The William Leitch Medal, named after the highly regarded former Australian rules player and Tasmanian Football Administrator William Douglas Leitch (1863-1943), was an annual award which was presented to the

best and fairest In Australian sport, the best and fairest award recognises the player(s) adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition. The awards are sometimes dependent on not receiving a suspensi ...

player in the TANFL/TFL Statewide League. At various times prior to 1930 and between 1935 and 1939 the TFL award was known by other names. From 1942 to 1944 the competition was suspended due to World War Two. Following the collapse of both the Tasmanian Football League (TFL) in 1998 and its replacement competitions (the TSFL in 1999 and the SWL in December 2000), the award was suspended until its revival in 2004, awarded to the best and fairest player in the SFL Premier League and from 2009, awarded to the best and fairest player in the SFL.

Winners by year

* W H GILL MEMORIAL TROPHY * 1925 – Eric "Leisha" Smith (Lefroy Football Club) – Also tied on the same number of votes were Horrie Gorringe & Athol Paul who have never been recognised as joint winners. * 1926 – No award was made * WILSON BAILEY MEDAL * 1927 – Keith Roberts (New Town Football Club) - Wilson Bailey Medal * 1928 – George Cole - (New Town Football Club) - Wilson Bailey Medal * 1929 – Alan Leitch (New Town Football Club) - Wilson Bailey Medal * 1930 – Jack Billett ( Cananore) - Wilson Bailey Medal * WILLIAM LEITCH MEDAL * 1931 –

Albert Collier Albert Collier, also known as Leeter Collier (9 July 1909 – 22 February 1988), was an Australian rules footballer in the (then) Victorian Football League. Personal life Albert Collier was born on 9 July 1909 in Collingwood, the seventh o ...

(Cananore) * 1932 –

Len Pye Leonard Edward Thomas 'Apples' Pye (21 February 1911 – 20 September 1989) was an Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact s ...

(North Hobart) & – Pat Hartnett (Cananore) * 1933 – Eric Hanlon (New Town) & – Burnell Edwards (North Hobart) * 1934 – Stan Sproule (North Hobart) & – Eric Hanlon (New Town) * GEORGE WATT MEDAL * 1935 – Len Powell - (North Hobart)http://pathartnett.net.au/pat_history/best-fairest-a ward-winners-1925-2016/ * 1936 – Eric Zschech - (Lefroy Football Club) * 1937 – Len Pye - (North Hobart) * 1938 – Len Pye - (North Hobart) * 1939 – Eric Zschech - (Lefroy Football Club) * 1940 – Geoff Kilmartin (Cananore) * 1941 – Max Abbott (North Hobart) * 1942 – no award - competition suspended due to WW2 * 1943 – no award - competition suspended due to WW2 * 1944 – no award - competition suspended due to WW2 * WILLIAM LEITCH MEDAL * 1945 – Noel Reid (North Hobart) * 1946 – Ernie Pilkington (Sandy Bay) * 1947 – Jack Sullivan (Hobart) * 1948 –

Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (born February 17, 1936) is a former American football player, sports analyst and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be one ...

(New Norfolk) * 1949 – Hamish Yaxley (Clarence) * 1950 – Warren Smart (Sandy Bay) * 1951 – Rex Garwood (

New Town New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

) * 1952 – Cliff Busch (New Norfolk) * 1953 –

Terry Cashion Terence Robert Cashion (7 April 1921 – 8 October 2011) was an award-winning Australian rules footballer from Tasmania who played numerous representative matches for the state and also played for South Melbourne in the Victorian Football Leag ...

(Sandy Bay) * 1954 – Bruce Roe (New Norfolk) * 1955 – Rex Garwood (New Norfolk) * 1956 – Robert Lewis (Sandy Bay) * 1957 –

Trevor Leo Trevor John Leo (born 1936) is a former Australian rules footballer from Tasmania who played during the 1950s and 1960s and was chosen at state representative level. Rover Trevor Leo came to Hobart from Cooee where he was a Best and fairest w ...

(Hobart) * 1958 – Rex Garwood (New Norfolk) * 1959 –

Mal Pascoe Malcolm Lawrence Pascoe (31 March 1933 – 24 August 2020) was an Australian rules footballer and coach. He played 94 senior Victorian Football League (VFL) games for the Essendon Football Club from 1953 to 1958, and played 177 senior Tasmani ...

(Hobart) & – Murray Steele (Sandy Bay) * 1960 – Stuart Spencer (Clarence) * 1961 – Roger Browning (New Norfolk) * 1962 – Roger Browning (New Norfolk) * 1963 –

Geoff Whitton Geoff Whitton (born 1 February 1942) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Early career Whitton played his early football at Tasmanian club Sandy Bay and he won a William Leit ...

(Sandy Bay) * 1964 – David Sullivan (Hobart) * 1965 –

Burnie Payne Burnet 'Burnie' Payne (born 8 May 1939) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Hobart in the Tasmanian National Football League (TANFL) and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He is a member of the Tasmanian Footba ...

