The Douglas Wilkie Medal is an award presented to those who do the least for

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

, in the best and fairest manner. An accolade presented by the

Anti-Football League The Anti-Football League is an Australian organisation that pokes fun at the obsession with Australian rules football. It was founded by Melbourne journalist Keith Dunstan in 1967. Origins The Anti-Football League was created in response to a ...

, it is named after Douglas Wilkie, a ''

Sun News-Pictorial ''The Sun News-Pictorial'' (known as ''The Sun'') was a morning daily tabloid newspaper published in Melbourne, Victoria, from 1922 until its merger in 1990 with '' The Herald'' to form the ''Herald-Sun''. ''The Sun News-Pictorial'' was part ...

'' columnist who wrote for the paper during the years 1946–1986. It was Douglas Wilkie who first suggested the notion of an Anti-Football League, which was brought into being by

Keith Dunstan John Keith Dunstan (3 February 1925 – 11 September 2013), known as Keith Dunstan, was an Australian journalist and author. He was a prolific writer and the author of more than 25 books. Early life Dunstan was born in Malvern East, Victoria, ...

. The League exists as a response to the overwhelming obsession of football by the

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

public. The award is the League's answer to the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...

Brownlow Medal The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal (and informally as "Charlie"), is awarded to the " best and fairest" player in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the home-and-away season, as determined by votes cast by ...

, an honour bestowed on footballers who throughout the season play in a skilled and sportsmanlike fashion. Following the suggestion of Wilkie's fellow writer

Cyril Pearl Cyril Alston Pearl (11 April 1904 – 3 March 1987) was an Australian journalist, editor, author, social historian, wit and television personality. Life and career He was born in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria on 11 April 1904, to Jewi ...

, who wished to burn a football to express his disaffection for the game, the winner must destroy a football in a unique and creative manner on receiving their medal.

Previous winners

* 1967 –

Harold Holt Harold Edward Holt (5 August 190817 December 1967) was an Australian politician who served as the 17th prime minister of Australia from 1966 until his presumed death in 1967. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party. Holt was born in S ...

Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the Australian Government, federal government of Australia and is also accountable to Parliament of A ...

* 1968 –

Bob Skilton Robert John "Bob" Skilton (born 8 November 1938) is a former Australian rules footballer who represented in the Victorian Football League (1897–1989), Victorian Football League (VFL). Playing as a Football (Australian rules) positions#Foll ...

, football player * 1969 –

Ron Frazer Ron Frazer (7 December 1928 – 8 January 1983) alternatively Ron Fraser, was an Australian actor, comedian and screenwriter, he was known for roles in theatre and television, primarily as a character actor. Career Fraser started his career i ...

, actor * 1970 –

Barry Oakley Barry Kingham Oakley (born 24 February 1931)''Who's Who in Australia'' (2010) is an Australian writer.Luke Slattery"10 questions: Barry Oakley, author, 81"''The Australian'', 15 December 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2016.- Graeme Blundell"Wittily i ...

, author ''A Salute to the Great McCarthy: a Novel'' (1970) ; the book was filmed in 1975 under the same name. * 1972 –

, author * 1973 –

Doug McClelland Douglas McClelland (born 5 August 1926) is an Australian former politician who served as a Senator for New South Wales from 1962 to 1987, representing the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He was Minister for the Media (1972–1975) and Special ...

, politician * 1974 – Leon Hill, former General Manager

GTV-9 GTV is a commercial television station in Melbourne, Australia, owned by the Nine Network. The station is currently based at studios at 717 Bourke Street, Docklands. History GTV-9 was amongst the first television stations to begin regular ...

* 1975 –

Barry Humphries John Barry Humphries (born 17 February 1934) is an Australian comedian, actor, author and satirist. He is best known for writing and playing his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. He is also a film prod ...

, writer, actor, bohemian * 1977 –

Kate Baillieu Katharine Jean Baillieu (born 17 January 1946) is an Australian former journalist. Early career Baillieu worked as a journalist and later as a personal assistant to Kerry Packer. In 1977, Baillieu was awarded the Douglas Wilkie Medal by the An ...

, former GTV-9 personality * 1979 – Pete Smith, television announcer * 1980 – Jack Elliot, racing writer * 1981 –

Lindsay Thompson Lindsay Hamilton Simpson Thompson AO, CMG (15 October 1923 – 16 July 2008) was an Australian Liberal Party politician who served the 40th Premier of Victoria from June 1981 to April 1982. He was previously the Deputy Premier between 1972 and ...

Premier of Victoria The premier of Victoria is the head of government in the Australian state of Victoria. The premier is appointed by the governor of Victoria, and is the leader of the political party able to secure a majority in the Victorian Legislative Assembly ...

"Lindsay Thompson"
''The Telegraph''. Retrieved 25 September 2011. * 1983 – Julie Clarke, a suffering housewife * 1985 – Shelley Dye, another suffering housewife * 1986 –

Sir Les Patterson Sir Leslie Colin "Les" Patterson (born 1 April 1942) is a fictional character created and portrayed by Australian comedian Barry Humphries. Obese, lecherous and offensive, Patterson is Dame Edna Everage's exact opposite: she is female, refined, Pr ...

, alter-ego of

* 1987 – Peter Russell-Clarke, celebrity chef * 1988 –

Terry Lane Terry Lane (born 1939) is a retired Australian radio broadcaster and newspaper columnist based in Melbourne. Lane was born at Williamstown in South Australia and was educated at Gawler High School. After studying for the ministry at the Chu ...

, radio broadcaster * 1989 –

Raelene Boyle Raelene Ann Boyle (born 24 June 1951) is an Australian retired athlete, who represented Australia at three Olympic Games as a sprinter, winning three silver medals, and was named one of 100 National Living Treasures by the National Trust of ...

, athlete * 1990 –

Tim Bowden Timothy Gibson Bowden (born 2 August 1937), is an Australian author, radio and television broadcaster and producer, and oral historian. He was born in Hobart, Tasmania, and studied at the University of Tasmania, where he graduated with a Bachel ...

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

broadcaster and author * 1992 –

Wendy Harmer Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...

, broadcaster and comedian * 1993 –

, broadcaster * 1994 – Dennis Pryor, author and broadcaster * 2007 – Barry Jones, former quiz champion, politician, author * 2008 –

Michael Leunig Michael Leunig (born 2 June 1945), typically referred to as Leunig (his signature on his cartoons), is an Australian cartoonist. His works include ''The Curly Pyjama Letters'', cartoon books ''The Essential Leunig'', ''The Wayward Leunig'', ' ...

, cartoonist * 2010 – Catherine Deveny, columnist * 2011 – Brian Troy, a 74-year-old Melburnian, who has never attended an Australian rules football match.

References

{{Reflist Australian rules football awards Ironic and humorous awards