# Crichton Medal

The Crichton Medal is the name given to the best and fairest award for the Australian rules football team the Essendon Football Club. Since 1959 or 1960, it has been known officially as the W. S. Crichton Medal. The naming of the award is in honour of Wally Crichton, a former administrator for Essendon (who was a committeeman from 1926 to 1931, vice-president from 1932 to 1940, and president from 1941 to 1959). The voting system as of the 2017 AFL season consists of five coaches, giving each player a ranking from zero to five after each match. Players can receive a maximum of 25 votes for a game.
Essendon's best-and-fairest award has been awarded since 1897, although records of winners between 1897 and 1921 are incomplete. The award was suspended during World War I.

## Recipients

| ^ | Denotes current player |
| + | Player won Brownlow Medal in same season |
| Season | Recipient(s) |
| 1897 | — |
| 1898 | — |
| 1899 | — |
| 1900 | — |
| 1901 | Albert Thurgood |
| 1902 | Hugh Gavin |
| 1903 | — |
| 1904 | — |
| 1905 | — |
| 1906 | Jack McKenzie |
| 1907 | — |
| 1908 | Bill Busbridge |
| 1909 | Bill Busbridge (2) |
| 1910 | — |
| 1911 | Ernie Cameron |
| 1912 | Ernie Cameron (2) |
| 1913 | Fred Baring |
| 1914 | — |
| 1915 | — |
| 1916 | — |
| 1917 | — |
| 1918 | — |
| 1919 | — |
| 1920 | Jack Garden |
| 1921 | — |
| 1922 | Tom Fitzmaurice |
| 1923 | Tom Fitzmaurice (2) |
| 1924 | Tom Fitzmaurice (3) |
| 1925 | Greg Stockdale |
| 1926 | Joe Harrison |
| 1927 | Frank Maher |
| 1928 | Norm Beckton |
| 1929 | Howard Okey |
| 1930 | Keith Forbes |
| 1931 | Tom Clarke |
| 1932 | Syd Carman |
| 1933 | Paddy Walsh |
| 1934 | Dick Reynolds+ |
| 1935 | Keith Forbes (2) |
| 1936 | Dick Reynolds (2) |
| 1937 | Dick Reynolds+ (3) |
| 1938 | Dick Reynolds+ (4) |
| 1939 | Dick Reynolds (5) |
| 1940 | Hugh Torney |
| 1941 | Wally Buttsworth |
| 1942 | Dick Reynolds (6) |
| 1943 | Dick Reynolds (7) |
| 1944 | Perc Bushby |
| 1945 | Wally Buttsworth (2) |
| 1946 | Wally Buttsworth (3) |
| 1947 | Bill Hutchison |
| 1948 | Bill Hutchison (2) |
| 1949 | John Coleman |
| 1950 | Bill Hutchison (3) |
| 1951 | Norm McDonald |
| 1952 | Bill Hutchison+ (4) |
| 1953 | Bill Hutchison+ (5) |
| 1954 | John Gill |
| 1955 | Bill Hutchison (6) |
| 1956 | Bill Hutchison (7) |
| 1957 | Reg Burgess |
| 1958 | Jack Clarke |
| 1959 | Hugh Mitchell |
| 1960 | Reg Burgess (2) |
| 1961 | John Birt |
| 1962 | Jack Clarke (2) |
| 1963 | Ken Fraser |
| 1964 | Ken Fraser (2) |
| 1965 | John Birt (2) |
| 1966 | Don McKenzie |
| 1967 | John Birt (3) |
| 1968 | Barry Davis |
| 1969 | Barry Davis (2) |
| 1970 | Darryl Gerlach |
| 1971 | Barry Davis (3) |
| 1972 | Neville Fields |
| 1973 | Andy Wilson |
| 1974 | Graham Moss |
| 1975 | Graham Moss (2) |
| 1976 | Graham Moss+ (3) |
| 1977 | Simon Madden |
| 1978 | Ken Fletcher |
| 1979 | Simon Madden (2) |
| 1980 | Tim Watson |
| 1981 | Neale Daniher |
| 1982 | Terry Daniher |
| 1983 | Simon Madden (3) |
| 1984 | Simon Madden (4) |
| 1985 | Tim Watson (2) |
| 1986 | Glenn Hawker |
| 1987 | Mark Thompson |
| 1988 | Tim Watson (3) |
| 1989 | Tim Watson (4) |
| 1990 | Mark Thompson (2) |
| 1991 | Alan Ezard |
| 1992 | Mark Harvey |
| 1993 | Gary O'Donnell |
| 1994 | James Hird |
| 1995 | James Hird (2) |
| 1996 | James Hird+ (3) |
| 1997 | Sean Denham |
| 1998 | Damien Hardwick |
| 1999 | Mark Mercuri |
| 2000 | Dustin Fletcher |
| 2001 | Jason Johnson |
| 2002 | Mark Johnson |
| 2003 | James Hird (4) |
| 2003 | Scott Lucas |
| 2004 | Adam McPhee |
| 2005 | Jason Johnson (2) |
| 2006 | Scott Lucas (2) |
| 2007 | James Hird (5) |
| 2008 | David Hille |
| 2009 | Jobe Watson |
| 2010 | Jobe Watson (2) |
| 2011 | David Zaharakis |
| 2012 | Jobe Watson (3) |
| 2013 | Brendon Goddard |
| 2014 | Dyson Heppell |
| 2015 | Cale Hooker |
| 2016 | Zach Merrett^ |
| 2017 | Joe Daniher |
| 2018 | Devon Smith |
| 2019 | Zach Merrett^ (2) |
| 2020 | Jordan Ridley^ |
| 2021 | Zach Merrett^ (3) |
| 2022 | Peter Wright^ |
| 2023 | Zach Merrett^ (4) |
| 2024 | Zach Merrett^ (5) |

## Multiple winners

| ^ | Denotes current player |
| Player | Medals | Seasons |
| Bill Hutchison | 7 | 1947, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956 |
| Dick Reynolds | 7 | 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1942, 1943 |
| Zach Merrett^ | 5 | 2016, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024 |
| James Hird | 5 | 1994, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2007 |
| Simon Madden | 4 | 1977, 1979, 1983, 1984 |
| Tim Watson | 4 | 1980, 1985, 1988, 1989 |
| John Birt | 3 | 1961, 1965, 1967 |
| Wally Buttsworth | 3 | 1941, 1945, 1946 |
| Barry Davis | 3 | 1968, 1969, 1971 |
| Tom Fitzmaurice | 3 | 1922, 1923, 1924 |
| Graham Moss | 3 | 1974, 1975, 1976 |
| Jobe Watson | 3 | 2009, 2010, 2012 |
| Reg Burgess | 2 | 1957, 1960 |
| Bill Busbridge | 2 | 1908, 1909 |
| Ernie Cameron | 2 | 1911, 1912 |
| Jack Clarke | 2 | 1958, 1962 |
| Keith Forbes | 2 | 1930, 1935 |
| Ken Fraser | 2 | 1963, 1964 |
| Jason Johnson | 2 | 2001, 2005 |
| Scott Lucas | 2 | 2003, 2006 |
| Mark Thompson | 2 | 1987, 1990 |