Norm Smith Medal

The winner is voted on by a five-member panel consisting of former players, journalists and media personalities, with one member designated as the chair. Each panellist independently awards three votes, two votes and one vote to the players they regard as the best, second best and third best in the match, respectively. These are tallied and the highest number of combined votes wins the medal.

There is no chance of a tie for the medal; if two players are tied for votes, the following countbacks will apply in order:

• the player with the higher number of three-votes;
• the player with the higher number of two-votes;
• the player deemed best by the panel chair.

Paul Chapman is the only player to win on a countback, after he and Jason Gram tied with nine votes apiece in 2009.

In some years judges were required to lodge their decisions prior to the completion of the match, to ensure votes were compiled in time for the ceremony. This was changed following the 2002 AFL Grand Final, after Michael Voss had five crucial possessions in the last five minutes of the close game which could have swayed the voting, but eventually placed fourth behind Nathan Buckley. After the match, three of the five judges suggested they would have voted differently if they had lodged their votes after the final siren.

Prior to the 2016 season, if the grand final resulted in a draw, the game would be replayed the following week. In such instances, a separate Norm Smith Medal was awarded in each game. Since 2016, a drawn grand final would result in the use of extra time to determine the winner, rather than a full-match replay.

The medal is presented in a post-match ceremony held immediately after the conclusion of the match. Since 2004, former Norm Smith medallists have presented the award, in the order of the year in which they won; as of 2024, Gary Ablett Sr. is the only former winner to decline presenting the award; and Nathan Buckley's position in the sequence was skipped in 2019, as he was coaching Collingwood, who were yet to be eliminated when the decision on presenter had to be made.

Table key

Players with multiple wins

Club totals