(Hobart) * 1966 –

(Hobart) * 1967 – John Richmond (Clarence), – Stuart Spencer (Clarence) & – Neville Johnston (Glenorchy) * 1968 – Robert Lucas (Clarence) * 1969 – Roger Steele (Sandy Bay) * 1970 – Roger Steele (Sandy Bay) * 1971 –

Rodney Olsson Rodney Stuart Olsson (born 23 April 1942) is a former Australian rules footballer and coach who played with Hawthorn in the VFL during the 1960s. Olsson was a ruck-rover for Hawthorn but when he started his career he played as a half forward ...

(Sandy Bay) * 1972 – Ricky Graham (New Norfolk) * 1973 –

(Sandy Bay) * 1974 – Tony Browning (New Norfolk) * 1975 –

Trevor Sprigg Trevor Raymond Sprigg (10 August 1946 – 17 January 2008) was an Australian politician and legislator from Western Australia, as well as a former football star. Sprigg, a member of the Liberal Party, was the Liberal Party legislative whip as ...

(Glenorchy) * 1976 – Trevor Sorrell (Clarence) * 1977 – Mick Hawkins (North Hobart) * 1978 – Peter Hudson (Glenorchy) * 1979 – Peter Hudson (Glenorchy) * 1980 –

Gary Linton Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name *Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary Places ;Iran *Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;Unit ...

(Glenorchy) * 1981 – Robbie Dykes (New Norfolk) * 1982 –

Tony Martyn Tony Martyn (born 9 March 1957) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL), Port Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and with TANFL club Sandy Bay. He ...

(Sandy Bay) * 1983 –

(Sandy Bay) * 1984 –

Scott Wade Scott Wade (born 10 January 1960) is a former Australian rules football player and administrator, most notable for his sixteen-year tenure at AFL Tasmania. He played for Hawthorn Football Club, Hawthorn in the Australian Football League, Victor ...

(Hobart) * 1985 – Graham Hunnibell (New Norfolk)

William Leitch Medal Winners: TFL Statewide League (1986–2000)

*1986 – Andy Bennett (Sandy Bay) *1987 – David Code (Devonport Blues) *1988 – Adrian Fletcher (Glenorchy) & –

Michael Seddon Michael Seddon (born 13 May 1958) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the early 1980s. Recruited from Tasmanian Football League club Sandy Bay, Sedd ...

(Sandy Bay) *1989 –

(Clarence) *1990 – Ricky Hanlon (New Norfolk) *1991 – Gary Williamson (Clarence) *1992 – Jason Gibson (North Launceston) *1993 – Daryn Perry (North Hobart) & – Rene Peters (New Norfolk) *1994 – Michael Maple (North Hobart) *1995 – Danny Noonan (Clarence) & – Geoff Wiggins (Sandy Bay) *1996 – Danny Noonan (Clarence) *1997 – Fabian Carelli (Devonport Power) *1998 –

Wayne Weidemann Wayne Weidemann (born 21 October 1966) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). The “Weed” as he was fondly known as, was a highly underrated ...

(Devonport Power) *1999 – Ben Atkin (Glenorchy), – Matthew Jones (Clarence) & – Darren Trevena (Nth Bombers) *2000 – Nathan Howard (Nth Bombers)

William Leitch Medal Winners: SFL & SFL Premier League (2001-2003)

*2001 – Damien Dillon ( Cygnet) - Medal Awarded Retrospectively *2002 – Matthew Jones ( New Norfolk) - Medal Awarded Retrospectively *2003 – Brendon Bolton (

North Hobart North Hobart is a suburb of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. As its name suggests, it lies directly north of the CBD. The main street of North Hobart is Elizabeth Street, which extends northward from the Elizabeth Street Mall in the ...

) - Medal Awarded Retrospectively

William Leitch Medal Winners: SFL Premier League (2004–2008) & SFL (2009–Present)

*2004 – Brock Ackerley (New Norfolk) & – Roger Belcher (New Norfolk) *2005 – David Newett (Glenorchy) *2006 – Jesse Crouch (Glenorchy) *2007 – Roger Belcher (New Norfolk) *2008 – Shane Piuselli (Glenorchy) *2009 – Roger Belcher (New Norfolk) *2010 – James Lange (Huonville Lions) *2011 – Nathan Ross (New Norfolk) *2012 – Brad Carver (New Norfolk) *2013 – Nathan Ross (New Norfolk) *2014 – Caden Wilson (New Norfolk) *2015 – Nathan Brown (Claremont) *2016 – Troy Cunliffe (Lindisfarne) *2017 – Troy Cunliffe (Lindisfarne) *2018 – Jarrod Lawler (Huonville Lions) *2019 – Mitch Walker (Claremont) *2020 – Ethan Brock (Huonville Lions) *2021 – Thor Boscott (Port Cygnet Football Club)

References

{{reflist

External links

pathartnett.net.au
Leitch Tasmanian Football League 1930 establishments in Australia Australian rules football-related lists