Rory Laird shaped as the player to watch for the Crows after leading the AFL with a career-best average of 33 disposals. He was overlooked by the umpires, with veteran forward Taylor Walker grabbing the three votes in four of Adelaide’s eight wins. Ben Keays made a fast start and kept pace with the leaders with nine votes after five rounds. He polled only once more though. Recruit Jordan Dawson was rewarded with three votes for his match-winning goal after the siren against Port Adelaide in the round three Showdown.
Lachie Neale went painfully close to joining some of the all-time greats with a second Brownlow, falling one vote short of eventual winner Cripps. He managed one vote in the heavy round 23 loss to Melbourne but Cripps went one better with his BOG effort against Collingwood. Hugh McCluggage was recognised for another fine season with a career-best 14 votes. Curiously, Zac Bailey only managed two votes for his six-goal effort against Gold Coast; Jarryd Lyons took the three votes that night and finished with seven votes for the year.
Patrick Cripps was rewarded for a sensational campaign, by taking home his first Brownlow Medal in the final moments of a thrilling count. Cripps got off to a flyer, polling 16 votes in the first eight games including three straight three-vote games between rounds 6-. In the end, his strong finish took him over the line, polling three votes in late-season defeats to Adelaide and Collingwood. Sam Walsh (14 votes) and Charlie Curnow (11) also polled well. New recruit Adam Cerra bookended his season with his only votes coming in the first and last game of the season.
BLUE’S BROWNLOW: Cripps wins ‘Charlie’ after thrilling count
The love was shared among the Collingwood players on Brownlow night with 15 players all securing at least one vote. Nick Daicos capped off an incredible first season by coming equal-first with Jack Crisp at the top of the Magpies’ vote-getters, each polling 11 votes for the season. Daicos was joined by Darcy Cameron, Patrick Lipinski, Jack Ginnivan and Oliver Henry as Magpies players to have all claimed the first votes of their respective careers this season. Jordan De Goey, who was ineligible due to suspension, finished a vote behind the leaders with 10. Captain Scott Pendlebury made it 16 straight seasons of polling at least one vote in a season, with his two votes in game 350 against Adelaide taking him equal-fifth with St Kilda legend Robert Harvey on the all-time leaderboard.
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Zach Merrett headlined the Bombers’ vote-getters on Brownlow night, finishing 10th overall after an impressive run home. Having only secured three votes from the opening 15 games, Merrett came home like a freight train, polling 14 of a possible 15 votes in a five-game stretch between rounds 16-20, to take his overall tally to 17 on the night. Peter Wright was the Bombers’ second highest vote-getter with eight votes. After finishing equal-fifth last year, Darcy Parish only polled six for the season. First-year player Nic Martin was rewarded for a stunning debut, taking home two votes in round one.
It was an exciting night for Andrew Brayshaw, who led after round 19 and was in a position to claim the medal going into the final round of the season. Midfield sidekick Caleb Serong claimed the three votes in that match instead, with Brayshaw finishing fourth. Recruit Will Brodie was noticed by the umpires in his first season in purple and claimed his first career votes, while small forward Lachie Schultz produced two three-vote performances. Key defender Alex Pearce also secured the first vote of his career.
The Cats’ Grand Final-bound side was headlined on Brownlow night by Jeremy Cameron, who came within three votes of becoming the highest polling key forward since Lance Franklin. Cameron ended the night with 19 votes, tallying two or more votes in each of the seven games he polled in, which took him within three of Buddy’s total of 22 in 2014 and 2017. Cam Guthrie enjoyed a third straight season of polling in double digits, securing 13 for the season, Mark Blicavs polled for the first time since 2017 and an overall of nine for the year while Tyson Stengle’s stellar year was rewarded with six votes. 2016 winner Patrick Dangerfield only had the six, which took him within 10 votes of Gary Dempsey on the all-time leaderboard, while Joel Selwood’s four votes took him into seventh.
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So near, yet so far for Touk Miller who came within one vote of becoming the Suns’ second Brownlow medallist after Gary Ablett in 2013. Noah Anderson‘s breakout season in the midfield was franked with 14 votes, while his great mate Matt Rowell – who shone so brightly at the start of the 2020 season – polled just four votes, including three in the first game of the season.
