Gold Coast Suns and Palm Beach Currumbin honour late footballer in inaugural Jacko Graham Medal clash

Graham, who died last year aged 22, was the older brother of Suns young gun Will and the two clubs faced off for the inaugural Jacko Graham Medal.

Palm Beach Currumbin’s Jack Exell took home the inaugural medal for best on ground which was presented by Will and Jackson’s mother Kylie post-game.

Damien Hardwick praised Suns football operations manager Darcie Finlayson who helped put the game together.

“Can I just give a shout out to Darcie Finlayson who helped organise the Palm Beach Currumbin game prize for Will Graham and his family which was a touching event,” he said in his post-match press conference.

“Hopefully it becomes an annual event with our VFL squad, it was a great moment, something that brings a little bit of happiness to the family but also to two footy clubs. So that was awesome.”

Palm Beach Currumbin president Anne Cornish said the club was incredibly honoured to have the Suns reach out to pay tribute to the Graham family.

“The whole concept of recognising an amazing young man in conjunction with a VFL and a QAFL team is inspirational that the two levels can come together to do that,” she said.

“It was proposed by the Suns and we were very enthusiastic about doing that with them, they’ve been fantastic. What an amazing club to actually do that.

“I didn’t start off as a Suns supporter – I’m from Melbourne – but it just makes you realise that living here and being here that you want to support them more and more.”

Cornish endorsed Hardwick’s call to make the clash an annual fixture and said the Graham family had been incredibly moved by the touching gesture.

“They, like me, are just so honoured and it was unexpected. There was no expectation that would happen but we really support the concept and are really humbled about it,” Cornish said.

“It’s very important to us and it’s important because it’s written into the history books so when people like me leave the club, his legacy will still remain.

“It’s not reliant on people remembering which is what I think is really important.”

The clash saw Lions graduates Caleb Graham, Jed Walter and Dylan Patterson all take on their former side with Walter spearheading the charge with a game-high four goals in the Suns’ 111-33 win.

Originally published as Gold Coast Suns and Palm Beach Currumbin honour late footballer in inaugural Jacko Graham Medal clash