The Phelan Medal is an annual award given in the AFL Sydney. It is awarded to best and fairest player of the Premier Division competition each year and is named after former NSW League official James (Jim) E. Phelan (1860–1939). It is seen to be the Sydney AFL equivalent to the Brownlow Medal.
The best and fairest player in the Sydney League was first presented an unnamed award in 1926. In 1932, Mr Aub D.S. Provan, the NSW Australian National Football League president donated a trophy titled the "Provan Trophy" to the winner. The name was changed to the Phelan Medal in 1937.
Due to the cancellation of the 2021 AFL Sydney season due to the COVID-19 outbreak across Greater Sydney, the medal was not awarded in 2021.
Phelan Medallists +YearWinnerClubVotes1926Bobby PowersSydney 01927Gordon KnottWestern Suburbs 01928Billy McKoy (1)Sydney 01929Billy McKoy (2)Sydney 01930David EllimanNorth Shore 01931George JennerSt George 01932Len HarrisSt George 01933Jack Williamson (1)Eastern Suburbs 01934Frank SmithSouth Sydney 01935Jack Williamson (2)Eastern Suburbs 01936Reg GarvinNewtown 01937Jack Williamson (3)Eastern Suburbs 01938Jack Williamson (4)Eastern Suburbs 01939Jack GuthrieNorth Shore231940Cliff Barnsley (1)Sydney371941Cliff Barnsley (2)Sydney271942Not Awarded1943194419451946Billy CottisNewtown51947Ken Champion (1)North Shore 01948Ken Champion (2)Western Suburbs211949Ken Gilbert (1)Illawarra 01950Ken Gilbert (2)Illawarra 01951John HardyNorth Shore341952Frank GascoigneSouth Sydney231953Geoff DavidsonSydney University281954Wally Bryce (1)Liverpool191955Wally Bryce (2)Liverpool201956Ray MooreBalmain 01957Colin WallerLiverpool171958Kevin BatchelorSouth Sydney 01959Ralph Turner (1)South Sydney371960Tony Whish-WilsonBankstown201961Ralph Turner (2)Sydney Naval241962Arthur CrispNorth Shore31963Ray SharrockWestern Suburbs 01964Ray GwilliamSouth Sydney241965Noel ReadingSt George151966Norm TuxfordSydney Naval201967Peter BodySydney Naval211968Graham HodgeSouthern Districts151969Brian Tyler (1)Eastern Suburbs221970Bob McdonaldBalmain211971Noel StewartSouthern Districts221972Paul BouchierNewtown231973George Allen (1)Western Suburbs221974Brian Tyler (2)South Sydney201975George Allen (2)Western Suburbs301976Max HodgsonBalmain291977Dale DaltonSt George211978Jack McCormickSouthern Districts261979Rob ClaridgeEast Sydney211980John Pilkington (1)Newtown201981Laurie AxfordEast Sydney231982John Pilkington (2)Newtown191983Michael ToyPennant Hills 16Rod Podbury (1)Bankstown1984Graham Jones (1)Western Suburbs151985Frank GleesonBalmain241986Rod Podbury (2)Campbelltown 161987Rod Podbury (3)Campbelltown 181988Garry SpillanePennant Hills 211989Michael PortaHolroyd-Parramatta191990Michael DavisSydney University17Rod Podbury (4)Campbelltown 1991David WestSt George221992Darren OatesSt George19Lee CampbellCampbelltown 1993Tony QuinnSt George201994Chris O'DwyerEast Sydney281995Graham Jones (2)Baulkham Hills221996Joe CormackWestern Suburbs211997Simon WilsonSt George161998Jarrod CrosbyBaulkham Hills221999Trevor BurnettCampbelltown 342000Mark MackenzieBalmain192001Jason McPhersonUNSW-ES162002Troy Luff (1)Balmain202003Jason TurnerCampbelltown 152004Stephen PechUNSW-ES192005Dean DaviesNorth Shore222006Troy Luff (2)UNSW-ES212007Charlie RichardsonPennant Hills 162008Matt CareyPennant Hills 172009Brydon ColesSydney University192010Alex LeeSydney University192011Kieran WrightPennant Hills 202012Dane RampeUNSW-ES262013Tyrone ArmitageManly Warringah232014Alex GoodallPennant Hills 282015Connor PetterssonManly Warringah242016Jack DimeryEast Coast Eagles172017Shaun Crane (1)North Shore152018Shaun Crane (2)North Shore292019Ranga EdiriwickramaPennant Hills162020Jake BartholomeausSydney University162021Not Awarded2022Noah CasaliniSt George11Mitchell ConnUNSW-ESJake VealeNorth ShoreStephen WrayPennant Hills2023Harry MaguirePennant Hills18Ned Campbell (1)North ShoreKale GabilaManly Warringah2024Ned Campbell (2)North Shore192025Finbar DelbridgeSouth West Sydney282026Luke ParkinsonSouth West Sydney23
Multiple winners The following players have won the Phelan Medal multiple times.
Medals Player Team Seasons4 Jack Williamson Eastern Suburbs 1933, 1935, 1937, 1938 Rod Podbury Bankstown/Campbelltown 1983, 1986, 1987, 19902 Billy McKoy Sydney 1928, 1929Cliff BarnsleySydney1940, 1941Ken ChampionNorth Shore/Western Suburbs1947, 1948Wally BryceLiverpool1954, 1955Ralph TurnerSouth Sydney/Sydney Naval1959, 1961Brian TylerEastern Suburbs/South Sydney1969, 1974George AllenWestern Suburbs1973, 1975John PilkingtonNewtown1980, 1982Graham JonesWestern Suburbs/Baulkham Hills1984, 1995Troy LuffBalmain /UNSW-ES2002, 2006Shaun CraneNorth Shore2017, 2018Ned CampbellNorth Shore2023, 2024
Phelan Medal wins by club
ClubTotal winsYearsBalmain61956, 1970, 1976, 1985, 2000, 2002Bankstown21960, 1983Baulkham Hills/East Coast Eagles31995, 1998, 2016Campbelltown61986, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2003East Sydney/Eastern Suburbs/UNSW-ES131933, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1969, 1979, 1981, 1994, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2012, 2022Holroyd-Parramatta11989Illawarra21949, 1950Liverpool/Southern Districts61954, 1955, 1957, 1968, 1971, 1978Manly Warringah32013, 2015, 2023Newtown51936, 1946, 1972, 1980, 1982North Shore111930, 1939, 1947, 1951, 1962, 2005, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024Pennant Hills 91983, 1988, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2019, 2022, 2023South Sydney61934, 1952, 1958, 1959, 1964, 1974South West Sydney22025, 2026St George91931, 1932, 1965, 1977, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2022Sydney51926, 1928, 1929, 1940, 1941Sydney Naval31961, 1966, 1967Sydney University51953, 1990, 2009, 2010, 2020Western Suburbs/Inner-West71927, 1948, 1963, 1973, 1975, 1984, 1996
See also
Sydney AFL Mostyn Medal Bob Skilton Medal Brett Kirk Medal Kevin Sheedy Medal
References
External links