# List of Gippsland Football League best and fairest winners

The Gippsland Football League (GFL) is an Australian rules football competition played in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.

## History

The Gippsland Football League was formed when the Northern Gippsland Football Association (NGFA) officially changed their name to "The Gippsland Football League" in 1921.
The R. Frank Jensen Trophy, was initially awarded to the best and fairest player in the Gippsland Football League in 1927 and was named after the donor. Then T. Victor Trood donated the award from 1928 onwards. Trood, originally from Sale, was a former VFL player with University former Sale FC footballer and Sale FC delegate, who went onto become the GFL President (1933 & 1936 to 1938) and a life member.
The Rodda Medal was initially awarded to the best and fairest winner in the Central Gippsland Football Association in 1936, after Morwell player, Fred Rodda suffered fatal injuries in a match in 1936.
In 1944 and 1945, there was a Central Gippsland Wartime Football League and the Rex Hartley Memorial Medal was first presented to the best and fairest player. This competition only went for two years and this award continued on with Central Gippsland FL Reserves competition from 1946 to 1953. The Gippsland FL then continued this Reserves award from 1954 to present day.
Both the Trood Award and the Rodda Medal were continued on in the newly formed La Trobe Valley Football League in 1954, as the senior football best and fairest trophy, after the Central Gippsland Football League folded, when seven clubs joined the new La Trobe Valley Football League.
25 of the winners below, played senior VFL / AFL football either before or after winning this most prestigious football award.
The following list represents the best and fairest winners in all grades of football since 1927.

