Opinion Should players who miss out on a flag deserve a premiership medal?

[Bunk Moreland]

It's a no-brainer. At the very least there should be a compromise between those who think 'played on the day only' and those who think 'it takes a season to win a flag' and perhaps suggest that anyone who played during the finals series should get a medal.

Just seems too harsh otherwise.

It’s not even primarily about harshness or fairness or unfairness for mine.

It’s just so laughably inaccurate. It’s a totally ridiculous way to recognise those who played for the premiership team.

It’s a symbol of recognition. If I’ve just coached a premiership team and I’m standing there giving recognition and thanks to those who made it happen, there’s no way I’m not recognising a vital player who might have played 20 games but missed the GF. No leader would. Yet our symbol of recognition does just that.

I can’t really think of other sports that do it in such a stupid way, it seems like a uniquely Australian thing. But I’ve seen some lower AF leagues that have changed it because they actually gave it some thought. Many give the club 30 medals or whatever and they are given on the day to who the club nominates.

 

[Ed_Gein]

Could be an idea to make a (for example) minimum 10 game requirement throughout the season to be elligble for one. Bit rough to play all year and get injured in a Prelim and miss out.

 

[Collingwood 4 eternity]

A player could do an injury in the pregame warm up on Saturday and be withdrawn from the GF , as has happen during this season , and an emergency player plays and gets a medal

 

[hoss]

Definitely not. No need to be constantly changing traditions and rules. Why not just change the shape of the ball to bring it into line with other sports? Just leave things alone for a while.

On Pixel 4a using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Sky]

You call Higgins a hard luck story at age 34 after playing 23 games in two seasons for us. I won’t even remember him as a Geelong player. Dahlhaus has at least played 71 games in 4 years and would’ve been a better example. Neither have impressed me since leaving their previous club.

Zero sympathy for Gaff by the way.

 

[quotemokc]

Yes

 

[The Passenger]

I wouldn't be against something like 10 games in the season and you get a medal as well, but I do wonder if it would feel hollow. Australian Rules culture, and indeed most Australian sporting culture, is geared towards finals and in particular Grand Finals. It's just not the same if you're not on the field on the day.

I think balancing it up it's probably just best to leave it to the clubs that won a flag as to how they want to acknowledge and celebrate the players on their list who didn't play on the actual day, whether that be to getting dropped at the wrong time (Jaymie Graham

Jaymie Graham

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2006 played every game but the grand final) or due to injury (NicNat and Shep)... What a club does with something like Andrew Gaff

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is a whole other matter.

Obviously in European soccer, there's no grand final in the league but culturally it's different. Case in point when Liverpool won the Champions League final in 2018-19 Alberto Moreno's post match celebrations would have made you think he was the star of the show, but not only did he not get on the field in the match, he only played one Champions League game (out of 15) in the whole season.

 

[Shadow89]

Actually, I have a far simpler amd elegant tweak - the players who are named as emergency receive a Premiership Medal. Would allow greats of the club like JPK or Bob Murphy and Nathan Jones in previous years, to be listed as part of the team, but not actually have to be selected for the final 23. Would also allow injured players like Sam Reid

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or Max Holmes who have contributed all year, to still receive recognition without actually being able to take the field on the day.

Generally in any given round, the 26 listed are your starting 22 + a 23rd player you think could be in the 22 + the next 3 best players who would replace anyone who might get an injury.

Using this system, would basically allow if Holmes and Reid don't get up:

B. Campbell (sub), Reid, JPK, Wicks/Cunningham

O'Connor (sub) Holmes, Parfitt, Menegola

 

[jwint43]

I played a whole season of ammo's this year with a whole bunch of mates who we got back down to the club, didn't miss a game the entire season, fractured my ankle in the prelim and we won the GF. I got awarded one of two extra medals and felt nothing. Extrapolate that feeling to being a professional AFL player

 

[Eshay187]

I played a whole season of ammo's this year with a whole bunch of mates who we got back down to the club, didn't miss a game the entire season, fractured my ankle in the prelim and we won the GF. I got awarded one of two extra medals and felt nothing. Extrapolate that feeling to being a professional AFL player

Same thing happened to me, and I cherish the medal and the memories.

 

[Purple Suit]

I played a whole season of ammo's this year with a whole bunch of mates who we got back down to the club, didn't miss a game the entire season, fractured my ankle in the prelim and we won the GF. I got awarded one of two extra medals and felt nothing. Extrapolate that feeling to being a professional AFL player

But you still deserved it and were a massive part of the team & victory. The reason you feel hollow is partly due to culture around playing and history. Once changed, society will follow and eventually in time, players will internally recognise what they have done for the team despite missing out.

