Norm Smith Medal

Presented to the player judged - by an independent panel of football experts - to be best on ground in the Grand Final.

The medal was instituted in 1979 to honour Norm Smith, a famous Melbourne Football Club identity who was also associated with Fitzroy and South Melbourne at senior level. Smith played a total of 227 games with Melbourne and Fitzroy and coached in a total of 452 games with Melbourne (310), Fitzroy (55) and South Melbourne (87).

During his 310-game tenure coaching Melbourne, he took the club into every Grand Final between 1954 and 1960 and won six premierships in the years 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1964. He played from 1935 to 1950, and coached at senior level every year between 1949 and 1972, except 1968.

Smith was named as the coach of the AFL Team of the Century and was elevated to Legend Status in 2007. 

Year Player Club
2023 Bobby Hill Collingwood
2022 Isaac Smith Geelong
2021 Christian Petracca Melbourne
2020 Dustin Martin Richmond 
2019 Dustin Martin Richmond
2018 Luke Shuey West Coast Eagles
2017 Dustin Martin Richmond
2016 Jason Johannisen Western Bulldogs
2015 Cyril Rioli Hawthorn
2014 Luke Hodge Hawthorn
2013 Brian Lake Hawthorn
2012 Ryan O'Keefe Sydney Swans
2011 Jimmy Bartel Geelong Cats
2010 (replay) Scott Pendlebury Collingwood
2010 Lenny Hayes St Kilda
2009 Paul Chapman Geelong Cats
2008 Luke Hodge Hawthorn
2007 Steve Johnson Geelong Cats
2006 Andrew Embley West Coast Eagles
2005 Chris Judd West Coast Eagles
2004 Byron Pickett Port Adelaide
2003 Simon Black Brisbane Lions
2002 Nathan Buckley Collingwood
2001 Shaun Hart Brisbane Lions
2000 James Hird Essendon
1999 Shannon Grant North Melbourne
1998 Andrew McLeod Adelaide
1997 Andrew McLeod Adelaide
1996 Glenn Archer North Melbourne
1995 Greg Williams Carlton
1994 Dean Kemp West Coast Eagles
1993 Michael Long Essendon
1992 Peter Matera West Coast Eagles
1991 Paul Dear Hawthorn
1990 Tony Shaw Collingwood
1989 Gary Ablett Geelong Cats
1988 Gary Ayres Hawthorn
1987 David Rhys-Jones Carlton
1986 Gary Ayres Hawthorn
1985 Simon Madden Essendon
1984 Billy Duckworth Essendon
1983 Colin Robertson Hawthorn
1982 Maurice Rioli Richmond
1981 Bruce Doull Carlton
1980 Kevin Bartlett Richmond
1979 Wayne Harmes Carlton