Our Sandover Medal Winners

Our first Sandover medalist, a fast and exceptionally elusive centreline player with a delightfully accurate left foot pass. He tied for the first Sandover medal but was awarded posthumously in 1997. His senior career between 1914 and 1928 was interrupted by Great War service and included four pioneering seasons with Glenelg in the SANFL and three interstate carnivals.

Perth FC, 1942–43 and 1946–58, Terry Moriarty played 267 games (253 for Perth and 14 for WA) and kicked 29 goals, earning major honours including the Sandover Medal in 1943 and Perth’s Fairest and Best in 1942–43, while his achievements included captaining Perth in 1943, featuring in Grand Finals in 1949 and 1950, and winning the drought-breaking 1955 premiership; widely regarded as one of the finest half-back flankers in WAFL history, the Perth legend was a nine-time state representative and dual club fairest and best who held the WAFL club games record for more than 50 years, emerging from Victoria Park juniors to star immediately at league level by winning Perth’s fairest and best in his debut season, renowned for elite fitness, tight checking and attacking rebound that made him ahead of his time as a defender; after missing two seasons serving in the Army during WWII, he returned to become a key figure in strong Perth sides and retired in 1958 with a club-record 253 games, his legacy as a durable, disciplined and courageous defender firmly secured in WA football history.

Bailey was a defender and had two stints with Carlton, the first started in 1941 when he came over from Perth on a war permit. He did not play in 1943 and 1944 due to wartime commitments and he returned to Perth in 1945 and won a Sandover Medal that season. He spent the final years of his career at Perth, including a stint as coach, to finish with a total of 110 games for the club and is a member of our official ‘Team of the Century’.

Merv “Big Mac” McIntosh played for Perth FC from 1939 to 1955, appearing in 241 games (217 for Perth and 24 for WA), and amassed an extraordinary list of honours including three Sandover Medals (1948, 1953 and 1954), Perth’s Fairest and Best awards from 1946–50, 1952 and 1954, All-Australian selection in 1953, Simpson Medals in 1952, 1953 and 1955, the Tassie Medal in 1953 and the 1955 premiership; a giant ruckman from Cannington, the Perth legend debuted in 1939 and, after returning from WWII service in 1946, went on to dominate WA football, producing one of the greatest grand final performances in WAFL history in his final game when, with Perth trailing by 34 points at half-time, he drove the Redlegs to their drought-breaking 1955 premiership with a two-point win over East Fremantle, finishing with 45 hit-outs and 24 possessions, a farewell masterpiece that cemented his place among the game’s immortals.

Beard played mostly as a ruck-rover and in defence. He won the Sandover Medal in 1961, beating Ray Sorrell on a countback. Beard represented Western Australia just once in his career, against South Australia at Perth in 1962.

Pat Dalton played for Perth FC from 1960 to 1971, appearing in 217 games and earning major honours including the Sandover Medal in 1970 and Perth’s Fairest and Best awards in 1964 and 1970, while also representing Western Australia in 1969 and winning premierships in 1966, 1967 and 1968; the outstanding centreman of Perth’s most successful era, he held the key position through the Demons’ historic premiership hat-trick from 1966–68 and was renowned for his toughness, consistency and modesty, becoming the cornerstone of the club’s midfield under coaches Ern Henfry and Malcolm Atwell; a South Perth junior and 1960 Colts premiership player, Dalton established himself early by winning the Doug Buckingham Memorial Trophy before claiming multiple club fairest and best awards, and he capped a stellar career with a dominant 1970 season to claim the Sandover Medal before retiring in 1971.

Ian Miller enjoyed a distinguished WAFL and VFL career, playing 196 WAFL games (132 for Perth and 64 for East Perth), 80 VFL games for Fitzroy and 15 matches for Western Australia, earning major honours including the Sandover Medal and All-Australian selection in 1972 and the Simpson Medal in the 1978 Grand Final, while winning premierships with Perth in 1968 and East Perth in 1978; a versatile and influential footballer, he began as a half-back flanker before moving to centre half-forward at Perth in 1972, becoming the first player to win a Sandover Medal from that position, and after a four-year VFL stint with Fitzroy from 1974 to 1977 he returned to WA to join East Perth, where he won a premiership and the Simpson Medal in his first season; he later coached Perth FC from 1982 to 1984 before joining the West Coast Eagles in coaching and football operations, with a focus on player welfare.

Bryan Cousins enjoyed a distinguished WAFL and VFL career, playing 307 senior games in total, including 240 for Perth in the WAFL across two stints and 67 for Geelong in the VFL, while also representing Western Australia at state level, earning major honours such as Perth’s Fairest and Best awards in 1972 and 1982 and the 1983 Sandover Medal (retrospective); a skilful and durable midfielder-rover, he debuted as a 16-year-old in 1970 and became one of Perth’s modern greats, a brilliant ball-winner whose WAFL career was sandwiched around a successful VFL period with Geelong from 1975 to 1979; as Perth captain from 1982 to 1984, he led by example and further enhanced his standing as a leader and state representative.

Mark Watson enjoyed a distinguished WAFL and VFL career, playing 192 senior games in total, 119 for Perth and 73 for Claremont, along with three Western Australia state games, and earning major honours including the 1987 Sandover Medal, three consecutive Perth Fairest and Best awards (Butcher Medal) from 1987 to 1989, and All-Australian selection in 1987, while also winning a premiership with Claremont in 1981; a classy midfielder and standout in the WAFL, Watson spent five seasons at Perth after his early premiership success with Claremont, dominating league football in the late 1980s with his combination of ball skill, football smarts and consistency, which made him one of the Demons’ premier players of his era.

Gus Seebeck had a brief but memorable WAFL career, playing 20 games for Perth in 1999 and earning the Sandover Medal in his sole season with the Demons, a remarkable achievement for a ruck/forward who made an immediate impact after moving from South Fremantle; prior to joining Perth, he had won the Prendergast Medal as the fairest and best in the WAFL reserves in 1998, and following his WAFL stint he continued his football journey with the East Coast Eagles in Sydney.

Ross Young was a classy and influential midfielder for Perth FC in the WAFL from 2008 to 2012, playing a significant number of games and representing Western Australia three times at state level; arriving at Perth after a brief AFL stint with Carlton, he quickly established himself as one of the league’s standout players, winning the Sandover Medal in 2009 and multiple club Fairest and Best awards (Butcher Medal) while anchoring the Demons’ midfield with elite ball-winning ability and leadership, culminating in his appointment as club captain in 2012 and leaving a lasting legacy as one of Perth’s premier modern-era players.

Aidan Tropiano played over 100 WAFL games for Perth as a midfielder from 2014 to 2017, emerging as one of the league’s most prolific and consistent ball-winners after joining from East Fremantle; renowned for regularly averaging over 30 disposals, he claimed the 2015 Sandover Medal in a thrilling count despite Perth’s struggles on the ladder, while also winning Perth’s Fairest and Best (Butcher Medal) that year, cementing his role as the Demons’ midfield spearhead.

Charlie Constable, a former AFL midfielder with Geelong and Gold Coast, joined Perth FC ahead of the 2024 WAFL season and quickly established himself in the midfield, playing 31 games to date and producing a standout 2025 campaign in which he averaged over 30 disposals and played a key role in Perth’s finals return, culminating in both the Sandover Medal and the club’s Fairest and Best (Butcher Medal); also a Western Australia state representative, Constable has re-signed through 2027 and become a central leader and influential figure in the Demons’ resurgence.