| Crichton Medal | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | The best and fairest player of the Essendon Football Club |
| Location | Crown Palladium Ballroom |
| Country | Australia |
| Presented by | Essendon Football Club |
| First awarded | 1897 |
| Last awarded | 2023 |
| Currently held by | Zach Merrett |
| Website | Essendon Football Club Honours |
The Crichton Medal is the name given to the best and fairest award for the Australian rules football team the Essendon Football Club. Since 1959 or 1960, it has been known officially as the W. S. Crichton Medal.[citation needed] The naming of the award is in honour of Wally Crichton, a former administrator for Essendon (who was a committeeman from 1926 to 1931, vice-president from 1932 to 1940, and president from 1941 to 1959).[1] The voting system as of the 2017 AFL season consists of five coaches, giving each player a ranking from zero to five after each match. Players can receive a maximum of 25 votes for a game.[2]
Essendon's best-and-fairest award has been awarded since 1897, although records of winners between 1897 and 1921 are incomplete. The award was suspended during World War I.