Words by Tom Connor.
It represents the highest individual achievement in Australian Rugby, to be recognised by your peers as the best of the best. The John Eales Medal is awarded every year, with each Wallabies player casting their vote on a 3-2-1 basis following every Test match across the last 12 months.
Named after one of the game’s all-time greats, the John Eales Medal was introduced in 2002 and has an honour roll 13 names long. Traditionally the forwards have dominated the voting, with nine of the past 13 winners putting their head down come scrum time. Last year saw 2013 Rookie of the Year winner, Israel Folau graduate to the top prize, and given his form over the past 12 months you wouldn’t bet against him becoming the first player to go back to back.
Ahead of rugby’s night of nights this Thursday, we look back to the past five John Eales Medal winners, and a few reasons why they received the highest tally of votes from their Wallabies’ teammates.
2014 – Israel Folau
Israel Folau made his Wallabies debut in 2013, less than 12 months after joining the XV man code, and it didn’t take long for him to make an impression on his teammates. Izzy won the award after accumulating 314 points, 82 clear of his Waratahs and Wallabies teammate Michael Hooper.
Starting in every Test match he has played, Izzy hit the ground running against the British and Irish Lions when he bagged a brace on debut. By the end of his first season Israel had equalled the Wallabies try scoring record of 10 in a calendar year, set by Lote Tuqiri in 2014.
The 2014 Super Rugby season saw Izzy take his game to a whole new level, becoming the first player ever to top both the NRL and Super 15 regular season try scorers list. Izzy’s uncanny knack of finding the try line extends back to his Rugby League days where he broke the record for the most tries scored by a rookie (21) in their debut season. The youngest player to represent the Kangaroos and Maroons, his rise to the top of Australian Rugby was swift but not at all surprising.
2013 – Michael Hooper
Michael Hooper went from strength to strength in 2013, the 21 year old finishing an extraordinary season becoming the fourth Openside Flanker to win the most coveted title in Australian rugby. The John Eales Medal wasn’t the only accolade Hooper collected that year, also adding the Super Rugby Player of the Year and the Castrol EDGE Strongest Performer Award to his resume.
It was only his second season with the Wallabies that saw the Manly junior claim the award by a margin of greater than 100 votes. Gifted with speed that shouldn’t belong on his stocky frame, Hooper let his actions do the talking with the same relentless work ethic that defines his ability to this day, and his teammates took notice.
2012 – Nathan Sharpe
Like a fine wine Nathan Sharpe just continued to improve with age, taking out the John Eales Medal in 2012. Five years after first winning the award, the man they call ‘Sharpie’ capped a stellar career by becoming just the second man to take the title twice.
Australia’s most capped forward, Sharpe polled 259 votes, 24 ahead of his nearest rival David Pocock and 88 ahead of 2011 Under 20’s Player of the Year, Michael Hooper. An old school, hard-as-nails type of player who demonstrated his dominance come set piece time, Nathan will go down as one of the best Second Rowers to pull on the Gold jersey. A popular player amongst players and fans alike, Sharpie was also voted Australia’s Choice Player of the Year, an Award voted by the public. Sharpe took out the award after he twice postponed his retirement to answer the call of Robbie Deans and lead the Wallabies for the second half of the 2012 season.
2011 – Kurtley Beale
A schoolboy prodigy who debuted at fly-half for the Waratahs, Kurtley Beale made the Wallabies Fullback position his own in 2011. The St. Josephs old boy polled 127 votes to claim the 2011 John Eales Medal, edging out Stephen Moore in one of the closest results recorded.
Making the most of the open space that comes with wearing the number 15 jersey, Kurtley proved a handful for opposition defences as he set up and finished numerous try scoring opportunities. His goal kicking prowess continued to prove invaluable, off the back of his last gasp match winning penalty goal against South Africa in Bloemfontein during the Tri Nations in 2010.
The Award capped a brilliant 12 months for Beale, after winning the Wallabies Rookie of the Year and Try of the Year Awards in 2010, the same year he was also nominated for the prestigious IRB Player of the Year Award.
2010 – David Pocock
At just 22 years old, David Pocock followed in the footsteps of Phil Waugh and George Smith to become the third Openside Flanker to win the John Eales Medal. It was an outstanding year for Pocock, who also took out the Fans Player of the Year Award and was nominated for the IRB Player of the Year Award.
Known to his teammates as ‘Bam-bam’, Pocock was immense throughout the 2010 Super Rugby and International Rugby seasons. A workhorse around the field and a menace at the breakdown, Pocock crafted his reputation as the best pilferer in the game.
In addition to his eye-catching performances on the field, Pocock was just as busy off it, taking out the RUPA Medal for Excellence, an award that recognises players who have gone beyond their duty as a professional Rugby player both on and off the field.
