The winner is voted on by a five-member panel consisting of former players, journalists and media personalities, with one member designated as the chair.[6] Each panellist independently awards three votes, two votes and one vote to the players they regard as the best, second best and third best in the match, respectively. These are tallied and the highest number of combined votes wins the medal.[7]
There is no chance of a tie for the medal; if two players are tied for votes, the following countbacks will apply in order:
In some years judges were required to lodge their decisions prior to the completion of the match, to ensure votes were compiled in time for the ceremony.[11] This was changed following the2002 AFL Grand Final, afterMichael Voss had five crucial possessions in the last five minutes of the close game which could have swayed the voting, but eventually placed fourth behindNathan Buckley.[11] After the match, three of the five judges suggested they would have voted differently if they had lodged their votes after the final siren.[11]
Prior to the2016 season, if the grand final resulted in a draw, the game would be replayed the following week.[12] In such instances, a separate Norm Smith Medal was awarded in each game.[13] Since 2016, a drawn grand final would result in the use ofextra time to determine the winner, rather than a full-match replay.[12]
The medal is presented in a post-match ceremony held immediately after the conclusion of the match. Since 2004, former Norm Smith medallists have presented the award, in the order of the year in which they won;[14] as of 2024,Gary Ablett Sr. is the only former winner to decline presenting the award;[citation needed] andNathan Buckley's position in the sequence was skipped in 2019, as he was coaching Collingwood, who were yet to be eliminated when the decision on presenter had to be made.[15]
Nathan Buckley is one of just four players to have received the Norm Smith Medal as a member of the losing grand final team, winning the award in2002.[5]Chris Judd is the most recent player to receive the medal as a member of the losing grand final team, winning in2005.[5]Luke Hodge is one of just five players to have won multiple Norm Smith Medals, winning in2008 and2014.[4]Paul Chapman is the only player to win the Norm Smith Medal on a countback, winning in2009.[9]Lenny Hayes is the only player to have won a Norm Smith medal in a drawn grand final, doing so in2010.[13]
^Browne, Ashley (19 May 2014)."Ablett snr reminisces 1989 GF".geelongcats.com.au. Telstra Media.Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved28 June 2018.
^Saltau, Chloe (29 September 2002)."Decorated, devastated".The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media.Archived from the original on 9 January 2017. Retrieved27 June 2018.
^Blake, Martin (28 September 2003)."Black right on the ball".The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media.Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved27 June 2018.
^"Pickett claims Norm Smith medal".ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 26 September 2004.Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved27 June 2018.
^"Victory to the Swans".The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. AAP. 24 September 2005.Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved27 June 2018.
^Paine, Chris (26 September 2009)."Cats crowned 2009 AFL premiers".ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved27 June 2018.
^Hand, Guy (25 September 2010)."Hayes wins Norm Smith Medal".The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media.Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved27 June 2018.
Holmesby, Russell;Main, Jim (2009).The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (8th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Bas Publishing.ISBN978-1-921496-00-4.
Lovett, Michael, ed. (2010).AFL Record Season Guide 2010. G. Slattery.ISBN978-0-9806274-5-9.
