Opinion Who wins the 2023 Brownlow Medal? (POLL)

[7/11]

Probably too much effort (and controversy), but would make the Brownlow a “player’s player” award. Have them vote immediately after the game with slips (post song of course) and the 3 players with the most votes totalled for each game are the ‘3, 2, 1’ guys for that match.

Think it would be pretty consistent by the end of the year, even if some players donkey vote on the odd occasion. Shouldn’t be any revealing of brownlow votes either at any point of the season so no manipulation can happen.

 

[Leroy]

Probably too much effort (and controversy), but would make the Brownlow a “player’s player” award. Have them vote immediately after the game with slips (post song of course) and the 3 players with the most votes totalled for each game are the ‘3, 2, 1’ guys for that match.

Think it would be pretty consistent by the end of the year, even if some players donkey vote on the odd occasion. Shouldn’t be any revealing of brownlow votes either at any point of the season so no manipulation can happen.

Interesting idea, but surely there'd be an incentive to only vote for your teammates?

Even if you were thrashed, there's no integrity check to say you need to give your points to the opposition... it be a matter of which clubs could organise the best to pool their votes onto single players

 

[7/11]

Interesting idea, but surely there'd be an incentive to only vote for your teammates?

Even if you were thrashed, there's no integrity check to say you need to give your points to the opposition... it be a matter of which clubs could organise the best to pool their votes onto single players

Could even vote for top 3 from each team and then give the top 5 or so names to umpires. It’s a hard one as any method will have its flaws but it’d be nice to see the players have input.

 

[HimothyTaranto]

AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award honestly feels like more of the real award anyway.

Neale wasn't even All-Australian this year and finished 5th in AFLCA voting, but we are meant to believe he was the best player of the year?

In the GWS game where he polled 3 votes, he didn't even get a single coaches vote for that game.

 

[Professor]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1706297854975783044

View: https://twitter.com/sirswampthing/status/1706297854975783044

 

[Professor]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1706580662441169277

View: https://twitter.com/aflcentral1/status/1706580662441169277

 

[mike89]

AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award honestly feels like more of the real award anyway.

Neale wasn't even All-Australian this year and finished 5th in AFLCA voting, but we are meant to believe he was the best player of the year?

In the GWS game where he polled 3 votes, he didn't even get a single coaches vote for that game.

I wonder if the solution is as simple as to give the other awards a similar level of prestige? If we find out who wins from the coaches, the players, the media and the umpires on the same night, especially if multiple players are honoured, nobody's splitting hairs over a dodgy call in round 6.

 

[Connoisseur]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1706299315923120559

 

[Miss_Brightside]

But then how can it be differentiated between the other awards other than naming rights, etc?

It is amusing how for six months the football public constantly complain about umpiring being the deciding factor between their teams winning and losing and that they have no idea what they are doing, but then waiting on bated breath for their votes as if it holds any credibility. Who wants to win individual awards in a team sport anyway?

I agree so much with this.

 

[Miss_Brightside]

Any small amount of respect I had for this medal has been completely destroyed by Lachie Neale winning this year. With all due respect to Lachie (who is a very good player), the outcome of this year’s count made no sense.

 

[Professor]

lol

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1706624987338363294

View: https://twitter.com/shepmates/status/1706624987338363294

 

[Manikato1]

AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award honestly feels like more of the real award anyway.

Neale wasn't even All-Australian this year and finished 5th in AFLCA voting, but we are meant to believe he was the best player of the year?

In the GWS game where he polled 3 votes, he didn't even get a single coaches vote for that game.

Pretty sure Shane Woewodin was not all Australian when he won it in 2000.

 

[HimothyTaranto]

Pretty sure Shane Woewodin was not all Australian when he won it in 2000.

Interesting. Is this the only other example we have in the past 20+ years? Because it would just further reaffirm my point that something about not being All-Australian doesn't sit right if you win the Brownlow.

 

[Miss_Brightside]

Slight tangent, but am I the only one who rates Dunkley higher than Neale as a player?

 

[HimothyTaranto]

Slight tangent, but am I the only one who rates Dunkley higher than Neale as a player?

I would argue that he had a slightly better year, so you are not crazy.

 

[Miss_Brightside]

I would argue that he had a slightly better year, so you are not crazy.

Thank you, @HimothyTaranto. I appreciate your support on this one.

 

[Miss_Brightside]

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/e...s/news-story/39e55fe8f21090c555e65c94d4808f84

 

[Darkie]

Interesting. Is this the only other example we have in the past 20+ years? Because it would just further reaffirm my point that something about not being All-Australian doesn't sit right if you win the Brownlow.

Priddis in 2014 is another example. Wiki indicates that was the first time since Woewodin.

There are obviously differences between the two awards, but I agree that it doesn’t sit right with me if the Brownlow winner isn’t All Australian.

Equally, it depends on how good a job the AA selectors do, and they have often done a questionable job in the past (albeit commonly by squeezing in too many inside mids - which should have actually helped Priddis and Neale’s chances).

My sense is that the quality of AA selections may have increased in the last couple of years, whereas the quality of Brownlow vote selections seems to have gone down.

 

[HimothyTaranto]

Priddis in 2014 is another example. Wiki indicates that was the first time since Woewodin.

There are obviously differences between the two awards, but I agree that it doesn’t sit right with me if the Brownlow winner isn’t All Australian.

Equally, it depends on how good a job the AA selectors do, and they have often done a questionable job in the past (albeit commonly by squeezing in too many inside mids - which should have actually helped Priddis and Neale’s chances).

My sense is that the quality of AA selections may have increased in the last couple of years, whereas the quality of Brownlow vote selections seems to have gone down.

I see. Honestly, I think the AA selectors did a great job this year and I don't recall there being any discourse about Neale being "robbed" from the team or anything as such. This was probably the most balanced team we've had for some time.

It just seems maybe there is a semantics issue here - if Neale wasn't selected as an inside mid for the AA team, then is he really the best midfielder in the game? Or are the AA selectors wrong for not including him?

I think that given there was some voting discrepancy across games (like JHF polling 3 votes in a 13 touches game) then I'm more inclined to think the decisions the AA selectors made were correct and fair in comparison.

I agree with your last sentence and that appears as to what has happened here. I guess we'll have to wait until next year's count to see if this is a recurring problem.

 

[HimothyTaranto]

Also, it's crazy to know that had Cripps not gotten off last year on a technicality, Lachie Neale would've also won the 2022 Brownlow.

Cripps polled 3 votes in the game he was originally going to be suspended for and unavailable to play in and narrowly stole the victory.

Neale could've very well been staring at his 3rd Brownlow, and 2nd consecutive.

That would've made him the 5th ever player to win 3. And would that have made him the best midfielder ever? I would doubt it, tbh.