2024 Brownlow Medal

[BoBo 2,918]

8 hours ago, Macca said:

Forwards & Backs have been ignored for decades now

The term 'Midfielders medal' started at least 30 years ago but way back in the 70's many would complain that key forwards (especially) and Backs just didn't poll well enough

Star Key backs like Scarlett for instance, rarely pick up any votes at all

And it's not just the umpires either.  The media, coaches etc all award votes in the same way

Of course, in a general sense, midfielders stand out as they don't have direct opponents nor are they ever tagged

Meanwhile, a player like Hogan is often double or triple teamed whenever he goes near the ball

Excluding finals, Bob Pratt in 1934 kicked 138 goals in an 18 round season and received the paltry amount of 13 Brownlow votes

So not much has changed

Yes, good points.

Huh! Imagine kicking basically 7 goals a game for a whole season and losing by six votes in the Brownlow count.

 

[Hellaintabadplacetobe 4,285]

3 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

The “two” “two” “two” thing by Hamish to Cripps was one of the cringiest things I’ve seen. Hamish is too use to interviewing children. 

Missed it thankfully ...I switched off the moment he dramatically dropped the folder with all the records Crippa broke.

I couldn't take any more 

[Left Foot Snap 2,348]

There are 4 field umpires now, so the voting must be done by consensus, which in itself is already a committee. Umpires concentrating on the game can often be influenced by last quarter performances as they are freshest in mind.

Why not make the emergency umpire in charge of giving the votes?

[Clintosaurus 7,565]

Coaches are no more objective. McRae seemed to give Little Nicky 5 in several matches where he was nowhere near the best player.

[Craig T 161]

23 hours ago, Macca said:

And back in those days the votes were read out differently... all the 1's then all the 2's finishing with the 3's

So there was no way of identifying which games certain players polled in.

I believe it wasn't until 1984 as to when the match votes in 1, 2, 3 order was adopted

In 1972 or maybe 1975, the last 20 × 3 votes read out were all from players in contention.  So the 'Knowledge' of who had won was in my opinion, known

So if people reckon it isn't hunky dory now, take a look back ... way back

*Former Demon Greg Wells was 2nd in 1972 pipped at the post after Len Thompson received the last 3 votes read out

Beaten by 3 votes but Wells was in front on the old countback system before that last 3 votes cruelled his chances

Rigged for dramatic effect?  You betcha

*Memory is a bit sketchy as it might have been Stan Alves pipped by Gary Dempsey in 1975 

 

You're memory is fine, it was Greg Wells pipped by Len Thompson.  Wells was my fav player, which is showing my age somewhat. 😆

You're also right about the way the votes were counted - rigged for maximum dramatic effect.

[John Crow Batty 8,786]

I didn’t watch the Brownlow. Did Tracc attend?

Edited Wednesday at 09:42 by John Crow Batty

[Macca 16,643]

18 minutes ago, Craig T said:

You're memory is fine, it was Greg Wells pipped by Len Thompson.  Wells was my fav player, which is showing my age somewhat. 😆

You're also right about the way the votes were counted - rigged for maximum dramatic effect.

I was devastated at the time

Maybe more so because I knew it was rigged.  It added to the cruelity of Wells not winning

But you live and learn and I became a cynic at a very young age haha

[Macca 16,643]

And how about the leak in 1978 when Blight won!! 

Seemed like everyone knew but the SP's probably didn't lay any bets

After that we had the Mayne Nickless guards bringing in the locked-away votes in the big metal cases

They kinda overdid it! 

They were still reading out the 1's then 2's then the 3's until 1984 so most of us knew it was a con

So this time around, we were told before the 'count' that the Bont wasn't going to feature in the finish (?)

How do they get away with this sort of stuff? 

Edited Wednesday at 10:56 by Macca

[Sir Why You Little 36,668]

I haven’t watched a Brownlow Count since 1986. 
That year Dippa and Greg Williams tied. 
Such integrity 

Let’s never forget either that R Flower was never bestowed with this shallow award

[biggestred 4,820]

3 2 1

You're telling me the player with 3 votes is 3x better that day than the player with 1 vote?

The sample size is too small.

Give EACH umpire votes. Potentially 9 different players can get votes but you're going to end up with a much more accurate result.

Yes it would take longer to read out - but add the games up then read it out. Howlers would also be minimised. Just an idea

[redandbluemakepurple 351]

On 24/09/2024 at 18:01, Macca said:

And back in those days the votes were read out differently... all the 1's then all the 2's finishing with the 3's

So there was no way of identifying which games certain players polled in.

I believe it wasn't until 1984 as to when the match votes in 1, 2, 3 order was adopted

In 1972 or maybe 1975, the last 20 × 3 votes read out were all from players in contention.  So the 'Knowledge' of who had won was in my opinion, known

So if people reckon it isn't hunky dory now, take a look back ... way back

*Former Demon Greg Wells was 2nd in 1972 pipped at the post after Len Thompson received the last 3 votes read out

Beaten by 3 votes but Wells was in front on the old countback system before that last 3 votes cruelled his chances

Rigged for dramatic effect?  You betcha

*Memory is a bit sketchy as it might have been Stan Alves pipped by Gary Dempsey in 1975 

 

Jack Hamilton was the one who held back the likely 3 votes at the table.  Just to max out the nostalgia.

[Macca 16,643]

8 hours ago, redandbluemakepurple said:

Jack Hamilton was the one who held back the likely 3 votes at the table.  Just to max out the nostalgia.

Possibly but I've long held the belief that the league knows the result well before the night itself

And their track history with reportable incidents/MRO/Tribunal is highly questionable as well

They're are just like any other sporting body.  They are a law unto themselves

[layzie 32,938]

Unless everyone starts watching the MVP instead of the Brownlow, get used to seeing it on our screens, in the current format. 

[Craig T 161]

12 hours ago, biggestred said:

3 2 1

You're telling me the player with 3 votes is 3x better that day than the player with 1 vote?

 

Spot on.  Good ol' Ronald Dale made this point decades ago......

[Craig T 161]

Part of the problem is the fact that too many people rate the Brownlow way too highly.  When it first started, pre-radio and television, and more limited coverage in the print media, I understand it was the only competition best and fairest award.  As such it meant something.  Then, as the coverage of the game expanded dramatically in the 60s and 70s and there were awards left right and centre, the then VFL decided to promote it as it was their B&F and wanted it to still stand as the peak individual award.  So they let Channel 7 televise it, build the hype, and make it into the big palaver it is today.

As someone once said, would we take it so seriously if it wasn't called the Brownlow, but "The Umpires Award"? 🤣

[Demonstone 21,825]

The Brownlow Medal, for all its faults, still retains much of its cachet.

I could name many, many Brownlow winners but very few winners of media and other awards over the years.