Brownlow = Midfield Medal?

[JackOutback]

I've come round to the view that midfielders win the medal because midfielders are more important to results of games than other positions.

The team which wins the clearances and inside 50s usually wins the game, so the player responsible for your team dominating those statistical categories on a given day is usually the best on ground.

It takes an absolutely freakish effort from a forward or back to turn a game when the opposition midfield is on top.

Nic Naitanui was responsible for giving our average midfield those clearances and inside 50s in 2015, basically the man responsible for dragging a 5th to 8th team to the grand final. He got seven votes. I do agree midfielders generally carry the most importance, but it would be nice if umpires made an effort to notice the contributions of others on the ground; Jeremy McGovern has polled 1, 0 and 3 in the last three years and is probably one of our most important players. I'm sure other fans have similar stories.

 

[PowerForGood]

More like 2003, his ruck duties were significantly reduced after that season. Appropriately named on the wing in the '06 AA team.


Ah no, they handball more, nothing to do with professionalism and science. If anything, high levels of chasing and tackling would mean a decrease in possessions (but of course it doesn't, because most "pressure acts" are usually just as frivolous as most disposals these days).


You'd be closer to the mark if you exchanged "midfielder" with "ball magnet". Otherwise, Scott Pendlebury would have a Brownlow to his name.


This year's best forward was awarded the Coleman Medal, and this year's best defender was awarded the AA captaincy. It's not like the top non-midfielders are so starved of accolades that we need to make up a few more patronising feel-good trophies.

Name a forward or defender who should have won a Brownlow in the last 10-15 years. Lance Franklin? Possibly. Pavlich/Riewoldt/Brown/Tredrea close but not close enough, in my opinion, and absolutely no credible candidates in the last 5 years. It's not like the '90s anymore when monstrous forwards were winning matches off their own boot and still getting snubbed by the umpires. Today they're more likely to give votes to the right players, even if it is for the wrong reasons.

As I alluded to earlier, I do agree that the umpires erroneously reward the modern inclination to overuse the footy, but generally they are on the right track because my conservative estimate is that 12 of the best 15 players are midfielders.

If I had to pick a nonmidfielder year then Tredrea deserved one in 2004.
Some of those votes handed out that year just beggared belief.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Don't look at me, I don't believe in Brownlow medals. They're an anachronism.

 

[javaguice]

Great observation bro needs a thorough investigation that is some compelling evidence u compiled and I reckon we have a great case going forward bright minds always weed out the Fermat

 

[Percel]

JOHN WHO?

 

[javaguice]

Looking through the stats over the past 25 years, the Brownlow medallists have all been won by midfielders. With the exception to this rule being Adam Goodes in 2006, who had a dual ruck/midfielder role. I believe with the ever-increasing professionalism in the sport of AFL, there is more money and science influencing player's training to the "elite standards". It is commonplace now to see midfielders regularly racking up 30+ possessions, doing more chasing and tackling. So really, it's not hard to understand why midfielders get the most notice by the Umpires, simply because they cover more ground in more space, and more often!

With the above intro in mind, are we really judging the Brownlow as the "Best and Fairest"? or is it merely a reflection of "who is the best midfielder?" Here are some further questions maybe worthwhile to discuss further:

1. Is this being fair to the Forwards or Defenders who can play their role equally as effective to that of a midfielder, but might not get the recognition they deserve because a stat does not get registered to their name?

2. Should the umpires be the ones to judge the best players on the day?

3. Should we add another Medal awarded to the best Forward/Defender?

1. No
2. It's not the only award
3. Yes

 

[Frank Gallagher]

Ablett senior-Matthews-Carey-Dunstal-Daicos never won one, shit, Daicos didn't even win his BaF in 1990 lol, the Brownlow is what it is, a bullshit award, although they got it right this year IMO.

 

[JackOutback]

Ablett senior-Matthews-Carey-Dunstal-Daicos never won one, shit, Daicos didn't even win his BaF in 1990 lol, the Brownlow is what it is, a bullshit award, although they got it right this year IMO.

Matt Priddis over that group of chumps.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

Matt Priddis over that group of chumps.

Obviously, Libba-Judd (for his second) and Woewofull too.