2024: Jahrome Hughes
The Melbourne Storm halfback claimed his first Dally M Medal in 2024.
It capped a significant rise after he was unwanted at the Titans and Cowboys before landing at the Storm.
Hughes played one game at each club – for the Titans in 2013 and for the Cowboys in 2016 before getting a lifeline from the Storm, where he started his career in 2017.
In an uncanny twist of fate, the Cowboys had both the 2023 and 2024 Dally M winners on their roster in 2016, letting them both go when they had played just 10 NRL games for the club between them.
Hughes arrived at the Storm as a fullback but the emergence of Ryan Papenhuyzen and the departure of Brodie Croft meant Hughes shifted to halfback.
“It was a bit of a different transition … but (Craig Bellamy) told me not to change my game too much, stick to my strengths.”