Fopiani honoured with best on ground medal

AFL Barwon has honoured local football champion Frank Fopiani, with the player adjudged best-on-ground in the Geelong Football League Grand Final to receive the Frank Fopiani Medal.

The inaugural medal will be awarded at the conclusion of Friday’s Grand Final between Leopold and South Barwon.

Fopiani, who passed away in August, played in seven premierships at North Shore and one at St Mary’s.

He was named best-on-ground in a record three GFL Grand Finals in 1993, 1995 and 2004, the latter coming in the same year he coached St Mary’s to the premiership.

AFL Barwon chair, Michelle Gerdtz, said Fopiani’s record stood alone among a host of players, coaches and officials who have contributed to the history of the GFL competition across 45 years.

“Everyone in local football was shocked and saddened by Frank’s recent passing,” Gerdtz said.

“Frank was an amazing footballer but more importantly he was a wonderful person, and his standing in the football community across our region speaks for itself.

“His record as a player in GFL Grand Finals is unrivalled and it is fitting that we recognise the enormous contribution Frank made to our competition.”

In addition to his record in grand finals, Fopiani won five best-and-fairest awards at North Shore through its era of dominance in the 1990s and early 2000s and was a GFL interleague representative player on multiple occasions.

In 2015 he was named by the Geelong Advertiser as the best Geelong Football League player of all time.

Fopiani’s wife, Sylvia, said her husband would have been humbled by the honour.

“Our family has been overwhelmed by the thoughts, messages and prayers of everyone in the Geelong football community since Frank passed,” Sylvia said.

“He was a loving husband, father and friend, and he will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

“This award speaks to the legacy Frank leaves behind, and we thank AFL Barwon for the gesture. You can’t stop the Fop.”

The inaugural Frank Fopiani Medal will be presented by Frank's son, Connor.