Recipients

Eleven men have won the club’s highest honour since 1997. All are regarded as possessing the qualities synonymous with Port Adelaide - tough, hard, fair play with an unrelenting attitude on the field.

Defenders were the initial recipients of the medal with Darren Mead, Adam Kingsley, Stephen Paxman and Brent Montgomery all recognised for their achievements in the Power’s formative years.

Premiership captain and club games record holder Warren Tredrea won his first of four medals in 2001 - a year where he kicked fifty-one goals in the black, white and teal.

Former captains Matthew Primus and Gavin Wanganeen won their only best and fairest medals in 2002 and 2003, whilst Brendon Lade took the honours in 2006.

Kane Cornes is the only other multiple recipient of the best and fairest award with titles in 2007, 2008 and 2010.

2011 saw a tie for the medal with Travis Boak and Jackson Trengove both awarded the honour.

Voting process and criteria

Votes are allocated on a nil-to-four basis to all players for each game of the season. To poll more votes, players are assessed for their on-field impact and must be seen to have a positive influence on the match.

Theoretically, all players could receive the maximum four votes if the voting panel determined that each player had achieved the highest level of those criteria.

Conversely no players may be given votes where the panel determined none were warranted.

The contenders



Having played all games in 2012, the former West Coast Eagle featured frequently in the best players. Providing excellent run-and-carry through the midfield with a high standard of defensive pressure throughout the vast majority of matches, Ebert’s influence on games was noticeable and his potential as a core component of the Power’s midfield realised.

Ebert’s ranking as the highest contested possession-getter at the club highlights his ability to win his own ball, whilst the regularity with which he pushed forward to score goals this year is another string in his bow.

How he figures
*denotes club leader

504 disposals (an average of 22.9 per game) at 66% efficiency
103 marks (average 4.7)
7 hit outs
77 clearances (average 3.5)
129 tackles* (average 5.9)*
42 one percenters
17 goals (average 0.8)
11 goal assists*
22 games played*
85% game time played
2190 Dream Team points* (average 99.5)*

Do you think Brad Ebert is the frontrunner for the John Cahill Medal? Discuss with your fellow fans below.



Again Port’s leading possession-getter, Cornes had an outstanding year for the club.

One of the best finders and users of the ball at the club Cornes, like Ebert, played every game in season 2012.

His influential tagging of the Kangaroos’ Brent Harvey and Gold Coast’s Gary Ablett earned him critical praise and his ability to find space and set up the Power’s forward movements combined with his standing as one of the fittest players at Alberton will keep him in good stead to win the Cahill a fourth time.

How he figures
*denotes club leader

560 disposals* (an average of 25.5 per game)* at 77% efficiency
124 marks* (average 4.7)
0 hit outs
60 clearances (average 2.7)
65 tackles (average 3.0)
22 one percenters
5 goals (average 0.2)
9 goal assists
22 games played*
90% game time played
2024 Dream Team points (average 92.0)

Do you think Kane Cornes is the frontrunner for the John Cahill Medal? Discuss with your fellow fans below.




One of the most improved performers of season 2012 is Matthew Broadbent.

Playing as a midfielder and forward, Broadbent has been prolific on the scoreboard as a running goal kicker with his 21 majors the best return from any non-forward in the Power side.

Broadbent’s rise as a key midfielder came through a string of impressive performances in the middle, starting in round eight against North Melbourne.

It was that match where he proved most influential when his long bomb forward allowed Paul Stewart to kick the Power into the lead and cement the club’s second win for the season.

In terms of ability to perform and have a positive influence of the game, ‘Broady’ is right up there and he will certainly feature prominently in the vote allocations, particularly in the middle third of the season.

How he figures
*denotes club leader

436 disposals (an average of 19.8 per game) at 68% efficiency
90 marks (average 4.1)
10 hit outs
79 clearances (average 3.6)
59 tackles (average 2.7)
30 one percenters
21 goals (average 1.0)
11 goal assists*
22 games played*
81% game time played
1768 Dream Team points (average 80.4)

Do you think Matthew Broadbent is the frontrunner for the John Cahill Medal? Discuss with your fellow fans below.




