Tom Lynch is the winner of the 2022 Jack Dyer Medal.
The powerful dual Richmond premiership star key forward captured the Club’s Best and Fairest award for the first time in a thrilling finish in tonight’s count held at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium.
Lynch polled 60 votes to edge out Daniel Rioli on 59 votes with Dion Prestia third, 56 votes. Then followed Shai Bolton and Liam Baker in equal fourth place on 53 votes.
It was a mighty performance by Lynch, who missed four full games through injury and was subbed out early in the first quarter of another match.
Lynch, who previously won two Best and Fairest awards when he was with the Gold Coast Suns, kicked 63 goals for the 2022 season, an average of 3.3 per game, which is the best of his 12-year AFL career.
He was ranked No. 1 in the competition for goals per game, No. 1 for contested marks and No. 2 for marks inside-50.
Eight times throughout the season, Lynch was awarded the maximum five Best and Fairest votes in a match, which was clearly the most by any member of the Tigers’ playing group, and testimony to his dominance up forward for the team.
His five-vote games were in: Round 4 v Western Bulldogs: nine disposals, five marks, four contested marks, four goals; Round 7 v West Coast: 19 disposals, 14 marks, eight contested marks, seven goals; Round 8 v Collingwood: 25 disposals, 11 marks, three contested marks, six goals; Round 9 v Hawthorn: 16 disposals, six marks, two contested marks, four goals; Round 20 v Brisbane: 15 disposals, seven marks, five contested marks, four goals; Round 21 v Port Adelaide: 16 disposals, six marks, three contested marks, four goals; Round 22 v Hawthorn: 18 disposals, 12 marks, seven contested marks, eight goals; Round 23 v Essendon: 19 disposals, nine marks, four contested marks, five goals.
Rioli, who received the Jack Titus Medal for being runner-up in the Best and Fairest, was a revelation in his first full season playing as a small backman, combining tight defence with rebounding flair.
He averaged 20.5 disposals, 5.4 contested possessions, 4.8 marks, 3.3 rebound-50s, 2.8 inside-50s, 5.7 intercepts, 4.7 score involvements, 2.4 tackles and 390.8 metres gained per match.
Among the Richmond playing group, Rioli was ranked No. 2 for metres gained, No. 2 for intercepts, No. 3 for disposals and No. 4 for rebound-50s.
Highlighting Rioli’s attacking ability out of the backline was the fact that he managed to kick 10 goals for the season.
Prestia, who won the Jack Dyer Medal in Richmond’s 2019 premiership year, produced another impressive Best and Fairest performance, claiming the Maurie Fleming Medal, despite missing four games through injury and being subbed out early in another three matches.
The top-class midfielder averaged 24.8 disposals, 11.1 contested possessions, 3.3 marks, 6.0 clearances, 3.0 centre clearances, 4.1 inside-50s, 6.0 score involvements, 2.8 intercepts, 3.0 tackles and 385.1 metres gained.
He was ranked No. 7 competition-wide for centre clearances per game.
At Tigerland, he was ranked No. 1 for clearances, No. 1 for centre clearances, equal No. 1 for contested possessions, No. 2 for disposals, No. 4 for inside-50s, No. 4 for tackles and No. 5 for metres gained.
The Fred Swift Medal went to both Bolton and Baker.
Bolton ignited the Tigers’ team on numerous occasions during the season with his brilliance, both up forward and through the midfield.
Playing all 23 games, he averaged 17.5 disposals, 9.2 contested possessions, 3.2 marks, 3.6 clearances, 2.4 centre clearances, 4.3 inside-50s, 1.9 goals (43 in total), 7.5 score involvements, 2.1 tackles and 361.1 metres gained.
Across the competition, he was ranked No. 4 for score involvements and among the Richmond players he was ranked No. 1 for score involvements, equal No. 1 for contested possessions, No. 2 for inside-50s, No. 2 for centre clearances, No. 2 for goals, No. 3 for marks inside-50, No. 3 for metres gained and No. 4 for clearances.
Baker boosted his reputation as Richmond’s Mr Fixit throughout the season, being successfully used in a variety of roles within the line-up.
In 23 games, he averaged 19.1 disposals, 6.8 contested possessions, 3.6 marks, 3.0 inside-50s, 2.5 rebound-50s, 5.1 score involvements, 4.6 intercepts, 2.3 tackles and 309.2 metres gained.
He was ranked No. 4 at the Club for disposals, No. 5 for contested possessions, No. 5 for inside-50s and No. 5 for score involvements.
Under the Jack Dyer Medal voting system all the team’s players on match day receive a rating from 0-5 based on their overall performance.
The match committee assesses each player’s offensive, defensive and contest impacts on the game.
After those game phases have been analysed, the 0-5 rating is given as a joint match committee decision.
Votes are not allocated for what the match committee deems a below-average performance.
2022 Jack Dyer Medal top 20 players
1st – Tom Lynch, 60
2nd – Daniel Rioli, 59
3rd – Dion Prestia, 56
Eq. 4th – Shai Bolton, 53
Eq. 4th – Liam Baker, 53
Eq. 6th – Trent Cotchin, 52
Eq. 6th – Jayden Short, 52
Eq. 8th – Toby Nankervis, 47
Eq. 8th – Marlion Pickett, 47
10th – Nathan Broad, 46
Eq. 11th – Nick Vlastuin, 44
Eq. 11th – Robbie Tarrant, 44
Eq. 13th – Dylan Grimes, 39
Eq. 13th – Kamdyn McIntosh, 39
15th – Jack Riewoldt, 34
16th – Jack Graham, 32
Eq. 17th – Shane Edwards, 23
Eq. 17th – Maurice Rioli Jr, 23
Eq. 19th – Dustin Martin, 19
Eq. 19th – Noah Cumberland, 19
