The Teacher
Team Captain
Greetings Viewers
Been wanting to do this for some time.... so the Sunday morning before the count was as good a time as any.
Much talk that in recent years that the Brownlow is a medal for midfielders. Here in lies part of the problem.... 'recent years' and 'midfielders'.
Permit me to seek your indulgence. What is meant by recent years? - since the game went professional - sometimes agreed when the game went full-time for players, nominating 1986 for the sake of an argument, The term midfielders - when did this arise? - through tactics or the unlimited interchange (1994 - third interchange, 1996 - fourth interchange).
Is the term midfielder not compatible with previously well-known positions, such as ruck, ruck/rover and rover as well as centre? Do we include wingers?
In any case I tried to tabulate the Brownlow winners against their year and playing position (as well as year and club not that these are particularly relevant to the task).
The red shows players in traditional positions ... another point of contention.... that have won as a midfielder. I would contend that traditional positions slot into the definition but not the other way around.
The purple highlights those wingmen and half forwards who also won the 'Charlie'..... as positions that play in the modern midfield.... probably a big call to make but I made it anyway.
So it clear to see that since the mid 80s 'midfielders' have been dominant and since 1994 completely so.
It should come as no surprise then that positions that are not in the midfield are completely friendless in the calculations - either by media or betting agencies - one had Cloke at 27th and another Riewoldt at 34.
For what it's worth here is the list in parts (table format too large) ....... enjoy.
Regards
Dicko
1924
Edward Greeves, Jr.
Geelong
Centre
1925
Colin Watson
St Kilda
Half back
1926
Ivor Warne-Smith
Melbourne
Centre Half Forward
1927
Syd Coventry
Collingwood
Ruckman
1928
Ivor Warne-Smith
Melbourne
Centre Half Forward
1929
Albert Collier
Collingwood
Centre Half Back
1930
Harry Collier
Allan Hopkins
Stan Judkins
Collingwood
Footscray
Richmond
Follower
Centre
Wing
1931
Haydn Bunton Sr
Fitzroy
Rover
1932
Haydn Bunton Sr
Fitzroy
Rover
1933
Wilfred Smallhorn
Fitzroy
Wing
1934
Dick Reynolds
Essendon
Rover
1935
Haydn Bunton Sr
Fitzroy
Rover
1936
Denis Ryan
Fitzroy
Centre Half Back
1937
Dick Reynolds
Essendon
Rover
1938
Dick Reynolds
Essendon
Rover
1939
Marcus Whelan
Collingwood
Centre
1940
Des Fothergill
Herbie Matthews
Collingwood
Sth Melbourne
Half fwd flank
Centre/wingman
1941
Norman Ware
Footscray
Ruck
1946
Don Cordner
Melbourne
Follower
1947
Bert Deacon
Carlton
Centre Half Back
1948
Bill Morris
Richmond
Ruckman
1949
Col Austen
Ron Clegg
Hawthorn
Sth Melbourne
Half back flank
CHF/ CHB
1950
Allan Ruthven
Fitzroy
Rover
1951
Bernie Smith
Geelong
Back pocket
1952
Bill Hutchison
Roy Wright
Essendon
Richmond
Rover
Ruck
1953
Bill Hutchison
Essendon
Rover
1954
Roy Wright
Richmond
Ruck
1955
Fred Goldsmith
Sth Melbourne
Fullback
1956
Peter Box
Footscray
Centre
1957
Brian Gleeson
St Kilda
Ruckman
1958
Neil Roberts
St Kilda
Centre Half Back
1959
Verdun Howell
Bob Skilton
St Kilda
Sth Melbourne
Fullback
Rover
1960
John Schultz
Footscray
Ruck
Been wanting to do this for some time.... so the Sunday morning before the count was as good a time as any.
Much talk that in recent years that the Brownlow is a medal for midfielders. Here in lies part of the problem.... 'recent years' and 'midfielders'.
Permit me to seek your indulgence. What is meant by recent years? - since the game went professional - sometimes agreed when the game went full-time for players, nominating 1986 for the sake of an argument, The term midfielders - when did this arise? - through tactics or the unlimited interchange (1994 - third interchange, 1996 - fourth interchange).
Is the term midfielder not compatible with previously well-known positions, such as ruck, ruck/rover and rover as well as centre? Do we include wingers?
In any case I tried to tabulate the Brownlow winners against their year and playing position (as well as year and club not that these are particularly relevant to the task).
The red shows players in traditional positions ... another point of contention.... that have won as a midfielder. I would contend that traditional positions slot into the definition but not the other way around.
The purple highlights those wingmen and half forwards who also won the 'Charlie'..... as positions that play in the modern midfield.... probably a big call to make but I made it anyway.
So it clear to see that since the mid 80s 'midfielders' have been dominant and since 1994 completely so.
It should come as no surprise then that positions that are not in the midfield are completely friendless in the calculations - either by media or betting agencies - one had Cloke at 27th and another Riewoldt at 34.
For what it's worth here is the list in parts (table format too large) ....... enjoy.
Regards
Dicko
Position1924
Edward Greeves, Jr.
Geelong
Centre
1925
Colin Watson
St Kilda
Half back
1926
Ivor Warne-Smith
Melbourne
Centre Half Forward
1927
Syd Coventry
Collingwood
Ruckman
1928
Ivor Warne-Smith
Melbourne
Centre Half Forward
1929
Albert Collier
Collingwood
Centre Half Back
1930
Harry Collier
Allan Hopkins
Stan Judkins
Collingwood
Footscray
Richmond
Follower
Centre
Wing
1931
Haydn Bunton Sr
Fitzroy
Rover
1932
Haydn Bunton Sr
Fitzroy
Rover
1933
Wilfred Smallhorn
Fitzroy
Wing
1934
Dick Reynolds
Essendon
Rover
1935
Haydn Bunton Sr
Fitzroy
Rover
1936
Denis Ryan
Fitzroy
Centre Half Back
1937
Dick Reynolds
Essendon
Rover
1938
Dick Reynolds
Essendon
Rover
1939
Marcus Whelan
Collingwood
Centre
1940
Des Fothergill
Herbie Matthews
Collingwood
Sth Melbourne
Half fwd flank
Centre/wingman
1941
Norman Ware
Footscray
Ruck
1946
Don Cordner
Melbourne
Follower
1947
Bert Deacon
Carlton
Centre Half Back
1948
Bill Morris
Richmond
Ruckman
1949
Col Austen
Ron Clegg
Hawthorn
Sth Melbourne
Half back flank
CHF/ CHB
1950
Allan Ruthven
Fitzroy
Rover
1951
Bernie Smith
Geelong
Back pocket
1952
Bill Hutchison
Roy Wright
Essendon
Richmond
Rover
Ruck
1953
Bill Hutchison
Essendon
Rover
1954
Roy Wright
Richmond
Ruck
1955
Fred Goldsmith
Sth Melbourne
Fullback
1956
Peter Box
Footscray
Centre
1957
Brian Gleeson
St Kilda
Ruckman
1958
Neil Roberts
St Kilda
Centre Half Back
1959
Verdun Howell
Bob Skilton
St Kilda
Sth Melbourne
Fullback
Rover
1960
John Schultz
Footscray
Ruck
