The Peter Crimmins Medal celebrates the incredible achievement of a player who stands above his peers for his performance across the duration of a season.
The Medal has an incredible history, which has seen Leigh Matthews victorious a record eight times, Sam Mitchell five times among other Hawthorn royalty.
But spare a thought for those that have never been recognised with the club’s ultimate prize.
Below we take a look at some of the best players to pull on a brown and gold guernsey but never take out a best and fairest award.
Michael Tuck
Michael Tuck could mount a case for being the unluckiest player to have never won a club best and fairest award. Tuck won seven premierships over his 20-year, 426-game career, including four as captain, but he never managed to reach the top of the podium on awards night. Instead he finished second on seven occasions and third twice to become the only Legend of the Hawthorn Hall of Fame to not have won a club best and fairest award.
Robert DiPierdomenico
Robert DiPierdomenico may have stood alongside Greg Williams on the stage of the 1986 Brownlow Medal, but, at the Hawthorn best and fairest event in the week following, ‘Dipper’ did not have as much luck finding even a place in the premiership winning side’s count. Across his 15 seasons at the Hawks, the 240-game premiership hero’s best finish in the club champion award was a third placing in 1984.
Chris Langford
Defenders aren’t often known to be kept very busy on presentation nights and even this Hawks Team of the Century member and four-time premiership player wasn’t able to buck that trend throughout his 303-game career. Chris Langford finished third on four occasions across his time, in 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993, but was never able to overcome the likes of Jason Dunstall (four-time Peter Crimmins Memorial Trophy winner) and John Platten (two-time).
Jarryd Roughead
As previous examples have already shown, winning a best and fairest in premiership-winning eras is no easy feat and Jarryd Roughead is a modern-day example of that. A captain, a four-time premiership player, a two-time All Australian, a three-time club leading goalkicker, a Coleman Medallist- so many achievements for no love in the form of a Peter Crimmins Medal. Roughy’s best finishes in his time as a Hawk was a second-place in 2013 and a third in 2014.
Grant Birchall
Grant Birchall has pulled the brown and gold jumper on 245 times to sit as the 15th most experienced Hawk in history. The Tasmanian product has also won four premierships and an All Australian honour since being drafted in the first round of the 2005 draft. But, despite all of the left-footer’s accomplishments, he is yet to be awarded a Peter Crimmins Medal. The 30-year old was closest in 2014 when he finished second to Jordan Lewis, while he also finished third in 2011 and 2012 as Sam Mitchell reigned supreme.
Chris Mew
The centre half-back of Hawthorn’s Team of the Century, Chris Mew is an example of a player who enjoyed all the team success imaginable without much in the way of individual accolades. The five-time premiership player trailed Dermott Brereton for the 1985 award for his only placing on a club best and fairest night.
John Peck
Seventh on Hawthorn’s all-time goal kicking list with 475 career goals, John Peck’s fortunes in front of the big sticks did not extend to club presentation nights. Peck finished on the podium in six counts across his career including five times across a six-year span from 1960 to 1965. But with the Team of the Century talents of Brendan Edwards, Ian Law and Graham Arthur dominating proceedings throughout his time, Peck’s career ended with three Coleman Medals, a premiership medallion but zero best and fairest honours.
Michael Moncrieff
Michael Moncrieff can blame his lack of a best and fairest award on the fact he spent his career playing alongside three of the eight Legends of the Hawthorn Hall of Fame. Across Moncrieff’s 13-year career, he watched Leigh Matthews climb the podium 11 times, Michael Tuck seven times and Peter Knights five. An amazing player in his own right who sits fourth all-time on the Hawks goal kicking ranks, at any other club in any other era you would suggest the full-forward would have earned an array of individual honours.
