Hille won the Crichton Medal with 256 votes from captain Matthew Lloyd on 216 and midfielder Brent Stanton on 188.
The 27-year-old polled in 14 of his 20 games, with his best performances in round 12 against West Coast and round 13 against Carlton, in each of which he polled 26 out of a possible 30 votes.
Lloyd's second place equals his best ever best and fairest result, recorded in 2001.
Hille was taken with selection 40 in the 1999 national AFL draft. Since making his debut in 2001, the 201cm ruckman has played 144 games and kicked 106 goals.
"I was asked last year whether I enjoyed my football and my answer was I love it and it's still the same," he said in accepting the award.
Top 10 in voting for the 2008 Crichton Medal:
| David Hille | 256 |
| Matthew Lloyd | 216 |
| Brent Stanton | 188 |
| Jobe Watson | 178 |
| Mark McVeigh | 144 |
| Angus Monfries | 140 |
| Patrick Ryder | 138 |
| Andrew Welsh | 134 |
| Dustin Fletcher | 133 |
| Henry Slattery | 133 |
Other winners:
Bill Hutchison Award - Nathan Lovett-Murray
Lindsay Griffith's Rising Star Award - Kyle Reimers
Most Courageous - Henry Slattery
Striving for Excellence - Angus Monfries
Most Improved - Sam Lonergan
Leading Goalkicker - Matthew Lloyd
