Douglas Wilkie Medal
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The Douglas Wilkie Medal is an award presented to those who do the least for Australian rules football, in the best and fairest manner. An accolade presented by the Anti-Football League, it is named after Douglas Wilkie, a Sun News-Pictorial columnist who wrote for the paper during the years 1946-1986. It was Douglas Wilkie who first suggested the notion of an Anti-Football League, which was brought into being by Keith Dunstan. The League exists as a response to the overwhelming obsession of football by the Melbourne public.
The award is the League's answer to the Australian Rules' Brownlow Medal, an honour bestowed on footballers whom throughout the season play in a skilled and sportsman like fashion.
Following the suggestion of fellow writer Cyril Pearl, who wished to burn a football to express his disaffection for the game, the winner must destroy a football in a unique and creative manner on receiving their medal.
[edit] Previous Winners
- 1967 - Harold Holt
- 1968 - Bob Skilton
- 1969 - Ron Frazer (Fraser)
- 1970 - Barry Oakley, author A Salute to the Great McCarthy: a Novel (1970) ISBN 0855610085; the book was converted into the 1975 movie of the same name.
- 1972 - Cyril Pearl, Author
- 1973 - Douglas McClelland
- 1974 - Leon Hill, former General Manager GTV-9
- 1975 - Barry Humphries
- 1977 - Kate Baillieu, former GTV-9 personality
- 1979 - Peter Smith
- 1980 - Jack Elliot, racing writer
- 1981 - Lindsay Thompson Former Premier of Victoria
- 1983 - Julie Clarke, a suffering housewife
- 1984 - Anne Le Grand, wife of football commentator Chip Le Grand
- 1985 - Shelley Dye, another suffering housewife
- 1986 - Sir Les Patterson
- 1987 - Peter Russell-Clarke
- 1988 - Terry Lane
- 1989 - Raelene Boyle
- 1990 - Tim Bowden, ABC broadcaster and author
- 1992 - Wendy Harmer, broadcaster and comedian
- 1993 - Tim Bowden
- 1994 - Dennis Pryor
