BATTLE lines have been drawn between Fremantle and West Coast over the Ross Glendinning Medal, with the Dockers admitting they want the award renamed.
In an increasingly bitter stoush which has divided WA football, the Dockers are insisting the medal for best afield in the Western Derby should be changed because it doesn't fairly recognise the player history of their club.
Glendinning was the inaugural Eagles captain and currently works in the club's marketing department.
However, the Brownlow medallist was serving as Fremantle's chairman of selectors when the medal was introduced in 2001.
Fremantle is arguing one of its club greats should be added to Glendinning's name on the medal, but is also open to a new award, such as the Western Derby Medal, being struck.
The Eagles are refusing point-blank to accept any alterations to a derby tradition.
"We wouldn't support that because one of the great things about history is trying to preserve that," CEO Trevor Nisbett said.
"This is one of those medals that we think is really important. There are a number of players who have won this medal who rate it right up there with some of their best performances.
"I think we need to preserve that as the Glendinning medal and it should go on forever.
"This is about the heritage of Western Australian football and we've anointed someone who has done so much for the game and we're taking that away from the game."
Unless Fremantle backflips, the Eagles are committed to bestowing the Glendinning Medal to their best player this Sunday, with media still voting on the award.
Dockers CEO Steve Rosich hoped an agreement could be reached before the historic first Western Derby at Optus Stadium.
Rosich raised the possibility of getting the AFL and WA Football Commission involved to mediate the dispute.
Amid the furore, the clubs are working together to find a naming rights sponsor for the Western Derby and trophy.
"If we can reach an agreement with West Coast, we could work quickly to arrange for a trophy to be presented to the winning team after the first derby at Optus Stadium on Sunday,” Rosich said.
"We could include the medal component if we can reach a mutual agreement with West Coast to change to a joint name or alternate name of the medal.
"Given the new era at Optus Stadium, our board does not want to present a joint medal if it was to remain as the Ross Glendinning Medal and reserves the right to award our own medal at any time in the future, if an agreement with West Coast cannot be reached on a new name.
"In 2001 we came to an agreement for the naming of the medal for the best player in the derby and this born out of a new sponsorship agreement with both WA clubs.
"At that time we were six years into our existence, and we did not have the history or status that our club has today.
"We would like the derby medal name to acknowledge both clubs’ foundations and great players, rather than just one club."
