One of North Melbourne’s newest Hall of Fame inductees was responsible for the birth of the Syd Barker Medal.
While a best and fairest had been awarded each year of the club’s existence, it wasn’t until Barry Cable won his first in 1970 when a medal was introduced.
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Ron Joseph explained the origins of the historic medal at the club’s Celebration of Shinboner Spirit on Friday night.
“I always remember in 1970… the two players who were favoured to win the best and fairest that year were Peter Steward and Barry Cable,” Joseph explained.
“’Cabes’ (Cable) won (the 1970 best and fairest) by a considerable margin.
“In those days the best and fairest might get a set of golf clubs, or a silver tray and some goblets, or really whatever he wanted.”
Cable had departed North after the season, returning back to his home in Perth to re-join the WAFL.
It was perhaps because of those circumstances that the call to Perth unfolded as it did.
“I rang ‘Cabes’ and said, ‘what would you like?,’” Joseph added.
“This was on the telephone to Perth, and he said ‘I’d just like a medal’.
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“‘A medal that later on in life, I can show my kids that I played at North Melbourne and that I won North Melbourne’s best and fairest’.
“And so in 1970, the Syd Barker Medal was born. We always had the Syd Barker as our best and fairest, but the Syd Barker Medal is now hung around the neck every year of the winning player.”
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