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 , 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 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.
Winners by season
1946 to 1975 Season Player Team 1946/47 Leo Pon Darwin 1947/48 Bob Daniell Army/Navy NTFL - Best & Fairest: Nichols Medal 1948/49 Andy Nation Army/Navy 1949/50 Joe Sarib Darwin 1950/51 Steve Abala Snr. Darwin 1951/52 Denis Ganley Waratah 1952/53 Charles 'Bluey' McKee Waratah 1953/54 Bill James Waratah 1954/55 Bill Roe St Marys 1955/56 Neil Davies St Marys 1956/57 Harold Muir Working & Housing 1957/58 Ted Cooper Wanderers 1958/59 Joe Bonson Working & HousingTerry Lew FattSt Marys 1959/60 Joe Bonson Working & HousingPeter MarregoWanderers 1960/61 Jim Wilson Waratah 1961/62 Ted Cooper Wanderers 1962/63 Bertram Kantilla Waratah 1963/64 Walter 'Bennie' Lew Fatt Nightcliff 1964/65 Clifford 'Gympie' Lew Fatt St Marys 1965/66 Rusty Moreen Wanderers 1966/67 Leon Gregory St Marys 1967/68 Don Stokes Darwin 1968/69 Ali Muir DarwinMaurie RyanWanderers 1969/70 John Pepperill St Marys 1970/71 Ken Bonson Nightcliff 1971/72 Pat Murphy St MarysKeith NickelsWaratah 1972/73 Pat Murphy St MarysJoe DabyNightcliff1973/74 Michael Graham St Marys 1974/75 No award, competition suspended > Cyclone Tracy
1976 to 2018 NTFL - Best & Fairest: Nichols Medal Season Player Team 1975/76 Ronald 'Barney' Quall Darwin 1976/77 Basil Damaso Darwin 1977/78 Bill Bennett St MarysMark MotlopNightcliffIan WallaceNorth Darwin 1978/79 John 'Bubba' Tye Nightcliff 1979/80 Hank McPhee Waratah 1980/81 Joe Daby Nightcliff 1981/82 Peter Ivanoff Waratah 1982/83 Tony Lehman North Darwin 1983/84 William 'Ninny' Briston Darwin1984/85Steve ThomsonSt Marys 1985/86 Damian Christensen St Marys 1986/87 Peter Ivanoff Waratah 1987/88 Steven Stokes Darwin 1988/89 William Rioli Snr St Marys 1989/90 Brently Hughes Southern Districts 1990/91 Michael Athanasiou St Marys 1991/92 Jason Jones Darwin 1992/93 Noel Long St Marys 1993/94 Jason Jones Darwin 1994/95 Joel Howes Wanderers 1995/96 Marty Christensen St MarysCyril Rioli SnrSt Marys 1996/97 Norm Murphy Nightcliff 1997/98 Norm Murphy Nightcliff 1998/99 Adrian Collard Southern DistrictsTommy WeetraSt Marys 1999/00 Kelvin Maher Southern Districts 2000/01 Kelvin Maher Southern Districts 2001/02 Bruce Jarmyn Southern Districts 2002/03 Ben Ah Mat Darwin 2003/04 Colin 'Tim' Karpany Wanderers 2004/05 Jarred Ilett St Marys 2005/06 Heath Culpitt St Marys 2006/07 Shannon Rusca Southern Districts 2007/08 Jarred Ilett St MarysWarren BertoNightcliff 2008/09 Iggy Vallejo St Marys 2009/10 Matthew Cannard Southern Districts 2010/11 James McNamee Wanderers 2011/12 Troy Coates Nightcliff 2012/13 Shane Tipuamantamerri Tiwi Bombers 2013/14 Peter MacFarlane St Marys 2014/15 Cameron Ilett St Marys 2015/16 Brodie Filo Nightcliff2016/17Timothy MosquitoWaratah2017/18Cameron IlettNightcliff2018/19Phillip WillsNightcliff2019/20Brodie FiloNightcliffBeau O'ConnellWanderers2020/21Dominic BrewNightcliff2021/22Daniel BowlesNightcliffEric GuthriePalmerston Magpies2022/23Dylan LandtSt Marys2023/24Dylan LandtSt Marys2024/25Brodie FiloNightcliff
Multiple winners The following players have won the Nichols Medal multiple times. +MedalsPlayerTeamSeasons 3 Brodie FiloNightcliff 2015/16, 2019/20, 2024/252Ted CooperWanderers1957/58, 1961/62Joe BonsonWorking & Housing1958/59, 1959/60Pat MurphySt Marys1971/72, 1972/73Joe DabyNightcliff1972/73, 1980/81Peter IvanoffWaratah1981/82, 1986/87Jason JonesDarwin1991/92, 1993/94Norm MurphyNightcliff1996/97, 1997/98Kelvin MaherSouthern Districts1999/00, 2000/01Jarred IlettSt Marys2004/05, 2007/08Cameron IlettSt Marys / Nightcliff2014/15, 2017/18Dylan LandtSt Marys2022/23, 2023/24
References