Norm Smith vs Brownlow? Then of course there's both!

Remove this Banner Ad

I would rank Brownlow above Norm Smith and the BnF in a premiership year as the best of the lot. Norm Smith is fantastic but you need a lot of luck to even be in the running. Firstly no matter how good you are - if your team sucks you won't get a shot at it. Secondly anyone can play one great performance. In fact there are many players that have had great games on Grand Final day mostly because they went under the radar and whilst their team's best players were getting blanketed by great defensive players, they were allowed to run around freely. Don't get me wrong though there are many fantastic players that have won Norm Smith's but ultimately its just one game - so as an individual player i'd prefer the Brownlow.

Also i bet most people aren't considering the Norm Smith's in losing teams which ultimately don't amount to much.
 
Footy 1st said:
The Brownlow Medal, highest individual honour for the season.. The Norm Smith Medal, highest individual honour on the biggest day..
Which players will leave the greatest legacy to their supporters, team mates and the record books?
Players that come to mind from recent times are Gary Ablett Jnr, Simon Black, Luke Hodge, Adam Goodes, Chris Judd, James Hird & Geelong's trio of Steve Johnson, Paul Chapman & Jimmy Bartel...
Personally I would rather walk away from the game with a Normy! I would love a hawk to grab a Brownlow but rate a player from any club that jags the GF Day Medal!
The guys with both, ranked higher?
Click to expand...
Anzac Medal for me
 
blitzer said:
I would rank Brownlow above Norm Smith and the BnF in a premiership year as the best of the lot. Norm Smith is fantastic but you need a lot of luck to even be in the running. Firstly no matter how good you are - if your team sucks you won't get a shot at it. Secondly anyone can play one great performance. In fact there are many players that have had great games on Grand Final day mostly because they went under the radar and whilst their team's best players were getting blanketed by great defensive players, they were allowed to run around freely. Don't get me wrong though there are many fantastic players that have won Norm Smith's but ultimately its just one game - so as an individual player i'd prefer the Brownlow.

Also i bet most people aren't considering the Norm Smith's in losing teams which ultimately don't amount to much.
Click to expand...

Depends, I'd rather have a crap season and perform on the big stage than the other way around.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

There's a lot of arguments you can make for each award, but I think at the end of the day, instead of arguing the toss, you'd be happy with any of them wouldn't you?

Don't think Brian Lake really cares either way if people think he's up to winning a Brownlow, he was the biggest weight bearer in a premiership win.

Similarly, Craig Bradley has won everything under the sun, but he never won a Norm Smith, a Brownlow, or a B&F in a premiership year, and it really doesn't matter because he has a laundry list of accolades.
 
Air_Chester said:
There's a lot of arguments you can make for each award, but I think at the end of the day, instead of arguing the toss, you'd
be happy with any of them wouldn't
you?
Don't think Brian Lake really cares
either way if people think he's up to
winning a Brownlow, he was the biggest weight bearer in a premiership win.
Similarly, Craig Bradley has won
everything under the sun, but he never
won a Norm Smith, a Brownlow, or a
B&F in a premiership year, and it really
doesn't matter because he has a
laundry list of accolades.
Click to expand...
I'm sure you're right re: Lake, he
targeted a Premiership medal first &
foremost, then although not an elite
midfielder, was able to ice that cake
and enhance his status. He wouldn't
keep getting a mention if it was about who won everything else... I reckon Bradley would love to have jagged 1 of them, Brownlow or Normy but unless I hear his name, he doesn't pop up much in 'great footballer' discussions
 
The Joker said:
Well if a player from their team wins whichever medal then its that one now isnt it.
Click to expand...
It wasn't a trick question... Say for instance Fyfe gets the 2015 Brownlow & Sandilands wins the Norm Smith in a super performance with the Dockers prevailing by a kick.. Which one will you remember/rate more?
 
I don't know? To win an award that takes in over 800 or so players is pretty good, but to win an award for the 'presidential' award for the highest game
in the whole season is pretty terrific...

Can I take both.. I deserve it for persistence... lol
 
The Joker said:
Well you are a deluded fool if you rate Embleys GF over Cousins season.
Click to expand...
Deluded? Yes! Fool? Yes!
Cousins won a Brownlow with consistency amongst some 'other guys' that warranted attention... Helped get them there, Embley helped get them there also...then on the big day (pretty narrow margin) Embley got them THERE! Cousins helped 
Side note: I'm a massive Cousins fan, but I rate the award of getting a premiership for ur team higher than getting a pat on the back from the umpires for having lovely manners
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Footy 1st said:
Agree he's not a Brownlow-type, but guys like Cooney aren't the Norm Smith-Type
Click to expand...

This is a silly comment. Adam Cooney in his prime was definitely a Norm - Smith type. Obviously never had the chance to show his wares in the big dance. People have quickly forgotten how good a player Adam was before his knee troubles. Very rarely does a player fluke a number 1 draft pick, rarer does a player fluke a Brownlow. To win both means 1 thing..........it ain't no fluke!!!
 
