Fremantle CEO Steve Rosich confirmed today that the Fremantle Dockers had investigated the possibility with Derby opponents West Coast, to have the Ross Glendinning Medal renamed, following the completion of a long-running sponsorship of the Western Derby, involving Fremantle, West Coast and the WA Football Commission, which included sponsorship of the Western Derby trophy and medal for the best player.
“Following the completion of the previous sponsorship of the Western Derby, we believed that the time was right to strike a new medal that more fairly and appropriately recognises the player history of both clubs,” Rosich said.
“We would be delighted to strike a new medal for the best player at the first Western Derby at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
“However, our endeavours to achieve that aim to date at this historic time have not been agreed to by West Coast.”
Rosich said Fremantle’s board was of the view that a new name for the medal for the best player in the Western Derby was warranted given the expiry of the derby sponsorship and the start of a new era for football at Optus Stadium.
“Whilst we acknowledge Ross Glendinning as a great West Australian player and Brownlow Medallist, he is the first captain of West Coast and a current and visible employee and brand ambassador of our Derby opponents.
“We acknowledge that Ross was chairman of selectors at our club for a short period from 2000 to 2002.”
Rosich said one option that Fremantle had explored with West Coast, was the joint naming of the medal, retaining the Glendinning name and adding that of a former Fremantle club great.
“We have investigated options with West Coast around a new joint name for the medal, or a new name such as, the Derby Medal, similar to the Showdown Medal in Adelaide, and we believe that the time is right to do that.
“Both of these options have not been agreed to by West Coast, with West Coast advising that it was their preference to award the Ross Glendinning Medal to their best player and our club to award our own medal if the Ross Glendinning Medal was not to continue as a joint award.”
Rosich said it was still possible for an agreement to be reached for a derby trophy and medal for the best player to be presented after Sunday’s game at Optus Stadium.
“If we can reach an agreement with West Coast, we could work quickly to arrange for a trophy to be presented to the winning team after the first Derby at Optus Stadium on Sunday,” Rosich said.
“We could include the medal component if we can reach a mutual agreement with West Coast to change to a joint name or alternate name of the medal.
“Given the new era at Optus Stadium, our board does not want to present a joint medal if it was to remain as the Ross Glendinning Medal and reserves the right to award our own medal at any time in the future, if an agreement with West Coast cannot be reached on a new name.
“In 2001 we came to an agreement for the naming of the medal for the best player in the Derby and this born out of a new sponsorship agreement with both WA clubs. At that time we were six years into our existence, and we did not have the history or status that our club has today, which will see us play the first Derby at Optus Stadium on Sunday as a Fremantle home game, in what is anticipated to be a record crowd for an AFL game in Perth.
“We would like the Derby medal name to acknowledge both clubs’ foundations and great players, rather than just one club.”
