2022 Joe Grant Medal

At this Saturday’s QAFL Grand Final between the Broadbeach Cats and Aspley, the Joe Grant Medal will be awarded to the Best on Ground player.  

Joe Grant was Queensland’s first full-time football administration. Originally from Pyramid Hill in central Victoria, north of Bendigo, he was a loyal Fitzroy man but moved to Brisbane in the early ‘50s due to the ill-health of his wife Win.

Joe Grant, former QAFL Secretary. 

His appointment as secretary of the QAFL in 1958 was a significant advancement for the code’s administration, and Joe held that position until the AFL-funded appointment of Ken Murphy as QAFL General Manager in 1980. Joe was QAFL secretary for 23 years.

Over his 23-year tenure, Joe worked out of two inner-city offices before the league moved to Bowen Street, Spring Hill, where he was based until his retirement. Joe passed away in 1981.

His exemplary service to the game was acknowledged with the naming of the QAFL Best on Ground Medal in his honour from 1981 onwards. Many highly regarded names have taken home the medal with inaugural winner Kevin Sparkes enjoying a successful career as a coach in the WAFL with Subiaco.

Only two players have won the medal twice with Southport Legend Zane Taylor (1983, 1990) and Jake Dignan with two clubs NT Thunder (2011) and a dominant display with Palm Beach Currumbin (2017) win over Labrador.

Last year’s Joe Grant Medal Winner from Broadbeach, defender Liam Nelson, will be aiming to join both Taylor and Dignan as dual medallists in this year’s QAFL Grand Final.

Liam Nelson after being awarded the 2021 Joe Grant Medal.

Other notable winners include Brisbane Lions players, Danny Dickfos North Brisbane (1995) and Ben Robbins, who tore apart the 2001 Grand Final for the Brisbane Lions Reserves.

Collingwood star Jack Crisp took out the award whilst at the Lions in 2013 as a sign of things to come and the great Matt Payne was the winner in 2020 whilst playing at Morningside to coincide with his premiership medal and Grogan Medal in what capped off a remarkable season for one of Queensland’s all-time great players.

Current QAFL coaches Morningside’s Clint Watts (1998) was outstanding for the Southport Sharks whilst Mt Gravatt coach Tony Lynn capped a brilliant AFL, SANFL and QAFL with a premiership win over Southport and Joe Grant Medal win 20 years ago in 2002 with the Vultures.

To celebrate the 20-year milestone Tony Lynn will present the Joe Grant Medal to this year’s winner at the QAFL Grand Final on Saturday.

Past Joe Grant Medallists: 

In the QAFL Reserves Grand Final between Labrador and Palm Beach, the Billy Hardy Medal, for the Best on Ground will be presented. Billy played his junior football at Coolangatta and was playing for Southport when he was a victim of the 2002  Bali Bombings. 

Former Coolangatta and Southport player Billy Hardy.