AFL Best and Fairest winners 2022: Every club champion and top 10 leaderboard

Kieran Francis

AFL Best and Fairest winners 2022: Every club champion and top 10 leaderboard image

It's best and fairest season for the AFL as teams start holding awards nights to reveal their club champion.

The process begins with clubs who have missed the finals, while teams in the finals will hold theirs after their campaign concludes.

The Sporting News reveals every best and fairest winner and leaderboards for each club.

AFL Best and Fairest 2022 winners and leaderboards

Adelaide - Malcolm Blight Medal

Rory Laird

The Crows star was dominant in Adelaide’s midfield and finished second in the League for disposals per game (33).

Position Player Votes
1. Rory Laird 118
2. Jordan Dawson 114
3. Ben Keays 88
4. Taylor Walker 82
5. Brodie Smith 72
6. Darcy Fogarty 71
7. Shane McAdam 66
8. Tom Doedee 66
9. Sam Berry 64
10. Jake Soligo 61

 

 

 

 

 

 

How voting works

Adelaide’s Club Champion Award is calculated by coaches rating every player with a score from 1-10 after every game this season.

Last five winners

2021 Rory Laird
2020 Reilly O'Brien
2019 Brad Crouch
2018 Rory Laird
2017 Matt Crouch

Brisbane - Merrett-Murray Medal

Lachie Neale

Neale was crowned his third Lions best-and-fairest since joining the club in 2019.

Position Player Votes
1. Lachie Neale 66
2. Hugh McCluggage 59
3. Brandon Starcevich 51
4. Harris Andrews 46
5. Charlie Cameron 46
6. Jarrod Berry 43
7. Daniel Rich 41
8. Lincoln McCarthy 40
9. Oscar McInerney 39
10.  Zac Bailey 38
Lachie Neale

How voting works

N/A

Past five winners

2021 Dayne Zorko
2020 Lachie Neale
2019 Lachie Neale
2018 Dayne Zorko
2017 Dayne Zorko

Carlton - John Nicholls Medal

Patrick Cripps

Cripps capped off a perfect 2022 season with a Brownlow Medal and his fourth best-and-fairest, one off the famous John Nicholls (5) himself.

Position Player Votes
1. Patrick Cripps 181
2. Sam Docherty 173
3. Sam Walsh 163
4. Charlie Curnow 149
5. George Hewett 125
6. Adam Saad 124
7. Harry McKay 123
8. Zac Fisher 117
9. Matt Kennedy 111
10.  Adam Cerra 105

How voting works

N/A

Past five winners

2021 Sam Walsh
2020 Jacob Weitering
2019 Patrick Cripps
2018 Patrick Cripps
2017 Marc Murphy

Collingwood - Copeland Trophy

Jack Crisp

The former Lion goes back-to-back Collingwood best-and-fairests as one of the underrated players in the competition.

Position Player Votes
1. Jack Crisp 291
2. Scott Pendlebury 276
3. Darcy Moore 269
4. Jeremy Howe 266
5. Steele Sidebottom 265
6. Patrick Lipinski 259
7. Nick Daicos 258
8. Josh Daicos 249
9. Brayden Maynard 249
10.  Jordan De Goey 231

How voting works

N/A

Past five winners

2021 Jack Crisp
2020 Taylor Adams
2019 Brodie Grundy
2018 Brodie Grundy/Steel Sidebottom
2017 Steele Sidebottom

Essendon - Crichton Medal

Peter Wright

Claiming his maiden Crichton Medal, Wright was rewarded for his 53 goal season, pipping Zach Merrett and Matt Guelfi.

Position Player Votes
1. Peter Wright 242
2. Zach Merrett 230
3. Matt Guelfi 211
4. Mason Redman 209
5. Jordan Ridley 191
6. Jayden Laverde 180
7. Jake Kelly 179
8. Nic Martin 164
9. Darcy Parish, Dylan Shiel, Nick Hind 155
10.  Andrew McGrath 141

How voting works

The voting system consists of five coaches, giving each player a ranking from zero to five after each match. Players can receive a maximum of 25 votes for a game

Past five winners

2021 Zach Merrett
2020 Jordan Ridley
2019 Zach Merrett
2018 Devon Smith
2017 Joe Daniher

Fremantle - Doig Medal

Andrew Brayshaw

The youngster added the Doig Medal to his 2022 season, which also resulted in an All-Australian jacket and a fourth placing in the Brownlow Medal.