## Best and Fairest Lists
### Trood Award / Rodda Medal

| Year | Seniors (Trood Award/Rodda Medal) | Reserves (Rex Hartley Medal) | Under 18's (Bruce Wilkinson Medal) | Under 16's (Shaw/Carter Medal) |
| | Gippsland FL: Trood Award | | | |
| 1927 | Bennie Lunn (Rosedale) (7 Votes) & | | | |
| | Tom Standing (Traralgon) (7) | | | |
| 1928 | Tom Standing (Traralgon) (?) | | | |
| 1929 | Tom Standing (Traralgon) (?) | | | |
| 1930 | Tom Standing (Traralgon) (?) | | | |
| 1931 | Jack Jemmeson (Bairnsdale) (3&1/2) | | | |
| 1932 | Sam Barrett (Maffra) (5) | | | |
| 1933 | Maurie "Mop" Gibb (Rosedale) (7) | | | |
| 1934 | Paul Cameron (Rosedale) (4) | | | |
| 1935 | Arthur Davidson (Sale) (4) & | | | |
| | Jeff Tudor (Yarram) (4) | | | |
| 1936 | Jack Collins (Sale ) (3) & | | | |
| | W "Bill" Flynn (Bairnsdale ) (3) | | | |
| 1937 | Jeff Tudor (Yarram) (3) | | | |
| | J Halstead (Bairnsdale) (3) | | | |
| 1938 | T Price (Yarram ) (?) | | | |
| 1939 | W Stone (Bairnsdale) (21) | | | |
| 1940-45 | GFL in recess. WWI | | | |
| 1944 | Central Gippsland Wartime FL > | Dick King (Traralgon) | | |
| 1945 | Central Gippsland Wartime FL > | L. Handley (Yarragon) (?) & | | |
| | | C. O'Bryan (Mirboo) (?) | | |
| 1946 | Leo Brennan (Sale Greens) (?) | | | |
| | David Higgins (The Wanderers) (?) | | | |
| | T. Dusty L'Estrange (Maffra Blacks) (?) | | | |
| | P. Digger L'Estrange (Maffra Blacks) (?) | | | |
| 1947 | Bruce "Joey" Morrison (Bairnsdale) (15) | | | |
| 1948 | Jim Shingles (Maffra) (12) | | | |
| 1949 | Ian Farley (Stratford) (17) | | | |
| 1950 | Des Calvert (Bairnsdale) (22) | | | |
| 1951 | A. Jack E. Spriggs (Bairnsdale) (18) | | | |
| 1952 | Bob Mason (Sale) (19) | | | |
| 1953 | Max Nixon (Orbost) (16) | | | |
| | LaTrobe Valley FL:Trood Award/Rodda Medal | | | |
| 1954 | Bob Mason (Sale) (20) | Rex Donnelly (Moe) (19) | | |
| 1955 | Bob Mason (Sale) (23) | Ron Hayes (Warragul) (20) | | |
| 1956 | Noel Alford (Traralgon) (18) | "Mossy" Morgan (Trafalgar) (33) | | |
| 1957 | John Nix (Sale) (21) | "Mossy" Morgan (Trafalgar) (16) | M.James (Morwell) (19) | |
| 1958 | Lester Ross (Moe) (31) | Tom Hart (Sale) (33) | M.West (Warragul) (14) | |
| 1959 | Peter Bevilacqua (Yarragon) (19) | Ray Pollock (Yallourn) | N.Hall (Yallourn) (12) | |
| 1960 | Steve Szabo (Morwell) (20) | Alan Rankin (Trafalgar) (20) | G.Townsend (St Pat's) (22) | |
| 1961 | Kevin Coverdale (Bairnsdale) (24) | Jack Vinall (Yallourn) (20) | G.Townsend (St Pat's) (31) | |
| 1962 | Ric Belford (Yallourn) (27) | Tom O'Callaghan (Traralgon) (18) | T.Hunter (Traralgon) (29) | |
| 1963 | Allan Steele (Moe) (18) | Ron Serong (Warragul) (32) | R.Foster (St Pat's A) (35) | WEST ZONE (Under 18's) |
| | Don Keyter (Moe) (23)*ineligible | | | |
| 1964 | Mike Collins (Yallourn) (17) | Max Prendergast (Bairnsdale) (27) | J.Barnett (Sale) (23) | B.Pickering (Trar. Colts) (12) |
| 1965 | Steve Szabo (Morwell) (26) | Richard Evans (Maffra) (20) | J.Barnett (Sale) (25) | P.Lerstang (Traraglon Colts) (23) |
| 1966 | Terry Hunter (Traralgon) (15) | Les Roberts (Sale) (21) | G.Fletcher (St Pat's) (20) | C.Luxford (Morwell) (18) |
| 1967 | George Brayshaw (Traralgon) (15) | Les Roberts (Sale) (12) | D.Scott (Heyfield) (23) | Robert Baldry (Warragul) (12) |
| 1968 | Les Hawken (Trafalgar) (31) | Peter Rodaughan (Moe) (28) | J.Welsh (St Pat's) (30) | E.Gray (Trar. Colts) (25) |
| 1969 | John Gallus (Bairnsdale) (37) | Barry Taylor (Yallourn) (14) | P.Speed (Sale) (22) | M.Mancuso (Traralgon) (11) |
| 1970 | John Gallus (Maffra) (30) | Lyle Berry (Heyfield) (18) | A.Gallagher (St Pat's) (27) | G.McFarlane (Morwell) (13) |
| 1971 | Terry Benton (Leongatha) (20) | Graeme Anderson (Heyfield) (18) | I.Stanley (Traralgon) (19) | P.Shields (Moe) (15) |
