Magarey Medal

The Magarey Medal is named in honour of William Ashley Magarey, an active sports administrator who became the first SANFL Chairman in 1897 when the League was still  known as the South Australian Football Association.

Magarey was born in North Adelaide on January 30, 1868, and attended St Peters College. While he played a number of sports during his school days, football was never a serious focus.

Magarey had the makings of a footballer – he stood 6’3” tall and possessed ample athletic ability – but he instead chose to involve himself in football administration after finishing school and becoming a practicing lawyer.

When Magarey became the inaugural Chairman of the South Australian Football Association in 1897, he was keen to stamp out rough play and help raise the status of umpires.

The following year, Magarey presented an award to South Australia’s “fairest and most brilliant player”, Norwood’s Alby Green. It later became known as the Magarey Medal.

Magarey married Guli Hack in 1910: they did not have children. He died on October 18, 1929, aged 61 years.

How the Magarey Medal is awarded

The Magarey Medal has been awarded in every year of SANFL competition since 1898, with the exception of 1900 and 1904 and the World War I and World War II years.

After each match, the three field umpires award a 3, 2 and 1 point vote to the players they regarded the best, second best and third best on ground respectively. A player becomes ineligible for the Medal if he is suspended for a reportable offence during the season.

The votes are tallied at the end of the minor round to determine the year’s Magarey Medallist.

