Instituted seven years after the formation of the VFL seconds, the Gardiner Medal was named after the late Frank Gardiner, a president of the competition. In 1959, the seconds was renamed the VFL reserves grade. The medal was awarded to the best and fairest player as adjudged by field umpires until the competition was terminated at the end of the 1999 season. In April 1992, three players who had previously been eliminated on a countback, were awarded medals retrospectively for the 1950, 1970 and 1977 seasons.
| Year | Gardiner Medal |
|---|---|
| 1929 | Bob Ross |
| 1936 | Marcus Boyall |
| 1947 | Pat Twomey |
| 1949 | Kevin Coghlan |
| 1974 | Stephen Clifford |
| 1991 | Stephen Anderson |