| 1972 | Henro Kornacki (Morwell) (27) | Barry Taylor (Yallourn) (13) | T.Munro (Traralgon) (23) | L.Ponton (Trar. Colts) (18) |
| 1973 | Barry Rowlings (Moe) (35) | Jack Vardy (Maffra) (21) | A.Williams (Traralgon) (19) | C.Carr (Morwell) (18) |
| 1974 | Barry Rowlings (Moe) (28) | Gus Eaton (Moe) (20) | J.Buntine (Sale) (24) | S.McNamara (Leongatha) (15) |
| 1975 | John Gallus (Warragul) (28) | Peter Pacunskis (Traralgon) (15) | P.Boyce (Moe) (20) | |
| 1976 | Ray Christie (Bairnsdale) (19) | Jack Vardy (Maffra) (17) | J.Morrison (St Pat's) (25) | |
| 1977 | Peter Hall (Traralgon) (14) | Jack Vardy (Maffra) (14) | C.Dowd (Leongatha) | |
| 1978 | Jeff Mogel (Morwell) (22) | John Kimberley (Yallourn) (18) | W.McInnes (Yallourn) (25) | |
| 1979 | Jeff Gieschen (Maffra) (22) | Allan Light (Warragul) (24) | A.Morrison (Warragul) (24) | |
| 1980 | Ian Salmon (Leongatha) (24) | Jeff Swenson (Newborough) (24) | Ron Copeland (Morwell) | |
| 1981 | Ray Mildenhall (Yallourn/YNth) (24) | Jock Eason (Moe) (15) | Mark Trewella (Warragul) (27) | |
| 1982 | Jeff Gieschen (Maffra) (27) | Kasey Plemper (Moe) (17) | G.Scott (Bairnsdale) (27) | |
| | David Vogel (Morwell) (27) | | | |
| 1983 | Ray Mildenhall (Yallourn/YNth) (24) | Greg Roughead (Leongatha) (27) | C.Dilettoso (Maffra) (33) | |
| 1984 | Peter Hall (Traralgon) (27) | Gary House (TTU) (17) | Graeme Rankin (Warragul) (22) | |
| 1985 | Rod Kerr (Morwell) (30) | Ray DeCarli Yall./YN 20 | D Thompson Traralgon / TU 40 | |
| 1986 | Jim Silvestro (Traralgon) (26) | Darren Slocumb Morwell 12 & | Lachlan Sim Moe 27 | |
| | | Garry Kerr Morwell 12 | | |
| 1987 | Jim Silvestro (Traralgon) (19) | Kevin Mealing Traralgon 14 | Greg Morley Traralgon 30 | |
| 1988 | Lachlan Sim (Moe) (27) | Ken Fleming, Leongatha, 17 | G Stewart Bairnsdale 23 | |
| 1989 | Peter Geddes (Maffra) (20) | | | |
| 1990 | John McDonald (Traralgon) (15) Peter Helms (Leongatha) (15) | | | Andrew Blencowe, (Maffra), (28) |
| 1991 | Chris Grumley (Maffra) (22) | | | |
| 1992 | Greg Morley (Traralgon) (16) | | | |
| 1993 | Anthony Gravener (Maffra) (14) | | | |
| 1994 | Andrew Pratt (Warragul) (19) | | | |
| 1995 | Darren Read (Leongatha) (25) | | | |
| 1996 | David Mills (Warragul) (16) | | | |
| 1997 | Neil Robertson (Traralgon) (17) | | | |
| 1998 | Greg Morley (Traralgon) (21) | | | |
| 1999 | Chris Day (Wonthaggi) (20) | | | |
| 2000 | Jason Shields (Moe) (17) | | | Michael Geary Traralgon 29 |
| 2001 | Hayden Burgiel (Maffra) (31) | | | |
| 2002 | Adam Mabilia (Wonthaggi) (20) Gary Jones (Maffra) (20) | | | |
| 2003 | Greg Morley (Traralgon) (17) | | | |
| 2004 | Hayden Burgiel (Maffra) (28) | | | |
| 2005 | Andrew Soumilas (Garfield) (23) | | | |
| 2006 | Desi Barr (Warragul) (26) | | | |
| 2007 | Nick Hider (Maffra) (23) | | | |
| 2008 | Nick Hider (Maffra) (24) | | | |
| 2009 | Adrian Cox (Sale) (14) Michael Geary (Traralgon) (14) | | | |
| 2010 | Gary Jones (Maffra) (26) | | | |
| 2011 | Andrew Soumilas (Drouin) (25) | | | |
| 2012 | Luke Collins (Sale) (23) | | | |
| 2013 | Kelvin Porter (Maffra) (20) | | Jye Read (Wonthaggi) | |
| 2014 | Adam Bailey (Morwell ) (20) | | | |
| 2015 | Bob McCallum (Drouin) (23) | | | |
| 2016 | Brad Scalzo (Warrugal) (21) | Nicholas Tucker, Wonthaggi, 13 | Hudson Holmes, Maffra, 24 | Ben McKinnon, Bairnsdale, 26 |
| 2017 | James Blaser (Moe) (21) | Chris Rump, Leongatha, 17 | Matthew Williams, Traralgon, 22 | Sam Berry, Maffra, 21 |
| | Kane Martin (Sale) (21) | | | |
| | Jack Blair (Wonthaggi) (21) | | | |
| 2018 | Tom Marriott (Leongatha) (32) | James Heslop, Moe 18 | Ewan Williams, Traralgon, 18 | Luis D'Angelo, Traralgon, 28 |
| 2019 | Jack Lipman (Sale) (20) | Jake Bishop (Traralgon) (15) | Thomas Bradshaw (Maffra) (25) | Vinnie Caia (Warrugal) (34) |
| 2020 | GFL in recess. COVID-19 | | | |

