 

Best and Fairest (The President's Trophy - DA Prentice)

Year First Second Third
1950 John Kennedy Snr Jim Robson Peter O'Donohue
1951 John Kennedy Snr Peter O'Donohue Roy Simmonds
1952 John Kennedy Snr Roy Simmonds Len Crane
1953 Ted Fletcher Len Crane Roy Simmonds

 

Best and Fairest (J.J. Dennis Memorial Trophy)

Year First Second Third
1962 Graham Arthur John Peck Ron Nalder
1963 Ian Law Colin Youren John Peck
1964 Ian Law Phil Hay John Peck
1965 David Parkin John Peck Ron Nalder
1966 Ray Wilson Kevin McLean Des Meagher
1967 Robert Keddie Graam Arthur John Dunshea
1968 Peter Hudson Peter Crimmins Des Meagher
1969 Robert Keddie Ken Beck Peter Hudson
1970 Peter Hudson Kevin Heath Peter Knights
1971 Leigh Matthews David Parkin Peter Crimmins
1972 Leigh Matthews Peter Crimmins Des Meagher
1973 Don Scott Alan Martello Leigh Matthews
1974 Leigh Matthews Peter Knights John Hendrie
1975 Peter Knights Leigh Matthews Alan Martello

 

Best & Fairest (Peter Crimmins Perpetual Memorial Trophy)

Year First Second Third
1976 Leigh Matthews Michael Tuck Peter Knights
1977 Leigh Matthews Michael Tuck Don Scott
1978 Leigh Matthews & Peter Knights Not awarded Michael Tuck
1979 Kelvin Moore Michael Tuck Alle de Wolde
1980 Leigh Matthews Don Scott Peter Russo
1981 Terry Wallace Leigh Matthews Michael Tuck
1982 Leigh Matthews Michael Tuck Terry Wallace
1983 Terry Wallace Michael Tuck Peter Knights
1984 Russell Greene Michael Byrne Robert DiPierdomenico

 

Club Champion

Year First Second Third
1985 Dermott Brereton Chris Mew Terry Wallace
1986 Gary Ayres Gary Buckenara John Platten
1987 John Platten Michael Tuck Chris Langford
1988 Jason Dunstall John Platten Darrin Pritchard
1989 Jason Dunstall Gary Ayres Gary Buckenara & Chris Langford
1990 Andrew Collins Michael Tuck Darrin Pritchard
1991 Ben Allan John Platten Chris Langford
1992 Jason Dunstall Darren jarman Andrew Collins
1993 Jason Dunstall Ben Allan Chris Langford
1994 John Platten Jason Dunstall Scott Maginness
1995 Darren Jarman Shane Crawford & Nick Holland Not awarded
1996 Paul Salmon Shane Crawford Jason Dunstall
1997 Paul Salmon Daniel Harford & Aaron Lord Not awarded
1998 Shane Crawford Luke McCabe Aaron Lord & Craig Treleven
1999 Shane Crawford Richard Taylor & Tony Woods Not awarded
2000 Daniel Chick & Nick Holland Not awarded Daniel Harford
2001 Joel Smith Mark Graham Shane Crawford, John Barker
& Nathan Thompson
2002 Shane Crawford Simon Cox Angelo Lekkas
2003 Shane Crawford Angelo Lekkas Jade Rawlings

 

Peter Crimmins Medal

Year First Second Third
2004 Peter Everitt Trent Croad Joel Smith
2005 Luke Hodge Peter Everitt Shane Crawford
2006 Sam Mitchell Luke Hodge Brad Sewell
2007 Brad Sewell Campbell Brown Luke Hodge
2008 Lance Franklin Sam Mitchell Luke Hodge
2009 Sam Mitchell Cyril Rioli Lance Franklin
2010 Luke Hodge Lance Franklin Sam Mitchell
2011 Sam Mitchell Josh Gibson Grant Birchall
2012 Sam Mitchell Brad Sewll Grant Birchall
2013 Josh Gibson Jarryd Roughead Sam Mitchell
2014 Jordan Lewis Grant Birchall Jarryd Roughead
2015 Josh Gibson Cyril Rioli Sam Mitchell
2016 Sam Mitchell Jordan Lewis Shaun Burgoyne 
2017 Tom Mitchell Ben McEvoy Luke Hodge
2018 Tom Mitchell Blake Hardwick Isaac Smith
2019 James Worpel Ricky Henderson Jaeger O'Meara
2020 Jack Gunston Tom Mitchell Chad Wingard
2021 Tom Mitchell Blake Hardwick Jaeger O'Meara
2022 James Sicily Jai Newcombe Dylan Moore
2023 Will Day Jai Newcombe Conor Nash

 

 

Leigh Matthews and Peter Russo, 1980.

 

Terry Wallace, Michael Tuck, and Peter Knights, 1983.

 

 

Shane Crawford, Peter Everitt, and Luke Hodge, 2005.