Doggy Dan said:
This is a silly comment. Adam Cooney in his prime was definitely a Norm - Smith type. Obviously never had the chance to
show his wares in the big dance. People
have quickly forgotten how good a
player Adam was before his knee
troubles. Very rarely does a player
fluke a number 1 draft pick, rarer does
a player fluke a Brownlow. To win both
means 1 thing..........it ain't no
fluke!!!
Click to expand...
Cooney was a very good player, however he was a bit of a surprise winner of the Brownlow. He probably deserved it, his 1st half of the season was quite good, in a team that made finals? He only polled a handful of votes in the second half of the year and IMO he didn't look like a big game matchwinner. They played 3 finals in 2008 & whilst Griffen, Murphy & Boyd featured heavily in the best, Cooney didnt get close, decent game against the Hawks, 15 & 16 possessions against Sydney & Geelong. Good player yes,
Norm Smith candidate, I don't think so.
 
Love the Brownlow and how its history is littered with left of centre winners. Love that it recognises those who've had a good year, yet don't always sit at the forefront of punters minds. Love how it stirs up the I-know-better brigade too. The Norm Smith is a good award too, but really, at the end of the day it just means you played one great game, adjudicated the best by a group including flogs like Luke Darcy.

Which would I prefer a player from my club to win? Well the Norm Smith of course, because if they did, odds would be we won a premiership.
 
Good players and even one hit wonders can win Norm Smith.

MOST of the best guys dont even get to play in the GF each season.

Any award like a BnF/Brownlow that includes the entire team, and then the entire competition...yeah that shits on just having the one good game amongst a bloody good team to begin with.

Get a bit lucky with rotations and opponents in the second half of a grannie and you can win a Norm Smith. You will never ever wina brownlow though unless you;ve had a bloody good SEASON...whoever wins the Brownlow regardless of popularity or apparent impact has far more to brag about than any Norm Smith winner.

Easy to shine in a good team ahead on the scoreboard...not so easy to put 18-23 bloody good games together and be voted BnF for 18 clubs over a full season, ahead of megastars. That is the ultimate.

Would you rate LRT a great player if he'd been given the 2005 Norm Smith ? All you'd do is suddenly rate him better than he actually was....for what reason ? Take two extra uncontested marks in that last qtr of the grannie and you are somehow a legend of the game ?

Has never been a Brownlow medal winner that hasnt been a bloody good footballer that has had a bloody good season. Norm Smith medals are just something to celebrate for the best team of the season...rarely and at worst for the second best team of the season. Its just as much due to your mates.
 
I'd personally take the Brownlow and being remembered for a loooooong time over a Norm Smith. Anyone remember Norm Smith medalists like they remember Brownlow medalists? I don't think so.
 
Looks like it's swung in the favour of the Brownlow, I'm still personally not fussed on the Brownlow from a fan's point of view, and to say you have to be good all season to win one but not mention you have to be 'bloody' good to make a GF side, let alone the best of 44 on the day, (44 handy players that are well drill in their game plan etc) is perhaps a little remiss. I like the Norm Smith due to immense pressure on the big day, who can stand up...
 
Coming from the UK, the biggest awards for footballers (soccer) are Players Player of the Year - voted for by the players, obviously - and Writers Player of the Year. While we all have some journos that we love to hate, I would imagine they watch significantly more footy than the players and should have a bit more perspective on who is objectively the best in the game that year. Interesting that there's no such thing here (apart from individual papers nominating their own one, which isn't the same thing).

If I had to guess, I would say that the coaches and players awards will end up being just as prestigious as the Brownlow because the latter suffers from the midfield focus and maybe there's more credibility for the others given the voting system(s). But given the history it will probably take a long time before that happens - no doubt Brownlow will continue to be the main award for the foreseeable future.
 
Brownlow rewards consistent good performances over 22 rounds, Norm Smith rewards being BOG in the biggest game of the year.

The reality is both are icing for great players and points of debate for players less great. Is Judd better than Ablett because he has a Norm Smith and Ablett doesn't? Of course not, they are both great players who were key contributors to successful sides. Was Andrew Embley better in 2006 than Darren Glass who won no individual medals? Nope.

This year is interesting because Priddis won the Brownlow and Will Langford would not have been an unworthy winner of the Norm Smith. Two of the more unfashionable players going around in a debate usually reserved for Voss, Buckley and Hird etc.
 
From a club POV I rate the B&F better than any external award. If a guy wins a B&F in a Premiership year that's the ultimate achievement for me.

The other awards are a nice reward for the players involved, but the Norm Smith is a BOG for one game, albeit an important one. The Brownlow Medal only favours players who have high possession counts (because that gets you noticed by umpires), and so it's a midfielder's award predominantly.

I think the AFLCA is a good one, and the players MVP award also has some credibility.

But at the end of it all, the B&F still wins out for me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

PieLebo87
  • Poll
AFL Grand Final 2023 Norm Smith medalist
2 3 4 5
Replies
120
Views
4K
Caligo
Caligo
Lingsface
Lack of left footed Brownlow Medalists
Replies
13
Views
713
Lingsface
Lingsface
PowerfulPies2023
  • Locked
When was the last time Both Grand Finalists started the season 0-2?
Replies
1
Views
197
Gralin
Gralin
kreuze_missile
Harry McKay 2024 Brownlow Watch
2 3
Replies
73
Views
1K
Blue1980
Blue1980
daniel_4tw
Brownlow: Time to remove ‘fairest’ in best and fairest
2
Replies
35
Views
758
Osho
Osho
Satan
Injury Bailey Smith ACL injury
2 3
Replies
60
Views
3K
Engimal v3
Engimal v3
Elmer_Judd
Player Watch 2024 Brownlow Medal Predictions
2
Replies
42
Views
2K
darcyl09
darcyl09

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top