Published: Tuesday 29 August 2017 The Brownlow Medal is the highest individual honour in the AFL. It has been awarded to the best and fairest player in the competition since 1924. I’m casting an eye over this year’s Brownlow Medal contenders now because votes are not awarded during the finals. Punters can be seduced by final’s form and that form is irrelevant and does not count. I’m starting with the player that has stood head, shoulders and tattoos above everyone else; Dustin Martin. Martin ($1.06) has taken his game to a new level in 2017. He played every game and averaged over 30 possessions and kicked over 30 goals. He makes his possessions count and he wins his own football, as well as hurting teams on the outside. He is almost unbeatable in a one-on-one and his ‘don’t argue’ is the best in the league. His kicking penetration, ball winning ability and distinctive body art ensures his work goes noticed. His top performances for the year are as follows:
| Round | Opponent | Disposals | Goals |
| 1 | Carlton | 33 | 4 |
| 3 | West Coast | 40 | 2 |
| 5 | Melbourne | 32 | 1 |
| 7 | Western Bulldogs | 28 | 2 |
| 9 | GWS | 35 | 0 |
| 10 | Essendon | 30 | 1 |
| 11 | North Melbourne | 38 | 2 |
| 15 | Port Adelaide | 36 | 1 |
| 17 | Brisbane | 40 | 2 |
| 18 | GWS | 31 | 1 |
| 19 | Gold Coast | 34 | 1 |
| 20 | Hawthorn | 32 | 2 |
| 22 | Fremantle | 36 | 2 |
| 23 | St Kilda | 36 | 2 |
Tom Mitchell ($10.00) moved from Sydney to Hawthorn during the off-season and his ball winning ability is prolific. He simply knows how to find the football and averaged just under 36 disposals a game. He is an inside midfielder who likes distributing the ball by hand instead of foot. The knock on his game is his penetration and that he doesn’t hurt the opposition with his disposals compared to others. He averaged six clearances and six tackles a game. His top performances for the year are as follows:
| Round | Opponent | Disposals | Goals |
| 1 | Essendon | 37 | 0 |
| 2 | Adelaide | 38 | 1 |
| 5 | West Coast | 37 | 0 |
| 9 | Collingwood | 50 | 0 |
| 12 | Gold Coast | 39 | 1 |
| 14 | Adelaide | 38 | 1 |
| 15 | Collingwood | 35 | 2 |
| 16 | GWS | 39 | 1 |
| 17 | Geelong | 43 | 2 |
| 18 | Fremantle | 37 | 0 |
| 22 | Carlton | 44 | 0 |
Josh Kelly’s ($15.00) year has been superb. The wingman carries the ball and his left foot is a weapon. He averaged just under 30 possessions and a goal a game. He can also do the hard things and averaged six tackles a game. He might have some teammates that take some votes off him, but better teammates than opposition. His top performances for the year are as follows:
| Round | Opponent | Disposals | Goals |
| 2 | Gold Coast | 27 | 3 |
| 3 | North Melbourne | 31 | 1 |
| 8 | Collingwood | 36 | 1 |
| 11 | Essendon | 38 | 1 |
| 16 | Hawthorn | 34 | 1 |
| 20 | Melbourne | 27 | 3 |
| 21 | Western Bulldogs | 25 | 2 |
| 22 | West Coast | 43 | 1 |
If you are looking for a bit of a roughie, Adelaide’s Matt Crouch ($81.00) could be a surprise. He plays in a winning team, he plays in the midfield and he got plenty of the ball. He averaged over 32 possessions a game and close to six clearances. Rory Sloane might take the early votes, but after that he was Adelaide’s most dominant midfielder. His top performances for the year are as follows:
| Round | Opponent | Disposals | Goals |
| 5 | Gold Coast | 35 | 1 |
| 6 | Richmond | 38 | 1 |
| 7 | North Melbourne | 38 | 0 |
| 10 | Fremantle | 35 | 0 |
| 14 | Hawthorn | 35 | 0 |
| 19 | Collingwood | 36 | 0 |
| 21 | Essendon | 35 | 0 |
| 22 | Sydney | 34 | 1 |
| 23 | West Coast | 45 | 1 |
For the latest 2017 Brownlow Medal markets including with Dustin Martin out & Team Votes, click here. Words: Rhys Thurston @rhyst03
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Published: Wednesday 15 March 2017
2017 Brownlow Medal Preview
The Brownlow Medal is the highest individual honour in the AFL. It comes with prestige, honour and a place in history. It is traditionally a midfielder’s award and more often than not winners come from successful teams. Occasionally there are surprises, but most of the time the voting umpires align with the expert views. This preview with cast an eye over the contenders and expose a roughie.
