Why Parker believes suspended players should still be eligible for Dally M Medal

Corey Parker joined SENQ Mornings with Ben Davis to discuss whether suspended players should be eligible for the Dally M award.

Despite recent debates on the topic, Parker passionately argued the Dally M should not be impacted by suspensions, but rather strictly performance based.

"For you to be suspended, it comes down to the opinion of officials that are sitting in a box who have never laced a boot or been in the heat of battle,” he said.

"You're telling me that over a thirty-week period, just one slight high tackle means you're going to be robbed of being the best player in the league.”

The Dally M is determined by a weekly 3-2-1 points system, with any suspension resulting in a six-point deduction. However, suspended players remain eligible.

Despite this, Parker notes that if a rookie player is suspended, they become ineligible for Rookie of the Year which can lead to unfair and dissatisfying results.

They also compared the award to the AFL’s Brownlow Medal by which suspended players are ineligible.

"They've done their time and if they still are the best well then move forward,” he added.

"It takes away the prestige.”

With the Dally M ceremony set for October 2nd, the debate over player eligibility is intensifying.

Whilst Parker advocates for a focus on pure performance, this debate questions if the award should reflect the ‘best’ or ‘fairest’ in the league.