Port’s vice captain is the joint reigning best and fairest and undoubtedly one of our biggest impact players.

The first half of his season was hampered by a foot injury and the eventual surgery after his 100th game will be the most damaging factor to his polling on Friday night.

Despite this, Boak remains one of the best team men in the side and he was effective as both a contested and uncontested midfielder this year.

With standout games against Collingwood, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Hawthorn, Boak has featured in season 2012 with these best-on-ground performances.

If the coaches evaluate these efforts highly enough, he may be a surprise comer to the top of the poll on Friday evening.

How he figures
*denotes club leader

426 disposals (an average of 23.7 per game) at 64% efficiency
47 marks (average 2.6)
0 hit outs
87 clearances* (average 4.8)*
66 tackles (average 3.7)
9 goals (average 0.6)
16 one percenters
11 goal assists*
18 games played*
67% game time played
1509 Dream Team points (average 83.8)

Do you think Travis Boak is the frontrunner for the John Cahill Medal? Discuss with your fellow fans below.




His fearless efforts in attack have endeared him to the Port Adelaide supporter base this year and Jay Schulz is a player with all the traits of those gutsy men to have won the John Cahill Medal in the Power’s foundation years.

His ability to score big totals - none more significant than his seven goal best-on-ground performance against North Melbourne - places him as the most likely forward to feature in Friday’s count.

Counting against him is the simple fact that injury cost him valuable game time in 2012 with no less than seven matches missed.  That considered he will still rank highly at the end of the night.

How he figures
*denotes club leader

171 disposals (an average of 11.4 per game) at 68% efficiency
102 marks (average 6.8*)
0 hit outs
4 clearances (average 0.3)
33 tackles (average 2.2)
42 goals* (average 2.8*)
19 one percenters
8 goal assists
15 games played
61% game time played
1157 Dream Team points (average 77.1)

Do you think Jay Schulz is the frontrunner for the John Cahill Medal? Discuss with your fellow fans below.




Chaplin had a strong start to the year with solid performances in defence against St Kilda, Sydney Swans and Carlton particularly.

Often tasked to play on the competition’s biggest name forwards, Chaplin also proved instrumental in helping to set the Power’s run out of defence.

However his impact on the second half of the season was lessened as he struggled through injury.

An outside chance for the award, Chaplin nevertheless will likely rank in the top six.

How he figures
*denotes club leader

275 disposals (an average of 15.3 per game) at 79% efficiency
106 marks (average 5.9)
4 hit outs
6 clearances (average 0.3)
37 tackles (average 2.1)
0 goals
108 one percenters (average 6.0*)
3 goal assists
18 games played
80% game time played
1187 Dream Team points (average 65.9)

Do you think Troy Chaplin is the frontrunner for the John Cahill Medal? Discuss with your fellow fans below. 




The ultimate smoky. Westhoff features as an outside chance through his unconventional half-forward role.

One of Port’s most versatile players, his high-level fitness often sees him play in the centre while his height and competitiveness sees him feature as a spare defender and supporting ruckman.

His selection in every game, combined with his status as Port’s second-highest goal kicker this season, leaves him as a dark horse for this year’s award.

Importantly, the considerations for the medal are such that a player who is effective in their game day role will be rewarded.

Westhoff cannot be denied for effort on the day. The best forward for ‘one percenters,’ equal on goal assists and playing more game time than any other player, he is given numerous tasks during the course of a game and performs them consistently.

Given Westhoff’s game day role can often change on a weekly basis and in games themselves, his versatility in 2012 will prove his best asset in Friday’s count.

How he figures
*denotes club leader

347 disposals (an average of 15.8 per game) at 72% efficiency
116 marks (average 5.3)
61 hit outs
25 clearances (average 1.1)
58 tackles (average 2.6)
28 goals (average 1.3)
41 one percenters (average 1.9)
11 goal assists*
22 games played*
91% game time played*
1684 Dream Team points (average 76.5)

Do you think Justin Westhoff is the frontrunner for the John Cahill Medal? Discuss with your fellow fans below.


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