The Contenders
Patrick Dangerfield ($4.50) After crossing from Adelaide to Geelong, Dangerfield was the standout player in 2016. His power, speed, contested grunt and goalkicking ability saw him sweep all the individual awards last year. His electrifying power from clearances and in one-on-one contests makes him a huge player in 2017. Expect him to benefit from another twelve months with his new teammates and continue his cohesion with Joel Selwood. The only hindrance to Dangerfield’s back-to-back quest could be the need for him to spend more time forward because Geelong will want to spread the load in 2017 instead of relying on individual performances. Nat Fyfe ($10) The star Docker only managed two and a bit games last year after breaking his leg in Round 3. It was a devastating blow to the 2015 Brownlow Medallist and the Fremantle Dockers. He has now recovered from his injury, been voted in as captain and will be looking to recapture his best form. Fyfe encapsulates the modern footballer. He is powerful, tall and athletic. His clearance work, ability to win one-on-one contests and marking is elite. Fyfe’s kicking is always a work in progress. If Fyfe can reform his partnership with Aaron Sandilands and continue to hit the scoreboard, he is bound to attract votes again. Luke Parker ($13) Parker can do it all. He is strong, brave, has good hands and kicks goals. He is a genuine matchwinner and his good performances are darn good. It is not unusual for Parker to rack up 30 possessions and kick multiple goals in a game. Parker’s best sets him up for the maximum 3 votes which is generally a trait from previous Brownlow Medallists. Parker’s biggest problem is his teammates; Lance Franklin, Dan Hannerbery and Josh Kennedy are vote-getters as well. Sharing votes could be an issue. Rory Sloane ($9) Sloane finished fourth in last year’s Brownlow Medal, behind his good friend Dangerfield. He was ineligible after a late season suspension, but that won’t affect his 2017 chances. Sloane is a fair player and his suspension was out of character. Sloane is fearless and attacks every contest. His marking is good, and his tackling and will is as good as anyone in the game. Sloane’s kicking and polish has improved with time and last year was his most consistent season. He receives attention from opposition markers, yet his contested style of play makes him hard to stop. Whether he has all the attributes to win a Brownlow Medal remains to be seen. Joel Selwood ($26) The Cats skipper was his usual inspirational and combative self last year, after a below par 2015. What made Selwood’s season that much better was his lack of preseason after a nagging foot complaint. Selwood is a genuine threat in 2017 after a fluent preseason, and if Dangerfield spends more time up forward that might enable him to secure more votes. Selwood’s greatest strength is his will and courage, while he has added goalkicking in recent years. He is a proven vote-getter and if Geelong finish in the top half as expected Selwood might claim Geelong’s fourth Brownlow since 2007. Dan Hannebery ($19) The Sydney wingman is all class. His has strong hands, an accurate left foot and he is brave and tough. He can handle opposition attention and delivers in big games. Expect more of the same in 2017. While other players might have positional changes Hannerbery looks suited and settled on the wing. Just like Parker he might lose votes to teammates, but a strong Sydney side means they should receive more votes than not. Marcus Bontempelli ($10) Bontempelli’s match winning ability has been on display since his first season, when he kicked a miracle goal to give the Bulldogs victory over Melbourne. Since then he took down Luke Hodge in a cutthroat semi-final and became a premiership player at the age of twenty-one. He is an imposing midfielder that seems to glide instead of run. He quickly became one of the most influential players in the competition and his rise surprised no one. Bontempelli’s ability to win contests and work in congestion is elite and he plays like a veteran, not a young pup. If his development continues then he is a real chance. Dustin Martin ($10) Martin had his most consistent season last year. His engine allowed him to spend more time in the middle and he found more of the football. His running capacity did not affect his trademark power and kicking penetration. Martin’s other strength is his ability to go forward and kick goals. His 2017 Brownlow chances could hinge on his role within the team. The arrival of Dion Prestia and Josh Caddy gives the Tigers more midfield depth and that could mean Martin spends more time forward. The other query surrounds his future. He is out of contract at season’s end and the ongoing speculation about his future isn’t going away.
The Roughie
Dylan Shiel ($51) The classy Giant ticks a lot of boxes. He wins his own ball, bursts from congestion at speed and has a silky left foot. His strength and shimmy is also eye-catching. This is his sixth season in the AFL and like many of his teammates he has matured into a consistent footballer. If the Giants win most of their games as expected, then they should receive plenty of votes. The Giant’s midfield depth might work against Shiel as his teammates could take votes away from him, but it’s better than losing votes to the opposition. For the latest 2017 Brownlow Medal Market, click here. Words: Rhys Thurston
