Dally M Medal be established in rugby league in Australia. The medal was sponsored by Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc., a tobacco production company. There were two Rothmans Medals awarded each year: one for the best player in the New South Wales Rugby League, and one for the best player in the Brisbane Rugby League. The voting for the Rothmans Medal was the same basic format as the modern day Dally M, except that the votes were determined by the referees, rather than the media. The two Rothmans Medals were first awarded in 1968, and were awarded each year until 1996. In 1997,
Dally Messenger III in Librarianship (teacher-librarian) from Melbourne State College (now part of Melbourne University). Messenger was also the founding editor and publisher of "Dance Australia Magazine", which he established in 1980. His work on creating this magazine was recognised by two national arts awards. The first was an award for "Services to Dance" in the inaugural National Dance Awards, presented at the Sydney Opera House in May 1997. The website citation reads as follows: "Dally had the vision and determination to publish the first dance magazine in Australia. In 1980 he began producing Dance Australia, which is still providing quality news, advice,