With the concussion rule, the day will come where a gun player will miss out on the GF. His team might win still but it will be obvious that they are more important than the 23rd player who came in.

 

[maskmcgee]

The NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL all see everyone get a ring from the winning team regardless they play or not.

Don't all those sports have benches/substitutes comprising every single player on their list? I know the MLB and NFL do. Because in those sports literally every player on the list is playing in the game. So that's why they get a medal.

 

[GWT6]

Bob Murphy should definitely get one regardless of which team is in the Grand Final.

 

[Ari]

Actually, I have a far simpler amd elegant tweak - the players who are named as emergency receive a Premiership Medal. Would allow greats of the club like JPK or Bob Murphy and Nathan Jones in previous years, to be listed as part of the team, but not actually have to be selected for the final 23. Would also allow injured players like Sam Reid or Max Holmes who have contributed all year, to still receive recognition without actually being able to take the field on the day.

Generally in any given round, the 26 listed are your starting 22 + a 23rd player you think could be in the 22 + the next 3 best players who would replace anyone who might get an injury.

Using this system, would basically allow if Holmes and Reid don't get up:

B. Campbell (sub), Reid, JPK, Wicks/Cunningham

O'Connor (sub) Holmes, Parfitt, Menegola

Actually don't mind that. The question would be whether it would be abused. Answer would be to the eye of the heholder.

What if they name emergency on a bunch of heroes who can't walk and gastro goes through the squad the day before? Coaches would look at this scenario and Bob would still miss out due to the risk scenario of that. Then we'd be lambasting a decision that a rookie who played one game in the season and sat on the bench for the Grand Final got a medal as an emergency and Bob got none.

 

[psychobrown]

Like a participation award?

 

[Sky]

15 games that season or more

 

[Underarm]

Don't all those sports have benches/substitutes comprising every single player on their list? I know the MLB and NFL do. Because in those sports literally every player on the list is playing in the game. So that's why they get a medal.

The rings are paid for by the winning teams and are given to everyone at the club, all the way down to the bootstudder.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

The medal is just a meaningless piece of metal. Doubt many players would care.

The Wikipedia entry saying you’re a premiership player would be worth more to m than the medal

 

[Mantastic]

The medal is just a meaningless piece of metal. Doubt many players would care.

The Wikipedia entry saying you’re a premiership player would be worth more to m than the medal

If that's true then DM me your name and I'll go and edit the Wikipedia entry for last year's Grand Final for ya!

Probably not true though.

 

[momentbymoment]

Yes.

 

[TRP1996]

Feel like there'll always be hard luck stories, regardless of the system.

Like, if it's just the emergencies, then what about the 27th bloke?

If it's 'must have played at least 10 games during the season', then what about the bloke who came into the side in Round 16, played a key role in securing their top four spot and winning their first two finals, but then tore his hammy off the bone in the prelim having only played 9 games for the year?

If it's 'must have played at least 1 game during the year', then what about the stalwart veteran who is central to club culture who did his ACL in the pre-season?

If it's everyone on the list, then what about people who are substantively retired but have been kept on for salary cap payment purposes, and have been replaced by pre-season supplementary or mid-season picks?

 

[Oxirane]

Would a stand in coach get the Jock Mchale medal if a head coach misses gameday due to something like Covid?

 

[freddy mercury]

Do you think it’s a good idea for players who don’t play in a grand final to be awarded premiership medals?

In 2018 Nic Naitanui, Andrew Gaff and Brad Sheppard all missed out on premiership medals, 2 years before Bob Murphy missed out on his too. 2010 saw Presti miss out.

This year they’ll be a hard luck story of Shaun Higgins (should Geelong win) and Josh P. Kennedy plus Sam Reid (If he misses) should Sydney win this weekend.

The NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL all see everyone get a ring from the winning team regardless they play or not.

Ah Robert Murphy. The guy who didn't play but hijacked the celebrations like he played and was best on ground. What a guy

 

[Sky]

If that's true then DM me your name and I'll go and edit the Wikipedia entry for last year's Grand Final for ya!

Probably not true though.

I’ll DM you now. 1951 and 1952 B2B please

 

[Underarm]

If the players wanted it, it would have been changed.

Having said that there's a few players I'd love to give more credit for their time in our premiership years. Chol played 9 and 11 (Inc. A final) in 19/20 and had been at the club since 2016. Higgins played almost all of 2018, missed 2019 and played half of 2020.