## Rodda Medal
### Senior & Reserves Football Best and Fairest Awards

The Central Gippsland Football Association was initially formed in 1909 from the following club's - Bunyip, Drouin, Moe, Morwell, Thorpedale, Trafalgar, Traralgon and Yarragon.
A gold medal was first awarded in 1932, when the Elder-Berwick medal was presented to the CGFL best and fairest player. Mr. George Elder-Berwick was a Morwell FC Delegate and later a CGFL President in 1934 who donated the gold medal.
The Rodda Medal was initially awarded to the best and fairest winner in the Central Gippsland Football Association in 1936, after Morwell player, Fred Rodda suffered fatal injuries in a match in 1936.
In 1944 and 1945, there was a Central Gippsland Wartime Football League and the Rex Hartley Memorial Medal was first presented to the best and fairest player. Hartley was a former Moe FC player. This competition only went for two years and this award continued on with Gippsland FL Reserves competition from 1946 onwards.
Both the Trood Award and the Rodda Medal were continued on in the newly formed La Trobe Valley Football League in 1954, as the senior football best and fairest trophy, along with the Rex Hartley (Reserves) Medal after the Central Gippsland Football League folded, when seven clubs joined the new La Trobe Valley Football League.
10 of the medal winners below, played senior VFL / AFL football either before or after winning this most prestigious football award.
| Year | 1sts Premiers | Seniors B & F | Club | Votes | 2nds Premiers | Reserves B & F | Club | Votes |
| 1909 | Bunyip | | | | | | | |
| 1910 | Iona | | | | | | | |
| 1911 | Trafalgar | | | | | | | |
| 1912 | Bunyip | | | | | | | |
| 1913 | Trafalgar | | | | | | | |
| 1914 | Iona | | | | | | | |
| 1915 | Bunyip | | | | | | | |
| 1916 | CGFA in recess. WWI | | | | | | | |
| 1917 | CGFA in recess. WWI | | | | | | | |
| 1918 | CGFA in recess. WWI | | | | | | | |
| 1919 | Iona | | | | | | | |
| 1920 | Iona | | | | | | | |
| 1921 | Yarragon | | | | | | | |
| 1922 | Warragul | | | | | | | |
| 1923 | Trafalgar | | | | | | | |
| 1924 | Nar Nar Goon | | | | | | | |
| 1925 | Yallourn | | | | | | | |
| 1926 | Yallourn | | | | | | | |
| 1927 | Warragul | | | | | | | |
| 1928 | Yallourn | | | | | | | |
| 1929 | Nar Nar Goon / Iona | | | | | | | |
| 1930 | Nar Nar Goon / Iona | | | | | | | |
| 1931 | Yallourn | Elder-Berwick Medal | | | | | | |
| 1932 | Warragul | Harry Andrews | Warrugal | ? | | | | |
| 1933 | Morwell | Greg Campbell | Morwell | 5 & 1/2 | | | | |
| 1934 | Leongatha | Denis "Dinny" Dowd | Drouin | ? | | | | |
| 1935 | Morwell | Arthur "Arty" Duncan | Warrugal | ? | | | | |
| | | Rodda Medal | | | | | | |
| 1936 | Yallourn | Ivan Williams | Moe | ? | | | | |
| 1937 | Morwell | Bob Bawden | Morwell | ? | | | | |
| 1938 | Warragul | Jack Scott | Traralgon | ? | | | | |
| 1939 | Yallourn Blues | A "Bert" Tabuteau | Moe | ? | | | | |
| 1940 | Leongatha | Les Handley | Yarragon | 5 | | | | |
| 1941 | | CGFL in recess.WWI | | | | | | |
| 1942 | | CGFL in recess.WWI | | | | Rex Hartley Medal | | |
| 1943 | | CGFL in recess.WWI | | | | Central Gippsland Wartime FL | | |
| 1944 | | CGFL in recess.WWI | | | Yallourn | Dick King | Traralgon | ? |
| 1945 | | CGFL in recess.WWI | | | Moe | L Handley & | Yarragon | ? |
| | | | | | | C. O'Bryan | Mirboo | ? |
| | | | | | | Central Gippsland FL: Reserves | | |
| 1946 | Traralgon | Bob Flanigan | Morwell | ? | Warragul | John Nix | Trafalgar | ? |
| 1947 | Traralgon | R Jones | Yarragon | 5 & 1/2 | Warragul | ? | | |
| 1948 | Yallourn | F Bateman & | Leongatha | 4 | Yallourn | Noel Moller | Traralgon | 5 |
| | | Jack Collins | Traralgon | 4 | | | | |
| 1949 | Traralgon | W "Bill" Snell | Mirboo North | 5 | Morwell | Noel Moller & | Traralgon | 4 |
| | | | | | | Jack Young | Thorpedale | 4 |
| 1950 | Morwell | Frank O'Leary & | Korumburra | 5 | Morwell* | J Hunt | Yallourn | ? |
| | | Clarrie Swenson | Trafalgar | 5 | | | | |
| 1951 | Leongatha | Noel Ross | Mirboo North | 25 & 1/2 | Warragul | Ralph Shalless | Morwell | 25 |
| 1952 | Morwell | Eric Moore | Trafalgar | 18 | Traralgon v Warragul | Ralph Shalless | Morwell | 20 |
| 1953 | Morwell | Jim Shaw | Yallourn | 20 | Warragul | Ralph Shalless | Morwell | ? |