Best First Year Player

The January 9 1940 Minute Book entry indicates a medallion to be struck in the name of the late J. J. Charles, the first and original secretary of the club, and presented to the 'best 1st year (sic) of the club each year'
In 1944, the Best First Year award was named after the late Bill Cosgrove. The year before, a Bill Cosgrove Memorial Trophy was awarded to the Most Improved Junior Player.
The Best First Year medal would later be named Bill Cosgrove/Harry Jenkins Medal.

This award is named in honour of former Richmond player Bill Cosgrove, and influential Richmond talent recruiter, Harry Jenkins. Bill Cosgrove played for the Tigers before enlisting in the RAAF during World War 2, where was sadly killed in action.

To be eligible for the Jenkins/Cosgrove Medal for Best First Year Player, the player:
• Must be younger than 21 years of age on 1 January of the award year; and
• Must play his first AFL game with the Club.
• An eligible player who finishes in the highest position in the Jack Dyer medal will be awarded the Jenkins/Cosgrove Medal

2024 rules (and perhaps earlier):
To be eligible for the award, the player must play his first AFL game with the Richmond Football Club in the award year.

Year	Recipient	Games
1927	Jack Baggott (Stetson Hat)	19
1928	Jack Bissett (Gold Medal)	19
1929	Maurie Sheahan (Hat)	18
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934	Dick Harris (Clock)	20
1935
1936
1937	George Bates (Trophy)	14 (played 1 game 1937)
1938	Bert Edwards (Medal)	14
1939	Bob Bawden	9
1940	Bernie Waldron	12
1941	Polly Perkins	18 (played 1 game 1940)
1942	Bill Morris	6
1943	Max Oppy	15 (played 9 in 1942)
1944	Arthur Mooney	15 (played 1 game 1943)
1945	Don Fraser Jnr	19
1946	Ray Stokes	13
1947	Ken Roberts	13
1948	Geoff Spring	16
1949	Kevin Dillon	10
1950	Ray Ednie	(by 1 vote from Brian Boland)
1951	Peter Schofield	6 games, for 15 votes, kicked 21 goals
1952	Graham Cox	11
1953	Ron Branton	17
1954	Jim Walton	16
1955	Ray McDonald	15
1956	Tom Simpson	13
1957	Dave Cuzens	9
1958	Fred Swift	16
1959	Dick Grimmond	14
1960	Graeme Wilkinson	18
1961	John Robertson	17
1962	Ian Hayden	13
1963	William Brown	15
1964	Kevin Smith	17
1965	Wilf Dickeson	16
1966	Dick Clay	16
1967	Royce Hart
1968	Des McKenzie	9 "narrowly defeated Rex Hunt" (The Age, 2 Sept 1968 pg 18)
1969	Ian Owen	16
1970	Ray Boyanich	19
1971	Brian Roberts	18
1972	Bryan Wood	16
1973	Robert Lamb	16
1974	David Cloke	23
1975	Allan Edwards	15
1976	Jim Jess	6
1977	Michael Roach	9
1978	Dale Weightman	18
1979	Stephen Mount	9
1980	Terry Smith	23
1981	Geoff Martin	5
1982	Stephen Pirrie	10
1983	Brian Winton	10
1984	Michael Pickering	12
1985	Stephen James	18
1986	Craig Smith	20
1987	Andy Goodwin	3
1988	Justin Pickering	22
1989	Barry Young	13
1990	Stephen Ryan	22
1991	Scott Turner	22
1992	Stuart Edwards	21
1993	Matthew Richardson	14
1994	Matthew Rogers	22
	Jamie Tape	21
1995	David Bourke	15
1996	Robert Powell	8
	Damien Ryan	11
1997	Joel Bowden	13 (played 5 in 1996)
1998	Andrew Kellaway	16
1999	Marc Dragicevic	17
2000	Royce Vardy	13
2001	Ray Hall	17 (played 1 game 1999)
2002	Mark Coughlan	16
2003	Chris Newman	13
2004	Brent Hartigan	19
2005	Brett Deledio	22
2006	Dean Polo	17
2007	Jake King	19
	Shane Edwards	16
2008	Trent Cotchin	15
2009	Robin Nahas	19
2010	Dustin Martin	21
2011	Reece Conca	17
2012	Steven Morris	21
2013	Nick Vlastuin	18
2014	Anthony Miles	13
2015	Kamdyn McIntosh	23
2016	Daniel Rioli	18
2017	Dan Butler	23
2018	Jack Higgins	20
2019	Sydney Stack	17
2020	Thomson Dow	2
2021	Riley Collier-Dawkins
2022	Josh Gibcus
2023	Tylar Young	19
2024	Seth Campbell	21