VFL Record RD 18 - Fothergill Round Medallist
TWENTY one years ago the then hierarchy of the VFA decided to recognise two champion players who accomplished what no other player had done since the birth of Australian Rules.
The VFA Board decide to strike a medal in honour of Des Fothergill and Barry Round, the only players to win the AFL and VFA, now VFL’s, highest individual honour – the Brownlow Medal and J J Liston Trophy.
Fothergill, a prodigy, created a stunning impact when he debuted, aged 16, for Collingwood in 1937. He would celebrate his 17th birthday during the season and, more significantly, win the Copeland Trophy, for the Magpies best and fairest.
He would again win the Copeland the following season and by the time he turned 20 in 1940 he would win a third Copeland Trophy.
It was also the season that Fothergill won the Brownlow Medal.
Fothergill stunned the football world when the following season he crossed, without a clearance, to VFA club Williamstown.
Not surprisingly, Fothergill made a spectacular impact for the Seagulls as he won the Recorder Cup, the predecessor to the J J Liston Trophy.
He was named in Collingwood’s Team Of The Century.
Forty seven years later Round, winner of the 1981 Brownlow Medal when playing for South Melbourne, would win the Liston.
Round was a colossal. He played 328 games for Footscray and South Melbourne/Sydney. Like Fothergill, Round was named in South Melbourne’s Team Of The Century.
And, like Fothergill, Round became a Williamstown legend. Not only did he win a Liston, but he was captain-coach of the club when it won the 1990 VFA premiership.
Interestingly, Round would share best and fairest honours with VFA games record holder Billy Swan, whose son Dane is favourite to win this year’s Brownlow Medal.
It’s a fitting tribute to Fothergill and Round that their names should be remembered perpetually in the Medal for the most promising VFL football under the age of 22 by the end of October who has the potential to take his career to the next level.
One of the undoubted highlights of the season, the Fothergill Round Medallist is awarded on Liston Trophy night.
During the past 20 years, the Fothergill Round Medal has seen 10 recipients progress to play AFL. Four of those players – Ron Delulio (Carlton), Mark Porter (Carlton/North Melbourne), Michael Firrito and Aaron Davey – have graduated to play more than 100 games.
Davey has won a best and fairest for the Demons.
Last year’s winner Michael Barlow was on target to be the AFL’s most dynamic first year player when he sadly broke a leg mid-season.
Much interest centres on who will win this year’s Fothergill Round Medal as the past four winners – Jason Davenport, Shane Valenti, Robin Nahas and Barlow – were all selected by AFL clubs either in the National Draft or Rookie Draft.
Certainly, there is no shortage of emerging young talent this season in the VFL.
Box Hill Hawks Ed Curnow, Casey Scorpions Michael Stockdale, Frankston’s Michael Hibberd, North Ballarat’s Cam Richardson, Port Melbourne’s Callum Sinclair, Northern Bullants Ash Arrowsmith, and Williamstown’s Peter Faulks have put their names forward per courtesy of outstanding seasons.
Stockdale and Curnow, unfortunately, have endured season-ending injuries, but they were both VFL State representatives against West Australia and both were pivotal players in the club’s good seasons.
Faulks was another who played for the VFL. Just as he was last season for Casey Scorpions, Faulks has proved irrepressible in defence for Williamstown.
Frankston has endured a torrid season, but through no fault of Hibberd. He has shouldered the responsibility of someone far older and more experienced to be among the Dolphins best seemingly every week.
Arrowsmith, who spent a couple of seasons on West Coast’s list, has played every game for the Bullants and averaged more than one goal per game.
And, Richardson, who debuted last season for North Ballarat, has taken his game to a new level.
The 2010 Fothergill Round Medallist will join an illustrious list
FOTHERGILL ROUND MEDALLISTS
1989 Chris Owen (Preston)
1990 Mathew Quirk (Oakleigh)
1991 Ron Delulio (Box Hill)
1992 Julian Shanks (Williamstown)
1993 Adam Williams (Sandringham)
1994 Bruce Cohen (Box Hill)
1995 Mark Porter (Coburg)
1996 Paul Dooley (Williamstown)
1997 James Puli (Werribee)
1998 Andrew Shipp (Fremantle)
1999 Mark Passador (Springvale)
2000 Michael Swan (Port Melbourne)
2001 Kristian DePasquale (Coburg)
2002 Michael Firrito (Box Hill Hawks)
2003 Aaron Davey (Port Melbourne)
2004 Adam Fisher (Sandringham)
2005 Jackson Barling (Williamstown)
2006 Jason Davenport (Geelong)
2007 Shane Valenti (Sandringham)
2008 Robin Nahas (Port Melbourne)
2009 Michael Barlow (Werribee)
Last Modified on 20/08/2010 10:35
Last Modified on 27/08/2010 15:42