A total of 38 players, one club and Grant Hackett have received nominations for The Frownlow Medal, even before the winter football codes reach the halfway point of their seasons.
The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes; the National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. The first medal was awarded to Sydney Roosters and New Zealand representative Shaun Kenny-Dowall.
The West Coast Eagles AFL club joined the list for a racist tweet while Hackett was nominated after being recruited by Collingwood in the hope that the club will win something in 2016.
A mysterious penis from the Wests Tigers is in the running as are the eleven unkown Collingwood players who tested positive to illicit drug use during the off season.
The judges are yet to decide whether Parramatta Eels player Kieran Foran will be nominated for misuse of prescription medication.
A full list of nominees is provided below.
| Name | Code | Club | Action | |
| 1 | Mitchell Pearce | NRL | Sydney Roosters | Filmed simulating sex with a dog, while intoxicated, on Australia Day. Video posted on social media. |
| 2 | Ben Hunt | NRL | Brisbane Broncos | Breaking curfew at QLD emerging Origin camp |
| 3 | Anthony Milford | NRL | Brisbane Broncos | Breaking curfew at QLD emerging Origin camp |
| 4 | Jarrod Wallace | NRL | Brisbane Broncos | Breaking curfew at QLD emerging Origin camp |
| 5 | Dylan Napa | NRL | Sydney Roosters | Breaking curfew at QLD emerging Origin camp |
| 6 | Edrick Lee | NRL | Canberra Raiders | Breaking curfew at QLD emerging Origin camp |
| 7 | Chris Grevsmuhl | NRL | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Breaking curfew at QLD emerging Origin camp |
| 8 | Valentine Holmes | NRL | Cronulla Sharks | Breaking curfew at QLD emerging Origin camp |
| 9 | Cameron Munster | NRL | Melbourne Storm | Breaking curfew at QLD emerging Origin camp |
| 10 | Jack Bird | NRL | Cronulla Sharks | Involved in an incident at a bar, supporting Shaun Kenny-Dowall |
| 11 | Dustin Martin | AFL | Richmond Tigers | Accused of threatening to stab woman in the eye with chopsticks at a Japanese restaurant while intoxicated. |
| 12 | Jobe Watson | AFL | Essendon Bombers | Involved in controversy which could see him lose his 2012 Brownlow Medal. Possibly first player to win Brownlow and Frownlow Medals. |
| 13 | Matthew Lodge | NRL | West Tigers, former. | Involved in crimes in The USA while intoxicated. Spent time in US Prison. Frownlow nomination dependent on eligibility. |
| 14 | Kurt Mann | NRL | St George Dragons | Filmed his mate throwing a goanna, posted the video on social media which included a racist remark. |
| 15 | Brad Hill | AFL | Hawthorn Hawks | Involved in a police investigation into violence at a nightclub in Victoria. |
| 1 | West Coast Eagles | AFL | West Coast Eagles | Staff member posted the words ‘yellow peril’ on the club’s official twitter account. |
| 16 | Mystery penis | NRL | Wests Tigers | Unknown rookie photographed his own penis while representing the club then posted it on social media. |
| 17 | Liam Knight | NRL | Manly Sea Eagles | Arrested for speeding and drink driving while on his P Plates. |
| 18 | Manu Vatuvei | NRL | New Zealand Warriors | Stood down from New Zealand Warriors first grade team due to ‘attitude’. |
| 19 | Ben Matulino | NRL | New Zealand Warriors | Stood down from New Zealand Warriors first grade team due to ‘attitude’. |
| 20 | Bodene Thompson | NRL | New Zealand Warriors | Stood down from New Zealand Warriors first grade team due to ‘attitude’. |
| 21 | Konrad Hurrell | NRL | New Zealand Warriors | Stood down from New Zealand Warriors first grade team due to ‘attitude’. |
| 22 | Albert Vete | NRL | New Zealand Warriors | Stood down from New Zealand Warriors first grade team due to ‘attitude’. |
| 23 | Sam Lisone | NRL | New Zealand Warriors | Stood down from New Zealand Warriors first grade team due to ‘attitude’. |
| 24 | Unknown | AFL | Collingwood | As yet unnamed players tested positive to illicit drug use during the off season. |
| 25 | Unknown | AFL | Collingwood | As yet unnamed players tested positive to illicit drug use during the off season. |
| 26 | Unknown | AFL | Collingwood | As yet unnamed players tested positive to illicit drug use during the off season. |
| 27 | Unknown | AFL | Collingwood | As yet unnamed players tested positive to illicit drug use during the off season. |
| 28 | Unknown | AFL | Collingwood | As yet unnamed players tested positive to illicit drug use during the off season. |
| 29 | Unknown | AFL | Collingwood | As yet unnamed players tested positive to illicit drug use during the off season. |
| 30 | Unknown | AFL | Collingwood | As yet unnamed players tested positive to illicit drug use during the off season. |
| 31 | Unknown | AFL | Collingwood | As yet unnamed players tested positive to illicit drug use during the off season. |
| 32 | Unknown | AFL | Collingwood | As yet unnamed players tested positive to illicit drug use during the off season. |
| 33 | Unknown | AFL | Collingwood | As yet unnamed players tested positive to illicit drug use during the off season. |
| 34 | Unknown | AFL | Collingwood | As yet unnamed players tested positive to illicit drug use during the off season. |
| 35 | Daniel Georgievski | A-League | Melbourne Victory | Fighting with a fan after his side’s loss. |
| 36 | Aaron Gray | NRL | South Sydney | Misuse of Prescription medicine. |
| 37 | Dylan Walker | NRL | South Sydney | Misuse of Prescription medicine. |
| 38 | Sam Burgess | NRL | South Sydney | Using phone while driving. Posting the video on social media. |
Existing nominees and their footballing colleagues have until October to impress the judges of Australia’s most fiercely contested inter-code award.
First published in May 2016.
Image: Nuna
The Frownlow Medal 