Hayward Medal origins reveals fascinating story

Former longstanding SWFL president Kevin Lynn has seen it all during his lengthy involvement with country football. This includes the shaping of the SWFL’s annual night of nights, the Hayward Medal, into an unforgettable gala event. But it was not always like this. “Of interest, the medal was never a public count between 1946 and 1979,” Lynn said. “It was always held during a delegates meeting, or on the odd occasion it was just an executive member with a few people who counted the votes and then announced it. “For awhile, it was also broadcast on the radio by 6TZ. In 1979, I was living back in Bunbury at that stage and was involved in getting the first public count of the medal. “This count was broadcast on the radio, attended by the general public and it was held at the Bussell Motor Hotel, which seated 250-odd people.” Aside from how the event grew into a big occasion, the story how the medal originated is equally fascinating. “The first Hayward Medal was awarded during the old Bunbury league,” Lynn said. “And in a meeting during April 1946, Thomas Hayward — who was the owner of the very famous Hayward’s store in Bunbury — decided they would donate a medal for the best and fairest player in the league. “That was the beginning of the Hayward Medal which began the transition towards becoming a South West league medal. “The first medal was won by Reg ‘Bunny’ Hayes with 14 votes.” The South West might have been growing as a football hub during the 1950s, but the Hayward tradition continued, as the SWFL as we know morphed into the competition we know it as today. In his role as league president, Lynn had the opportunity to read out the votes at several Hayward Medal counts. However, the 1994 count is one he will never forget. “One year, and I did not know who had won it, a few people came up to me and asked me who I thought would win the medal a couple of days out before the count,” Lynn said. “And I said “Blair Carter from Busselton will bolt in”, which was sort of a throwaway joke line. “It came to the night of the count and I was reading the votes, before I came to the last card of the night. “I was watching the board thinking “Gee that Carter is close” and I turned the card over and saw Blair had received three votes. “He won and then I had people telling me that I should not have told them. But it was a joke line, although for me that would have been the most memorable night.”