The league's fairest and best player, voted by the field umpires after every home-and-away game (3-2-1).
| 2026 | Nick Daicos | Collingwood | – |
| 2025 | Matt Rowell | Gold Coast Suns | – |
| 2024 | 2) | Carlton | – |
| 2024 | Patrick Cripps | Carlton | – |
| 2023 | 2) | Brisbane Lions | – |
| 2023 | Lachie Neale | Brisbane Lions | – |
| 2022 | 2) | Carlton | – |
| 2022 | Patrick Cripps | Carlton | – |
| 2021 | Ollie Wines | Port Adelaide | – |
| 2020 | 2) | Brisbane Lions | – |
| 2020 | Lachie Neale | Brisbane Lions | – |
| 2019 | 2) | Fremantle | – |
| 2019 | Nat Fyfe | Fremantle | – |
| 2018 | Tom Mitchell | Hawthorn | – |
| 2017 | Dustin Martin | Richmond | – |
| 2016 | Patrick Dangerfield | Geelong Cats | – |
| 2015 | 2) | Fremantle | – |
| 2015 | Nat Fyfe | Fremantle | – |
| 2014 | Matt Priddis | West Coast Eagles | – |
| 2013 | 2) | Gold Coast Suns | – |
| 2013 | Gary Ablett Jr. (2 | Gold Coast Suns | – |
| 2012 | Sam Mitchell | Hawthorn | – |
| 2012 | Trent Cotchin | Richmond | – |
| 2011 | Dane Swan | Collingwood | – |
| 2010 | 2) | Carlton | – |
| 2010 | Chris Judd | Carlton | – |
| 2009 | 2) | Geelong Cats | – |
| 2009 | Gary Ablett Jr. (1 | Geelong Cats | – |
| 2008 | Adam Cooney | Western Bulldogs | – |
| 2007 | Jimmy Bartel | Geelong Cats | – |
| 2006 | 2) | Sydney Swans | – |
| 2006 | Adam Goodes | Sydney Swans | – |
| 2005 | Ben Cousins | West Coast Eagles | – |
| 2004 | 2) | West Coast Eagles | – |
| 2004 | Chris Judd | West Coast Eagles | – |
| 2003 | 2) | Sydney Swans | – |
| 2003 | Adam Goodes | Sydney Swans | – |
| 2003 | Mark Ricciuto | Adelaide Crows | – |
| 2003 | Nathan Buckley | Collingwood | – |
| 2002 | Simon Black | Brisbane Lions | – |
| 2001 | Jason Akermanis | Brisbane Lions | – |
| 2000 | Shane Woewodin | Melbourne | – |
| 1999 | Shane Crawford | Hawthorn | – |
| 1998 | 2) | St Kilda | – |
| 1998 | Robert Harvey | St Kilda | – |
| 1997 | 2) | St Kilda | – |
| 1997 | Robert Harvey | St Kilda | – |
| 1996 | James Hird | Essendon | – |
| 1996 | Michael Voss | Brisbane Bears | – |
| 1995 | Paul Kelly | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1994 | 2) | Carlton | – |
| 1994 | Greg Williams | Carlton | – |
| 1993 | Gavin Wanganeen | Essendon | – |
| 1992 | Scott Wynd | Western Bulldogs | – |
| 1991 | Jim Stynes | Melbourne | – |
| 1990 | Tony Liberatore | Western Bulldogs | – |
| 1989 | Paul Couch | Geelong Cats | – |
| 1988 | Gerard Healy | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1987 | John Platten | Hawthorn | – |
| 1987 | Tony Lockett | St Kilda | – |
| 1986 | 2) | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1986 | Greg Williams | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1986 | Robert DiPierdomenico | Hawthorn | – |
| 1985 | Brad Hardie | Western Bulldogs | – |
| 1984 | 2) | Melbourne | – |
| 1984 | Peter Moore | Melbourne | – |
| 1983 | Ross Glendinning | North Melbourne | – |
| 1982 | Brian Wilson | Melbourne | – |
| 1981 | Barry Round | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1981 | Bernie Quinlan | Fitzroy | – |
| 1980 | Kelvin Templeton | Western Bulldogs | – |
| 1979 | 2) | Collingwood | – |
| 1979 | Peter Moore | Collingwood | – |
| 1978 | Malcolm Blight | North Melbourne | – |
| 1977 | Graham Teasdale | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1976 | Graham Moss | Essendon | – |
| 1975 | Gary Dempsey | Western Bulldogs | – |
| 1974 | 2) | North Melbourne | – |
