Best on ground in the grand final, chosen by a panel of experts. First awarded in 1979.
| 2026 | Shai Bolton | Fremantle |
| 2025 | Will Ashcroft | Brisbane Lions |
| 2024 | Will Ashcroft | Brisbane Lions |
| 2023 | Bobby Hill | Collingwood |
| 2022 | Isaac Smith | Geelong Cats |
| 2021 | Christian Petracca | Melbourne |
| 2020 | Dustin Martin | Richmond |
| 2019 | Dustin Martin | Richmond |
| 2018 | Luke Shuey | West Coast Eagles |
| 2017 | Dustin Martin | Richmond |
| 2016 | Jason Johannisen | Western Bulldogs |
| 2015 | Cyril Rioli | Hawthorn |
| 2014 | Luke Hodge | Hawthorn |
| 2013 | Brian Lake | Hawthorn |
| 2012 | Ryan OKeefe | Sydney Swans |
| 2011 | Jimmy Bartel | Geelong Cats |
| 2010 | Lenny Hayes | St Kilda |
| 2010 | Scott Pendlebury | Collingwood |
| 2009 | Paul Chapman | Geelong Cats |
| 2008 | Luke Hodge | Hawthorn |
| 2007 | Steve Johnson | Geelong Cats |
| 2006 | Andrew Embley | West Coast Eagles |
| 2005 | Chris Judd | West Coast Eagles |
| 2004 | Byron Pickett | Port Adelaide |
| 2003 | Simon Black | Brisbane Lions |
| 2002 | Nathan Buckley | Collingwood |
| 2001 | Shaun Hart | Brisbane Lions |
| 2000 | James Hird | Essendon |
| 1999 | Shannon Grant | North Melbourne |
| 1998 | Andrew McLeod | Adelaide Crows |
| 1997 | Andrew McLeod | Adelaide Crows |
| 1996 | Glenn Archer | North Melbourne |
| 1995 | Greg Williams | Carlton |
| 1994 | Dean Kemp | West Coast Eagles |
| 1993 | Michael Long | Essendon |
| 1992 | Peter Matera | West Coast Eagles |
| 1991 | Paul Dear | Hawthorn |
| 1990 | Tony Shaw | Collingwood |
| 1989 | Gary Ablett Sr. | Geelong Cats |
| 1988 | Gary Ayres | Hawthorn |
| 1987 | David Rhys-Jones | Carlton |
| 1986 | Gary Ayres | Hawthorn |
| 1985 | Simon Madden | Essendon |
| 1984 | Billy Duckworth | Essendon |
| 1983 | Colin Robertson | Hawthorn |
| 1982 | Maurice Rioli | Richmond |
| 1981 | Bruce Doull | Carlton |
| 1980 | Kevin Bartlett | Richmond |
| 1979 | Wayne Harmes | Carlton |
From the published honour rolls, matched to footyhome player records. Honour roll data from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.