Sam Mitchell has been crowned Hawthorn’s 2016 Peter Crimmins Medallist.
The 33-year-old was adjudged the club’s best and fairest player at Crown Palladium tonight.
It is Mitchell’s fifth Peter Crimmins Medal having previously won the award in 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012.
Mitchell has now surpassed Hawthorn greats Shane Crawford, Jason Dunstall and John Kennedy Sr who are all four-time winners.
The only player to have won the medal more often is Leigh Matthews, who was awarded the club’s best and fairest player eight times from 1971 to 1982.
The 307-game midfielder polled 170 votes, to finish ahead of runner-up Jordan Lewis (157 votes) and third-placed Shaun Burgoyne (156 votes).
Grant Birchall and Cyril Rioli rounded out the top five vote getters with 152 and 148 votes respectively.
In his 15th season Mitchell showed no signs of slowing down, averaging 29.6 disposals and finishing 14th in the AFL for total possessions with 652.
He also ranked within the top 20 for total clearances in season 2016 with 119.
Recruited to the Hawks from the Eastern Rangers in 2001 with selection number 36, Mitchell made his AFL debut in 2002.
Mitchell has since won four premierships (2008, 2013, 2014, 2015), and earned All-Australian honours three times throughout his career (2011, 2013, 2015).
He also shares the honour with Gary Ablett as the all-time leading vote getter in the Brownlow Medal count.
Midfielder Isaac Smith was awarded Best Clubman, Kaiden Brand received Best First Year Player and veteran Shaun Burgoyne was judged Best Player in Finals.
Defender Grant Birchall was awarded Most Consistent Player while NAB Rising Star nominee James Sicily was judged Most Promising Player.
Peter Crimmins Medal Top 10
1. Sam Mitchell – 170 votes
2. Jordan Lewis – 157 votes
3. Shaun Burgoyne – 156 votes
4. Grant Birchall – 152 votes
5. Cyril Rioli – 148 votes
6. Isaac Smith – 146 votes
7. Jack Gunston – 142 votes
8. Josh Gibson – 135 votes
9. James Frawley – 127 votes
10. Luke Breust – 124 votes
Other awards
Best Clubman – Isaac Smith
Best First Year Player – Kaiden Brand
Best Player in Finals – Shaun Burgoyne
Most Consistent – Grant Birchall
Most Promising Player – James Sicily
Peter Crimmins Medal voting procedure:
Votes for the 2016 Peter Crimmins Medal were awarded after each home-and-away and finals game by the Hawthorn Football Club Match Committee, consisting of Senior Coach Alastair Clarkson and Assistant Coaches Brett Ratten, Adem Yze and Damian Carroll. A maximum of 16 votes can be accumulated by a player each game.
