Ross Glendinning Biography

The best player in each Western Derby will now take home the 'Glendinning-Allan Medal' after West Coast and Fremantle finally came to an agreement on the name of the award.

The medal's name now acknowledges the first captains of both clubs, Ross Glendinning of West Coast and Ben Allan of Fremantle, and ends the bitter dispute between the arch-rivals.

Both clubs had been locked in an unpleasant disagreement about the medal's prior name, the 'Ross Glendinning Medal', in the lead-up to their clash in April this year.

The Ross Glendinning Medal lives on.

After days of bickering between Fremantle and West Coast, intervention from the West Australian Football Commission has ensured the 17-season Western Derby tradition will continue after compromise from both clubs.

The Dockers, the home team in this Sunday's historic clash at Optus Stadium, have agreed to award the Ross Glendinning Medal to the best player on the ground from either side.

However, the clubs and WAFC intend to add the name of a "significant Fremantle player" to the medal from the round 20 clash onwards.

Retrospective Glendinning medals will also be handed out to the best Docker or Eagle in the 12 derbies between 1995-2000, before Drew Banfield won the inaugural award in round four, 2001.

Battle lines have been drawn between Fremantle and West Coast over the Ross Glendinning Medal, with the Dockers admitting they want the award renamed.

Fremantle is arguing one of its club greats should be added to Glendinning's name on the medal, but is also open to a new award, such as the Western Derby Medal, being struck.

"I think we need to preserve that as the Glendinning medal and it should go on forever," Eagles CEO Trevor Nisbett said.

"This is about the heritage of Western Australian football and we've anointed someone who has done so much for the game and we're taking that away from the game."

Dockers CEO Steve Rosich hoped an agreement could be reached before the historic first Western Derby at Optus Stadium.

"We would like the derby medal name to acknowledge both clubs’ foundations and great players, rather than just one club," Rosich said.

Four-time Ross Glendinning medallist Paul Hasleby is "extremely disappointed" the best player in each Western Derby will no longer receive the accolade.

The medal has been scrapped in an end to a 17-season tradition, while the trophy will no longer be presented to the winning team because of changes to brewer CUB's sponsorship deal.

"I can't understand why they wouldn't go forward presenting the Ross Glendinning Medal at least, given it's been a big part of the history of the two teams," Hasleby said.

"With or without a sponsor you don't require it to go forward, you can always find who the best player has been on the ground, so my initial reaction is I'm extremely disappointed."

West Coast's first captain Ross Glendinning has been named the club's new number one ticket holder.