As expected, it was a lean night for the Giants after a year that reaped just six wins. Josh Kelly was a clear standout with 13 votes, 12 of which came by round 11 in a brilliant start to the season. Jesse Hogan shone on a couple of occasions with five votes, while co-captain Stephen Coniglio‘s return to something near his best form drew just four votes from the umpires.
In a season that yielded eight wins, Jai Newcombe was the only Hawk to reach double digits, finishing with 11 votes in just his second season after being taken at pick No.2 in the 2021 NAB AFL Mid-Season Draft. Newcombe finished ahead of 2018 Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell who collected nine votes across six games, with James Sicily rounding out the top three for the Hawks on seven votes. Jack Gunston polled three votes in round 19 when he kicked five goals on return following two weeks off after the sudden death of his father, Ray.
Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca combined for another monster Brownlow tally of 49 votes, four fewer than their 2021 total of 53 when Oliver finished third behind Ollie Wines. They’re clearly taking votes from one another, but you suspect the Demons wouldn’t have it any other way. Max Gawn had another strong season with 12 votes, but it was his lowest tally since his injury-ruined 2017 campaign, and the lowest of his six All-Australian seasons.
BROWNLOW TRACKER Every vote, every club, every round
It was always going to be a tough night at the office from a voting perspective for North Melbourne and they polled just 31 votes for the season. Luke Davies-Uniacke’s eight votes, which all came after round 17, took him to the top of the pile. Davies-Uniacke’s brilliant performances in losing efforts against Collingwood and Adelaide were rewarded by the umpires, polling three votes in each of those games. Jy Simpkin was the next best for the Kangaroos with six, while Nick Larkey, Jack Ziebell and Cameron Zurhaar all polled three votes in best on ground showings.
The move of Connor Rozee to the midfield was a winner for the Power, with the young star collecting 12 votes in the final 10 rounds in an indication of how he might poll in a full season as an onballer. Wingman Karl Amon topped the votes, however, on the back of four best-on-ground efforts. Last year’s medallist, Ollie Wines, collected all of his votes in a 10-week run either side of the bye. Key forward Todd Marshall collected his first career votes with three separate one-vote games.
The emergence of Dion Prestia as the Tigers’ most important midfielder was complete on Sunday night as he led his side’s vote winners despite missing games through various ailments. Tom Lynch’s fine season was also recognised, with 14 votes from 18 games an impressive return for a key forward, while Shai Bolton rounded out their top three. One negative for Richmond was the lack of young talent being rewarded, with 62-gamer Noah Balta the only Tiger under 24 to get a vote. Former Brownlow winners Trent Cotchin (five votes) and Dustin Martin (two) were well down the rankings.
As expected, skipper Jack Steele led the Saints’ vote winners, doing so for a third consecutive season although ending well short of his fourth place overall in 2020 and sixth last year. The ineligible Brad Crouch came in second for the club with Jack Sinclair rounding out the top three with his All-Australian form recognised by the umpires. Not surprisingly, the majority of St Kilda’s votes came early in the season, with 45 before the round 12 bye and only 26 in the run home.
With a Grand Final six days away the Swans stayed in Sydney and watched from afar. Callum Mills’ excellent season saw him grab his first top-10 Brownlow finish, after coming 13th in 2021, while Luke Parker and Chad Warner also finished with votes in double figures. Despite being ineligible due to suspension and managing just 11 games after moving to Sydney from Port Adelaide, ruckman Peter Ladhams trebled his career vote count from two to six with back-to-back two-vote games early in the year.
The Eagles were never going to feature prominently, but it was fitting to see their retiring champion Josh Kennedy top the club leaderboard after claiming the three votes in his final game for an eight-goal haul. The veteran was the only Eagle to poll votes in multiple games, with midfielder Tim Kelly snaring three votes for his 40-disposal game in the round 16 loss to Richmond.
Ten Bulldogs players featured in the votes this year, but it was wantaway Bulldog Josh Dunkley that led the way for his side, polling 14 votes. Ball magnet Jack Macrae was three votes behind on 11 after an outstanding 2022 campaign, while young star Bailey Smith and captain Marcus Bontempelli (10 votes apiece) were the only players to reach double digits. Smith, who was ineligible, got his year off to a blistering start, polling nine votes before his four-week suspension put the brakes on his season.
