The Gary Ayres Medal, officially known as the Gary Ayres Award, recognizes the best and fairest player across the AFL finals series each year.

Award Origins

Introduced in 2016 by the AFL Coaches Association, the medal honors Gary Ayres, a Hawthorn legend who played in five premierships (1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991), won two Norm Smith Medals (1986, 1988), and later coached Geelong and Adelaide. Ayres earned Hall of Fame induction in 1999 and a back-pocket spot in Hawthorn's Team of the Century. Coaches vote 5-4-3-2-1 after each finals match, with Grand Final votes weighted higher to reflect its prestige; the leader after the series wins, announced post-Grand Final.

Voting and Impact

Competing senior coaches alone decide votes, mirroring the AFLCA champion player award but focused solely on finals heroics. This setup celebrates big- game performers from any role—midfielders, defenders, or forwards—adding thrill as fans track leaderboards weekly. Picture the tension: a preliminary final star surges ahead, only for Grand Final dominance to swing it, much like Ayres' own clutch Norm Smith triumphs.

Notable Winners

Dustin Martin holds the record with three wins, embodying finals flair. Others include Patrick Dangerfield (2022, plus strong 2025 showings), Steele Sidebottom, Josh Kennedy, and Jack Macrae.

Year| Winner| Team| Key Highlight
---|---|---|---
2016| (Early example)| Various| Finals dominance 1
2022| Patrick Dangerfield| Geelong| Perfect votes in semis 5
Recent| Dustin Martin (x3)| Richmond| Multiple premierships 7

Recent Buzz and Forums

In 2025 finals chatter, Geelong's Dangerfield polled high early (e.g., 10 votes vs. Hawthorn), sparking Reddit debates on frontrunners like Gryan Miers or Jeremy Cameron. r/AFL threads from 2024-2025 questioned announcements, with fans noting Grand Final weighting (e.g., 1.5x multiplier) favors premiership teams. No 2025 winner confirmed in latest posts, but speculation rages on coaches' preferences for strategy over stats.

Why It Matters

The award elevates finals narratives, rewarding sacrifice under pressure—Ayres called it "where you step up." It joins icons like the Norm Smith but spans the series, drawing multi-week hype amid AFL's September spectacle.

TL;DR: Prestigious AFL coaches' prize for top finals performer since 2016, named for Hawthorn great Gary Ayres; voted weekly, GF-weighted.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.