We are pleased to advise that following ongoing discussions involving the WA Football Commission, West Coast and the Fremantle Dockers, an agreement has been reached regarding the presentation of a medal for the best player in the Western Derby.

The agreement will result in the following:

  • As the home team, the Fremantle Dockers will provide a Ross Glendinning Medal to be presented post-match to the best player in the 47th Western Derby between Fremantle and West Coast at Optus Stadium on Sunday
  • Both AFL clubs and the WAFC have begun a process aimed at securing approvals for a jointly named medal to be presented at the 48th Western Derby in round 20 and on an ongoing basis, which retains Ross Glendinning’s name and includes the name of a significant Fremantle player
  • The WAFC and both clubs have agreed that no interim trophy for the Western Derby will be presented on Sunday, with a trophy to be presented in the future once a naming rights partner has been secured
  • Retrospective Ross Glendinning medals to be awarded for the best player in Western Derbies between 1995 to 2000.

Fremantle CEO Steve Rosich welcomed the agreement.

“We are pleased that the tradition of presenting a medal to the best player will continue at Sunday’s Western Derby, and that in future derbies a new, jointly named medal, will include that of a significant Fremantle player alongside Ross Glendinning,” Rosich said.

“This new, jointly named medal will be presented to the best player in all future derbies, starting with the next Western Derby in round 20.

“We believe this is a fair and appropriate outcome and we are pleased that our ongoing discussions with the West Coast Eagles and the WAFC have resulted in this outcome being achieved.

“We are now very much looking forward to the history-making first ever Western Derby at Optus Stadium on Sunday and the prospect of a crowd in the order of 58,000 people, which would be a record for an AFL game in Perth.”

West Coast chief executive officer Trevor Nisbett said: "We are pleased that we have reached an agreement that will see the retention of Ross Glendinning's name with the award for the best player in derbies in perpetuity.

"We believe, when the medal was struck in 2001, that Ross' credentials were impeccable and deserved to be linked with such an award.

"He was an outstanding player in a golden era for WA football, winning a Brownlow Medal, representing WA with distinction in State of Origin matches and, of course, was the cornerstone of the admission of the first WA team to join the expanded VFL competition. 

“He was the first captain of the West Coast Eagles and continues to contribute to our club and the game more broadly."

WAFC CEO Gavin Taylor said the WAFC was pleased to assist with the discussions so that the tradition of presenting a Western Derby Medal could continue.

“We look forward to seeing the medal presented on Sunday and finalising discussions with the clubs on the future naming of the medal,” Taylor said.

“I would like to acknowledge the respective clubs and the WAFC for their support to work through these discussions. Our attention can now focus on what will be a memorable Western Derby.”