Position Player Votes
1. Andrew Brayshaw 273
2. Brennan Cox 200
3. Caleb Serong 197
4. Alex Pearce 197
5. Lachie Shultz 192
6. Griffin Logue 183
7. Michael Walters 175
8. Hayden Young 164
9. Jordan Clark 163
10. Rory Lobb 161

How voting works

From Fremantle, "Following each game, Senior Coach Justin Longmuir and four coaches – Josh Carr, Matthew Boyd, Jaymie Graham and Joel Corey – allocated up to five votes to each player based on how they performed their role, meaning a player can receive up to 25 votes in a game for an elite performance."

Past five winners

2021 Sean Darcy
2020 Luke Ryan
2019 Nat Fyfe
2018 Lachie Neale
2017 Bradley Hill

Geelong - Carji Greeves Medal

Jeremy Cameron and Cameron Guthrie

It’s only the second time in Geelong history, the award has been shared, the last time also coming in a Premiership year when Gary Ablett Jnr and Corey Enright tied in 2009.

Position Player Votes
1. Jeremy Cameron and Cameron Guthrie 113
Runner-up Mark Blicavs 104
3. Tom Hawkins 98
4. Tyson Stengle 97
5. Tom Atkins 94
6. Zach Tuohy 93
7. Brad Close 79
8. Sam De Koning 77
9. Tom Stewart 76

How voting works

After each game, the Senior and assistant coaches review and rate each players performance out of 10. Votes are polled in games where a players performance has been deemed of a high quality by the coaching group. And unlike previous seasons, all matches are counted towards their final total.

Past five winners

2021 Tom Stewart
2020 Cameron Guthrie
2019 Patrick Dangerfield
2018 Mark Blicavs
2017 Patrick Dangerfield

Gold Coast - Club Champion

Touk Miller

Suns midfielder Touk Miller won his second best-and-fairest for the club on August 26 after snaring last year's award as well.

Position Player Votes
1. Touk Miller 566
2. Noah Anderson 504
3. David Swallow 479
4. Jarrod Witts 474
5. Sam Collins 440
6. Matt Rowell 429
7. Ben Ainsworth 428
8. Brandon Ellis 364
9. Nick Holman 349
10. Izak Rankine 331
Touk Miller - Gold Coast
GettyImages

How voting works

Voting is conducted by Gold Coast's four-man match committee.

An unlimited number of players can receive votes, but a player can only be given a maximum of 10 from each voting member, meaning they can get a maximum of 40 for a match.

Last five winners

2021 Touk Miller
2020 Sam Collins
2019 Jarrod Witts
2018 Jarrod Harbrow
2017 Gary Ablett Jr.

GWS - Kevin Sheedy Medal

Sam Taylor

Key defender Sam Taylor capped off a brilliant season by taking home his first Kevin Sheedy Medal.

Position Player Votes
1. Sam Taylor 156
2. Stephen Coniglio 108
3. Tom Green 104
4. Harry Himmelberg 99
5. Jesse Hogan 93
6. Harry Perryman 91
7. Toby Greene 90
8. Josh Kelly 89
9. Isaac Cumming 86
10. Callan Ward 79

How voting works

Per GWS Giants: After every game, each coach awards votes to as many players as they see fit on a scale of one to four with four being the highest possible score per player. A coach can award votes to every player, or no players, for any given game.  
 
The votes across the season are then tallied up with the player with the most votes awarded the Kevin Sheedy Medal. 

Last five winners

2021 Josh Kelly
2020 Nick Haynes and Lachie Whitfield
2019 Tim Taranto
2018 Lachie Whitfield 
2017 Josh Kelly 

Hawthorn - Peter Crimmins Medal

James Sicily

Sicily was awarded with his first Peter Crimmins Medal in a year where he was ranked among the elite defenders of 2022, polling in all but three games.