Winners

Year Player Team
2023 H Grant Central District
2022 A Young North Adelaide
2021 B Gibbs / J Tsitas South Adelaide / Woodville West Torrens
2020 C Combe North Adelaide
2019 L Partington Glenelg
2018 M R Grigg Norwood
2017 M R Grigg Norwood
2016 Z Kirkwood Sturt
2015 J A Cross South Adelaide
2014 Z Kirkwood Sturt
2013 M P C Thomas Norwood
2012 J A Cross / B T Symes South Adelaide / Central District
2011 J R Allan North Adelaide
2010 J R Allan North Adelaide
2009 J T Ezard / R C Archard West Adelaide / North Adelaide
2008 L D Crane Sturt
2007 J R Allan North Adelaide
2006 B W Backwell Glenelg
2005 J L Clayton Port Adelaide
2004 P S Thomas Central District
2003 B A Ebert Port Adelaide
2002 T M Weatherald / J C Sheedy Sturt / Sturt
2001 A J Brown / R P O’Connor Port Adelaide / Port Adelaide
2000 D T Squire Sturt
1999 D T Squire Sturt
1998 A D Osborn South Adelaide
1997 B J Atkinson /
A N Jarman
Sturt / Norwood
1996 J A Francou North Adelaide
1995 G M Kilpatrick /
G McIntosh
West Adelaide / Norwood
1994 G McIntosh Norwood
1993 B P Phillips North Adelaide
1992 N C Buckley Port Adelaide
1991 M B Naley South Adelaide
1990 S L Hodges Port Adelaide
1989 G A McAdam Central District
1988
G L Whittlesea Sturt
1987 A N Jarman North Adelaide
1986 G W Anderson Port Adelaide
1985 G C Fielke West Adelaide
1984 J P Platten Central District
1983 A J Antrobus North Adelaide
1982 A B McGuinness Glenelg
1981 M C Aish Norwood
1980 R F Ebert Port Adelaide
1979 A J Duckworth Central District
1978 K H Hodgeman Glenelg
1977 T F Grimwood West Adelaide
1976 R F Ebert Port Adelaide
1975 P B Woite Port Adelaide
1974 R F Ebert Port Adelaide
1973 B C Robran North Adelaide
1972 M J Blight Woodville
1971 R F Ebert Port Adelaide
1970 B C Robran North Adelaide
1969 D K Phillis Glenelg
1968 B C Robran North Adelaide
1967 T D Obst / D Lindner Port Adelaide / North Adelaide
1966 R G Kneebone Norwood
1965 G C Window Central District
1964 G P Motley Port Adelaide
1963 L H Head West Torrens
1962 K J Eustice West Adelaide
1961 J A Halbert Sturt
1960 B Barbary North Adelaide
1959 L C Fitzgerald Sturt
1958 L H Head West Torrens
1957 R M Benton / J G Deane West Adelaide / South Adelaide
1956 D E Boyd Port Adelaide
1955 L H Head West Torrens
1954 L C Fitzgerald Sturt
1953 J G Deane South Adelaide
1952 L C Fitzgerald Sturt
1951 J E Marriott Norwood
1950 I L McKay North Adelaide
1949 H R Phillips / A J Crabb North Adelaide / Glenelg
1948 H R Phillips North Adelaide
1947 R W Hank West Torrens
1946 R W Hank West Torrens
1945 R B Quinn Port Adelaide
1942-1944 No Award
1941 M M W Boyall Glenelg
1940 P M Brock Glenelg
1939 J H Pash / R J McArthur North Adelaide /
West Adelaide
1938 R B Quinn Port Adelaide
1937 H J Hawke North Adelaide
1936 W B McCallum Norwood
1935 J Cockburn South Adelaide
1934 G B Johnston Glenelg
1933 W K Dunn Sturt
1932 S M Pontifex West Torrens
1931 J E G Sexton West Adelaide
1930 W Scott Norwood
1929 R Snell West Adelaide
1928 H H Handby Glenelg
1927 H B McGregor West Adelaide
1926 H B McGregor West Adelaide
1925 A G Lill / P A Bampton Norwood / Port Adelaide
1924 W Scott Norwood
1923 H A Riley Sturt
1922 R G L Barnes West Adelaide
1921 J Karney / C E G Adams /D Moriarty / W Scott West Torrens /Port Adelaide /
South Adelaide / Norwood
1920 V Y Richardson / D Moriarty
Sturt / South Adelaide
1919 D Moriarty South Adelaide
1916-1918 No Award
1915 F M Barry / C J Perry / S Hosking South Adelaide / Norwood / Port Adelaide
1914 W J Ashley Port Adelaide
1913 T J Leahy North Adelaide
1912 D Low West Torrens
1911 H V Cumberland Sturt
1910 S Hosking Port Adelaide
1909 H R Head West Adelaide
1908 J M Tierney West Adelaide
1907 J Mack Port Adelaide
1906 T D MacKenzie North Adelaide
1905 T D MacKenzie North Adelaide
1904 No Award
1903 H S Waye Sturt
1902 T D MacKenzie West Torrens
1901 P T Sandland North Adelaide
1900 No Award
1899 S A Malin Port Adelaide
1898 A Green Norwood

Dual Winners

YEAR’S PLAYER TEAM
2017, 2018 M R Grigg Norwood
2014, 2016 Z Kirkwood Sturt
2012, 2015 J Cross South
1999, 2000 D Squire Sturt
1987, 1997 A N Jarman North Adelaide / Norwood
1994, 1995 G McIntosh Norwood
1953, 1957 J Deane South Adelaide
1948, 1949 H R Phillips North Adelaide
1946, 1947 R W Hank West Torrens
1938, 1945 R B Quinn Port Adelaide
1926, 1927 H B McGregor West Adelaide
1910, 1915 S Hosking Port Adelaide

Triple Winners

YEAR’S PLAYER TEAM
2007, 2010, 2011 J R Allan North Adelaide
1968, 1970, 1973 B C Robran North Adelaide
1955, 1958, 1963 L H Head West Torrens
1952, 1954, 1959 L C Fitzgerald Sturt
1921, 1924, 1930 W Scott Norwood
1919, 1920, 1921 D Moriarty South Adelaide
1902, 1905, 1906 T D MacKenzie West Torrens / North Adelaide

Quadruple Winners

YEAR’S PLAYER PLAYER
1971, 1974, 1976, 1980 R F Ebert Port Adelaide

More Magarey Medal Stories

Sign up to receive the latest SANFL news straight to your inbox.