5-711: The Nichols Medal is the annual award to the " best and fairest " player in Australian Rules football competition the Northern Territory Football League in the Northern Territory , Australia . It is named in honour of Joseph W. Nichols MBE , a long time administrator of Australian Rules football in the Northern Territory. The first NTFL "best and fairest" was awarded in 1947, but the first award under
10-557: A given sporting club or competition. The awards are sometimes dependent on not receiving a suspension for misconduct or breaching the rules during that season. It is similar to most valuable player (MVP) awards in other team sports. In the Australian Football League (AFL), the Brownlow Medal is awarded to the player who, provided he has not been suspended during the season, receives the most votes from
15-553: The umpires for being the fairest and best player in games during the home-and-away season . In each game, the umpires award three votes to the player they judge to be the best afield in that game, two votes to the second-best player, and one vote to the third-best player. The votes are counted at a gala function on the Monday preceding the Grand Final . The eligibility of suspended or reprimanded players due to minor offences to win
20-749: The award has frequently been questioned. Another best and fairest honour, the Leigh Matthews Trophy , is voted on by the AFL's players and awarded by their trade union , the AFL Players Association . Unlike the Brownlow, players who have served disciplinary suspensions during the season are still eligible to win this award. The oldest such award is the Magarey Medal , awarded to the "fairest and most brilliant" player in
25-524: The name "Nichols Medal" was made in 1949. In 1993, the NTFL retrospectively awarded medals to players who had lost previous counts via the countback system . The following players have won the Nichols Medal multiple times. Best and fairest In Australian sport, the best and fairest award recognises the player(s) adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for
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