Position Player Votes
1. James Sicily 123
2. Jai Newcombe 115
3. Dylan Moore 113
4. Blake Hardwick 82
5. Tom Mitchell 79
6. Mitch Lewis 74
7. Jaeger O'Meara 65
8. Finn Maginness 61
9. Harry Morrison 59
10. Jack Scrimshaw 59

How voting works

From Hawthorn: Votes for the 2022 Peter Crimmins Medal were awarded by three groups after each home-and-away match; Senior Coach Sam Mitchell, one card between Line Coaches David Hale, Robert Harvey, Chris Newman and one card between Senior Assistant Adrian Hickmott and Head of Development Andrew Collins.  

A maximum of 12 votes can be accumulated by a player after the four voting cards are submitted using the following grading system: three votes to the best player/s, two votes for a significant influence on the game, one vote to player/s who played their role or beat their opponent. On rare occasions a player/s may receive four votes for an exceptional game.

Last five winners

2021 Tom Mitchell
2020 Jack Gunston
2019 James Worpel
2018 Tom Mitchell
2017 Tom Mitchell

Melbourne - Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy

Clayton Oliver

The Melbourne gun has recorded his fourth Keith Truscott trophy equalling the great Jim Stynes and Allan La Fontaine.

Position Player Votes
1. Clayton Oliver 608
2. Christian Petracca 553
3. Steven May 473
4. Jack Viney 471
5. Angus Brayshaw 446
6. Max Gawn 430
7. Bayley Fritsch 395
8. Kysaiah Pickett 391
9. Alex Neal-Bullen 384
10. Ed Langdon 367
Clayton Oliver.jpg
Getty Images

How voting works

N/A

Last five winners

2021 Clayton Oliver
2020 Christian Petracca
2019 Clayton Oliver/Max Gawn
2018 Max Gawn
2017 Clayton Oliver

North Melbourne - Syd Barker Medal

Jy Simpkin

Kangaroos midfielder Jy Simpkin won his second consecutive best and fairest.

While North struggled to a wooden spoon, Simpkin was among the shining lights for the club.

Position Player Votes
1. Jy Simpkin 130
2. Luke Davies-Uniacke 108
3. Bailey Scott 98
4. Todd Goldstein 93
5. Luke McDonald 88
6. Nick Larkey 79
7. Cameron Zurhaar 66
8. Aidan Corr 59
9. Hugh Greenwood 51
10. Lachie Young 50

How voting works

Per North Melbourne: The voting system consists of each player earning up to 20 votes in a match, with votes from all home and away games counting towards the final total. The senior and assistant coaches provide separate votes for each player per round, ranging from 0-10. One vote means a player played their role, and 10 votes denotes an exceptional performance.

Last five winners

2021 Jy Simpkin
2020 Luke McDonald
2019 Ben Cunnington
2018 Shaun Higgins
2017 Shaun Higgins

Port Adelaide - John Cahill Medal

Connor Rozee

Rozee was awarded with his maiden John Cahill Meal in what was a breakout year for the youngster.

Entrusted with more midfield minutes in 2022, the 22-year-old smashed veteran Travis Boak and Dan Houston in the count to win by 30.

Rozee's consistency and year was reflected by his polling in every game bar two, albeit the first two rounds.

The classy midfielder was also awarded with his first All-Australian blazer as well as the Coaches' Award as the most improved player.

Position Player Votes
1. Connor Rozee 132
2. Travis Boak 102
3. Dan Houston 100
4. Ollie Wines 93
5. Sam Powell-Pepper 91
6. Todd Marshall 84
7. Zak Butters 83
8. Karl Amon 82
9. Ryan Burton 80
10. Jeremy Finlayson 77

How voting works

Voting system: N/A

Last five winners

2021 Ollie Wines
2020 Darcy Byrne-Jones
2019 Travis Boak
2018 Justin Westhoff
2017 Paddy Ryder

Richmond - Jack Dyer Medal

Tom Lynch

One of the dominant key forwards in 2022, Lynch missed four games and was subbed off on another two times but that didn't stop the former Sun kicking 63 goals (avg. 3.32 per game).

Unlucky to miss the All-Australian team, the Richmond gun proved to be tough to handle up forward, including a rare patch up of form in the last month of football, resulting in 24 majors in the last five weeks.

