In a year in which Adelaide has said goodbye to a number of Club stalwarts, four Crows champions have dominated nominations for the 2010 Madden Medal Awards presented by GNC LiveWell and the AFL Players’ Association.
Simon Goodwin, Andrew McLeod, Brett Burton and Tyson Edwards have between them received a mammoth 12 nominations, including three for the top award, the Madden Medal.
The Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of retiring AFL players.
Burton and Goodwin have been nominated across all four categories - Football Achievement, Personal Development, Community Spirit and the over-arching Madden Medal. McLeod has been nominated for the Community Development and Football Achievement awards and Madden Medal. Edwards has been nominated for the Football Achievement Award.
AFLPA General Manager - Player Relations, Ian Prendergast, said the four stars had played 1113 games between them.
“It’s fitting that they should all be nominated in the Football Achievement category as the four players achieved so much for the Crows for more than a decade,” said Prendergast.
“They were leaders on the field, but what is clear with these nominations is that they gave so much back to the game and the community as well.”
The Madden Medal is the award program’s top honour, recognising the retiring player that has contributed the most to the game and the broader community. This year it will be fought out between Brad Johnson, Simon Goodwin, Andrew McLeod, Brett Burton, Ben Cousins, Brett Kirk and Warren Tredrea.
A total of 16 players have been nominated across the four categories of Football Achievement, Personal Development, Community Spirit and the overarching Madden Medal.
The Football Achievement Award recognises games played, premierships, individual awards, style of play, professionalism, leadership, development of game, advocacy on behalf of players and the legacy they leave behind.
The Personal Development Award looks at personal growth, business achievements, education and training, family support, strength in the face of hardship and/or persistence in recovery from long-term injury.
The Community Spirit Award analyses a player’s efforts to help those beyond the boundaries of the football industry. It looks at a player’s involvement in charitable organisations, participation in community development initiatives, demonstrated empathy and support for disadvantaged people.
Named after the Madden brothers, Simon and Justin, the Madden Medal was established in 2007, when football greats James Hird, Nathan Buckley, Mark Ricciuto, Glenn Archer, Anthony Koutoufides, Chris Grant, Luke Darcy and Paul Licuria all left the game at the same time.
Previous Madden Medal winners were Glenn Archer (2007), Robert Harvey (2008) and Michael O’Loughlin (2009).
The categories will be voted on by the current AFLPA Board. The Madden Medal will be held on Friday December 3 at the Peninsula Central Pier at Docklands.
