The Nichols Medal is the annual award to the "best and fairest" player in Australian Rules football competition the Northern Territory Football League in the Northern Territory, Australia.[1] It is named in honour of Joseph W. Nichols,[2] a long time administrator of Australian Rules football in the Northern Territory.[1] The first NTFL "best and fairest" was awarded in 1947, but the first award under the name "Nichols Medal" was made in 1949.[3] In 1993, the NTFL retrospectively awarded medals to players who had lost previous counts via the countback system.[4]
| Season | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1946/47 | Leo Pon | Darwin |
| 1947/48 | Bob Daniell | Army/Navy |
| 1948/49 | Andy Nation | Army/Navy |
| 1949/50 | Joe Sarib | Darwin |
| 1950/51 | Steve Abala Snr. | Darwin |
| 1951/52 | Denis Ganley | |
| 1952/53 | Charles 'Bluey' McKee | |
| 1953/54 | Bill James | |
| 1954/55 | Bill Roe | St Marys |
| 1955/56 | Neil Davies | St Marys |
| 1956/57 | Harold Muir | Working & Housing |
| 1957/58 | Ted Cooper | Wanderers |
| 1958/59 | Joe Bonson | Working & Housing |
| Terry Lew Fatt | St Marys | |
| 1959/60 | Joe Bonson | Working & Housing |
| Peter Marrego | Wanderers | |
| 1960/61 | Jim Wilson | |
| 1961/62 | Ted Cooper | Wanderers |
| 1962/63 | Bertram Kantilla | |
| 1963/64 | Walter 'Bennie' Lew Fatt | Nightcliff |
| 1964/65 | Clifford 'Gympie' Lew Fatt | St Marys |
| 1965/66 | Rusty Moreen | Wanderers |
| 1966/67 | Leon Gregory | St Marys |
| 1967/68 | Don Stokes | Darwin |
| 1968/69 | Ali Muir | Darwin |
| Maurie Ryan | Wanderers | |
| 1969/70 | John Pepperill | St Marys |
| 1970/71 | Ken Bonson | Nightcliff |
| 1971/72 | Pat Murphy | St Marys |
| Keith Nickels | Waratah | |
| 1972/73 | Pat Murphy | St Marys |
| Joe Daby | Nightcliff | |
| 1973/74 | St Marys | |
| 1974/75 | no award | (competition suspended) |
| Season | Player | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975/76 | Ronald 'Barney' Quall | Darwin | |
| 1976/77 | Basil Damaso | Darwin | |
| 1977/78 | Bill Bennett | St Marys | |
| Mark Motlop | Nightcliff | ||
| Ian Wallace | North Darwin | ||
| 1978/79 | John 'Bubba' Tye | ||
| 1979/80 | Hank McPhee | ||
| 1980/81 | Joe Daby | Nightcliff | |
| 1981/82 | Peter Ivanoff | Waratah | |
| 1982/83 | Tony Lehman | North Darwin | |
| 1983/84 | William 'Ninny' Briston | Darwin | |
| 1984/85 | Steve Thomson | St Marys | |
| 1985/86 | Damian Christensen | St Marys | |
| 1986/87 | Peter Ivanoff | Waratah | |
| 1987/88 | Steven Stokes | Darwin | |
| 1988/89 | William Rioli Snr | St Marys | |
| 1989/90 | Brently Hughes | Southern Districts | |
| 1990/91 | Michael Athanasiou | St Marys | |
| 1991/92 | Jason Jones | Darwin | |
| 1992/93 | Noel Long | St Marys | |
| 1993/94 | Jason Jones | Darwin | |
| 1994/95 | Joel Howes | Wanderers | |
| 1995/96 | St Marys | ||
| Cyril Rioli Snr | St Marys | ||
| 1996/97 | Norm Murphy | Nightcliff | |
| 1997/98 | Norm Murphy | Nightcliff | |
| 1998/99 | Adrian Collard | Southern Districts | |
| Tommy Weetra | St Marys | ||
| 1999/00 | Kelvin Maher | Southern Districts | |
| 2000/01 | Kelvin Maher | Southern Districts | |
| 2001/02 | Bruce Jarmyn | Southern Districts | |
| 2002/03 | Ben Ah Mat | Darwin | |
| 2003/04 | Colin 'Tim' Karpny | Wanderers | |
| 2004/05 | Jarred Ilett | St Marys | |
| 2005/06 | St Marys | ||
| 2006/07 | Shannon Rusca | Southern Districts | |
| 2007/08 | Jarred Ilett | St Marys | |
| Warren Berto | Nightcliff | ||
| 2008/09 | Iggy Vallejo | St Marys | |
| 2009/10 | Matthew Cannard | Southern Districts | |
| 2010/11 | James McNamee | Wanderers | |
| 2011/12 | Troy Coates | Nightcliff | |
| 2012/13 | Shane Tipuamantamerri | Tiwi Bombers | |
| 2013/14 | Peter MacFarlane | St Marys | |
| 2014/15 | Cameron Ilett | St Marys | |
| 2015/16 | Brodie Filo | Nightcliff | |
| 2016/17 | Timothy Mosquito | Waratah | |
| 2017/18 | Cameron Ilett | Nightcliff | |
| 2018/19 | Phillip Wills | Nightcliff | |
| 2019/20 | Brodie Filo | Nightcliff | |
| Beau O'Connell | Wanderers | ||
| 2020/21 | Dominic Brew | Nightcliff | |
| 2021/22 | Daniel Bowles | Nightcliff | |
| Eric Guthrie | Palmerston Magpies | ||
| 2022/23 | Dylan Landt | St Marys |
The following players have won the Nichols Medal multiple times.
| 2 | Ted Cooper | Wanderers | 1957/58, 1961/62 |
| Joe Bonson | Working & Housing | 1958/59, 1959/60 | |
| Pat Murphy | St Marys | 1971/72, 1972/73 | |
| Joe Daby | Nightcliff | 1972/73, 1980/81 | |
| Peter Ivanoff | Waratah | 1981/82, 1986/87 | |
| Jason Jones | Darwin | 1991/92, 1993/94 | |
| Norm Murphy | Nightcliff | 1996/97, 1997/98 | |
| Kelvin Maher | Southern Districts | 1999/00, 2000/01 | |
| Jarred Ilett | St Marys | 2004/05, 2007/08 | |
| Cameron Ilett | St Marys / Nightcliff | 2014/15, 2017/18 | |
| Brodie Filo | Nightcliff | 2015/16, 2019/20 |