Sydney Swans greats Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin are honoured with a medal named in their honour presented to the best on ground at Marn Grook at the SCG.

Formally announced in 2016 the Goodes-O’Loughlin Medal is awarded to the player judged best afield in a tribute to two of the greatest Indigenous players to have graced the AFL arena.

The medal features the blue and red colours of Sydney’s first Marn Grook guernsey, designed by Goodes' mother Lisa Sansbury.

The medal has been won twice by Isaac Heeney (2018 and 2021), Lance Franklin (2017 and 2022) and Chad Warner (2023 and 2024), and by Tom Mitchell (2016), Sam Reid (2019) and Fremantle’s Luke Ryan (2020).

Goodes and O’Loughlin, named at centre half back and full forward respectively in the AFL Indigenous Team of the Century in 2005, have worked tirelessly to promote First Nations participation in Australian football and zero tolerance for racism across sport and society more broadly.

The pair also founded the GO Foundation to empower Indigenous youth through education and to date they have awarded more than 1000 scholarships in Sydney, Adelaide and Canberra.

00:51

Making the Goodes-O'Loughlin medal

This Friday, the player judged best on ground will be presented with the Goodes-O'Loughlin Medal to honour the contribution of Swans greats Adam Goodes and Michael O'Loughlin.

Past Goodes-O’Loughlin Medal winners
2016: Tom Michell
2017: Lance Franklin
2018: Isaac Heeney
2019: Sam Reid
2020: Luke Ryan (Fremantle)
2021: Isaac Heeney
2022: Lance Franklin
2023: Chad Warner
2024: Chad Warner

02:38

Swans unveil new Marn Grook guernsey

The Sydney Swans have unveiled a new 2025 Marn Grook guernsey, ahead of the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

Adam Goodes retired at the end of the 2015 season after 372 games in the red and white. His decorated career including two Brownlow Medals, two AFL premierships (2005 and 2012), three Bob Skilton Medals, 1999 AFL Rising Star award, being named in the Indigenous Team of the Century and four All Australian accolades. Goodes was named Australian of the Year in 2014.

Michael O’Loughlin played 303 games at the Swans from 1995-2009. A member of the Swans’ 2005 premiership team, O’Loughlin won the Swans’ best and fairest award in 1998, is a dual All-Australian and was named in the Indigenous Team of the Century. In 2015 he was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Both Goodes and O’Loughlin have worked to stamp out racism and advocate for Indigenous youth through the Goodes-O’Loughlin (GO) Foundation.

The GO Foundation is our Match Day Partner for this week’s game.

Donate to the GO Foundation here and empower Indigenous young people through education.