Position Player Votes
1. Tom Lynch 60
2. Daniel Rioli 59
3. Dion Prestia 56
4. Liam Baker 53
4. Shai Bolton 53
6. Trent Cotchin 52
6. Jayden Short 52
8. Toby Nankervis 47
8.  Marlion Pickett 47
10. Nathan Broad 46

How voting works

Voting system: the match committee gives players a rating from 0-5 based on their overall match performance, taking into account offensive, defensive and contest impacts.

Last five winners

2021 Dylan Grimes
2020 Jayden Short
2019 Dion Prestia
2018 Jack Riewoldt
2017 Dustin Martin

St Kilda - Trevor Barker Award

Jack Sinclair

Jack Sinclair's 2022 season was rewarded with his first Trevor Barker Award, following his maiden All-Australian jacket also.

Sinclair led the count from start to finish, according to St Kilda and ended up winning by 21 votes to Callum Wilkie.

Position Player Votes
1. Jack Sinclair 174
2. Callum Wilkie 153
3. Jack Steele 124
4. Tim Membrey 103
5. Seb Ross 102
6. Brad Crouch 93
7. Jade Gresham 91
7. Brad Hill 91
7. Max King 91
10. Josh Battle 68

How voting works

Five coaches give a ranking from one to four after each match, with players being able to receive a maximum of 20 votes per game.

Last five winners

2021 Jack Steele
2020 Jack Steele
2019 Seb Ross
2018 Jack Steven
2017 Seb Ross

Sydney - Bob Skilton Medal

Callum Mills

Mills played in all 25 games, averaging 25 disposals and six tackles per game, and was also rewarded for his fantastic season with his first All Australian selection.

Position Player Votes
1. Callum Mills 662
2. Chad Warner 606
3. James Rowbottom 544
4. Luke Parker 530
5. Isaac Heeney 529
6. Tom McCartin 493
7. Errol Gulden 492
8. Jake Lloyd 489
9. Dane Rampe 462
10. Oliver Florent 447

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last five winners

2021 Luke Parker
2020 Jake Llyod
2019 Dane Rampe
2018 Jake Lloyd
2017 Luke Parker

How voting works

Club Champion votes are awarded by coaching staff. A player can be awarded a maximum of 50 votes per game, and coaches can allocate up to 10 votes for as many or as few players as they deem appropriate, per match.

West Coast - John Worsfold Medal

Tom Barrass

Tall defender Tom Barrass claimed his first John Worsfold Medal after a standout season in a difficult year for the Eagles.

Position Player Votes
1. Tom Barrass 182
2. Shannon Hurn 149
3. Tim Kelly 131
4. Jack Darling 120
5. Liam Duggan 118
6. Jack Redden 112
7. Luke Shuey 105
8. Jamie Cripps 96
9. Jamaine Jones 84
10. Liam Ryan 77

How voting works

Each member of the five-person match committee rates every player on a scale of 0-3 after each match.

Last five winners

2021 Nic Naitanui
2020 Nic Naitanui
2019 Luke Shuey
2018 Elliot Yeo
2017 Elliot Yeo

Western Bulldogs - Charles Sutton Medal

Josh Dunkley

The midfielder, who looks set to depart the Kennel this off-season, Dunkley claimed his first Dogs B&F.

Position Player Votes
1. Josh Dunkley 231
2. Tom Liberatore 211
3. Aaron Naughton 180
4. Marcus Bontempelli 174
5. Jack Macrae 170
6. Caleb Daniel 158
7. Ryan Gardner 151
8. Adam Treloar 150
9. Bailey Dale 146
10. Ed Richards 144
Josh Dunkley Western Bulldogs
Getty Images

How voting works

Each member of the five-person match committee rates every player on a scale of 0-5 after each match.

Last five winners

2021 Marcus Bontempelli
2020 Caleb Daniel
2019 Marcus Bontempelli
2018 Lachie Hunter
2017 Marcus Bontempelli

Kieran Francis

Kieran Francis Photo

Kieran Francis is a senior editor at The Sporting News based in Melbourne, Australia. He started at Sportal.com.au before being a part of the transition to Sporting News in 2015. Just prior to the 2018 World Cup, he was appointed chief editor of Goal.com in Australia. He has now returned to The Sporting News where his passions lay in football, AFL, poker and cricket - when he is not on holiday.