| 1974 | Keith Greig | North Melbourne | – |
| 1973 | 2) | North Melbourne | – |
| 1973 | Keith Greig | North Melbourne | – |
| 1972 | Len Thompson | Collingwood | – |
| 1971 | 3) | Richmond | – |
| 1971 | Ian Stewart | Richmond | – |
| 1970 | Peter Bedford | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1969 | Kevin Murray | Fitzroy | – |
| 1968 | 3) | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1968 | Bob Skilton | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1967 | Ross Smith | St Kilda | – |
| 1966 | 3) | St Kilda | – |
| 1966 | Ian Stewart | St Kilda | – |
| 1965 | 3) | St Kilda | – |
| 1965 | Ian Stewart | St Kilda | – |
| 1965 | Noel Teasdale | North Melbourne | – |
| 1964 | Gordon Collis | Carlton | – |
| 1963 | 3) | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1963 | Bob Skilton | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1962 | Alistair Lord | Geelong Cats | – |
| 1961 | John James | Carlton | – |
| 1960 | John Schultz | Western Bulldogs | – |
| 1959 | 3) | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1959 | Bob Skilton | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1959 | Verdun Howell | St Kilda | – |
| 1958 | Neil Roberts | St Kilda | – |
| 1957 | Brian Gleeson | St Kilda | – |
| 1956 | Peter Box | Western Bulldogs | – |
| 1955 | Fred Goldsmith | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1954 | 2) | Richmond | – |
| 1954 | Roy Wright | Richmond | – |
| 1953 | 2) | Essendon | – |
| 1953 | Bill Hutchison | Essendon | – |
| 1952 | 2) | Richmond | – |
| 1952 | 2) | Essendon | – |
| 1952 | Bill Hutchison | Essendon | – |
| 1952 | Roy Wright | Richmond | – |
| 1951 | Bernie Smith | Geelong Cats | – |
| 1950 | Allan Ruthven | Fitzroy | – |
| 1949 | Col Austen | Hawthorn | – |
| 1949 | Ron Clegg | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1948 | Bill Morris | Richmond | – |
| 1947 | Bert Deacon | Carlton | – |
| 1946 | Don Cordner | Melbourne | – |
| 1945 | No medal awarded due to World War II | – | – |
| 1944 | No medal awarded due to World War II | – | – |
| 1943 | No medal awarded due to World War II | – | – |
| 1942 | No medal awarded due to World War II | – | – |
| 1941 | Norman Ware | Western Bulldogs | – |
| 1940 | Des Fothergill | Collingwood | – |
| 1940 | Herbie Matthews | Sydney Swans | – |
| 1939 | Marcus Whelan | Collingwood | – |
| 1938 | 3) | Essendon | – |
| 1938 | Dick Reynolds | Essendon | – |
| 1937 | 3) | Essendon | – |
| 1937 | Dick Reynolds | Essendon | – |
| 1936 | Denis Ryan | Fitzroy | – |
| 1935 | 3) | Fitzroy | – |
| 1935 | Haydn Bunton Sr. (3 | Fitzroy | – |
| 1934 | 3) | Essendon | – |
| 1934 | Dick Reynolds | Essendon | – |
| 1933 | Wilfred "Chicken" Smallhorn | Fitzroy | – |
| 1932 | 3) | Fitzroy | – |
| 1932 | Haydn Bunton Sr. (2 | Fitzroy | – |
| 1931 | 3) | Fitzroy | – |
| 1931 | Haydn Bunton Sr. (1 | Fitzroy | – |
| 1930 | Allan Hopkins | Western Bulldogs | – |
| 1930 | Harry Collier | Collingwood | – |
| 1930 | Stan Judkins | Richmond | – |
| 1929 | Albert Collier | Collingwood | – |
| 1928 | 2) | Melbourne | – |
| 1928 | Ivor Warne-Smith | Melbourne | – |
| 1927 | Syd Coventry | Collingwood | – |
| 1926 | 2) | Melbourne | – |
| 1926 | Ivor Warne-Smith | Melbourne | – |
| 1925 | Colin Watson | St Kilda | – |
| 1924 | Edward Greeves Jr. | Geelong Cats | – |
From the published honour rolls, matched to footyhome player records. Honour roll data from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.