Recently retired Fremantle defender Luke McPharlin is among seven players in contention for this year’s Madden Medal, awarded by the AFL Players’ Association.

The award will be presented on Friday evening at a function in Melbourne and will recognise the retiring AFL player who has contributed the most to the game and the broader community.

McPharlin calls time
 
McPharlin is a Fremantle Dockers life member with 256 games over 16 seasons and will be remembered as one of the club’s greatest ever players. Off the field, he has worked hard to balance the demands of AFL football while studying pharmacy at Curtin University and raising a young family. He has also been a child safety ambassador for the Constable Care Foundation since 2008.
 
Players nominated for the 2015 Madden Medal are:
·      Luke McPharlin – Fremantle
·      Chris Judd – Carlton
·      Dustin Fletcher – Essendon
·      Paul Chapman – Essendon
·      Daniel Cross – Melbourne
·      Kane Cornes – Port Adelaide
·      Chris Newman – Richmond

AFLPA CEO Paul Marsh said the award acknowledges the investment players make in the game, along with the steps they have taken to develop themselves professionally and personally.

“With so many outstanding players retiring each season, it’s important we take the opportunity to recognise the contribution they have made to the game, both on and off the field,” he said.

“Each of the 2015 Madden Medal nominees have had sensational playing careers, however it’s important we acknowledge the off-field effort involved in building a successful AFL career and celebrate these achievements.”

The key criteria taken into consideration in determining the Madden Medallist are football achievement, personal development and community spirit, and off-field engagement.

Grateful for guidance: McPharlin

The award, named in honour of former AFL champions Simon and Justin Madden, was first presented in 2007 and has been won by:

Glenn Archer (2007)
Robert Harvey (2008)
Michael O’Loughlin (2009)
Brett Kirk (2010)
Cameron Ling (2011)
Luke Power (2012)
Jude Bolton (2013)
Lenny Hayes (2014)

The board of the AFL Players’ Association, along with previous recipients of the award, determine the winner of the Madden Medal.