2011 Brownlow Talk

'I declare the winner of the 2011 Brownlow Medal...'

2011-09-26T13:00:00.000+10:00

Chris Judd, of the Carlton Football Club!

Well there we have it! No real big surprise there, but whilst he is my tip to win, it certainly isn't going to be as breezey as what the bookies make it out to be. As you'll see with my leaderboard below only 3 votes seperate the Top 3 - a virtual BOG game. Something else of note, which I reflected on once the season ended was Goodes' ability to virtually poll whilst sitting in the stands. Factoring this in I expect him to nab 1-2 more votes and finish in the Top 3. If there's any real surprise that is majorly different to where my leaderboard stands currently, I predict it'll be that.

So without further ado, here is my much anticipated Top 10 and Team Leaders...

C. Judd - 30
S. Pendlebury - 28
S. Mitchell* - 27
M. Murphy - 26
G. Ablett - 26
M. Boyd - 26
A. Goodes - 25
D. Swan - 20
J. Selwood* - 20
N. Dal Santo - 20

Adelaide
Thompson - 16
Van Berlo - 7

Brisbane
Black - 18
Rockliff - 5

Carlton
Judd - 30
Murphy - 26

Collingwood
Pendlebury - 28
Swan - 20

Essendon
Watson - 14
Stanton - 9

Fremantle
Fyfe - 15
Pavich - 14

Geelong
Selwood - 20
Bartel - 12

Gold Coast
Ablett - 26

Hawthorn
Mitchell - 27
Franklin - 19

Melbourne
Moloney - 16
Sylvia - 9

North Melbourne
Swallow - 17
Harvey - 12

Port Adelaide
Boak - 6
Westhoff - 6
Gray - 6

Richmond
Martin - 18
Cotchin - 13

St. Kilda
Dal Santo - 20
Goddard - 11

Sydney
Goodes - 25
Bolton - 13

West Coast
Priddis - 17
Kerr - 16
Cox - 15

Western Bulldogs
Boyd - 26
Griffen - 15

As I like to say in celebration of tonight's illustrious count:

"Ladies and Gentleman please be upstanding, charge your glasses to celebrate the winner of the 2011 Brownlow Medal... or just neck the damned bottle if it's the bloke you've got money on to win."

'That's curtains, folks' - Round 24, 2011 Wrap

2011-09-26T00:19:00.004+10:00

Well, there we have it! The Home and Away season has officially drawn to a close for 2011. So what now?

The Brownlow that's what!!

Judd is outright favourite at odds <$2, but all of the fast money is coming for Goodes who has tightened up drastically. Others in contention are Pendlebury and Murphy. So it's the 2 proven champion pollers vs the new kids on the block. The winner isn't has assured as what the bookies make it out to be, and it's going to be a very close and tight count that's for sure!

It's been kept under wraps for the whole season. You've been kept in the dark as to the order i've given out votes for each of the games. Now comes the moment you've all been waiting for...

WTS' Winner, Top 10, & Club leaders!

Stay tuned for my much anticipated unveiling!

Carlton vs St Kilda

Possible Votes: Simpson, Montagna, Murphy

Collingwood vs Geelong

Possible Votes: Kelly, Menzel, Selwood

Gold Coast vs Hawthorn

Possible Votes: Ablett, Bennell, Breust

Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Possible Votes: Cross, Boyd, Griffen

Sydney vs Brisbane

Possible Votes: Goodes, Rohan, Kennedy

West Coast vs Adelaide

Possible Votes: Embley, Cox, Shuey

Pt Adelaide vs Melbourne

Possible Votes: Westhoff, Gray, Moloney

Richmond vs North Melbourne

Possible Votes: Petrie, Harvey, Martin

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'Cats fall off scratching post' - Round 23, 2011 Wrap

2011-09-25T23:37:00.003+10:00

The top 8 may finally be set in stone, but that doesn't mean we won't see any surprises pulled in a couple of matches. The first came in the form of Geelong losing it's first home match at Skilled Stadium since 2007, at the hands of Sydney. Whilst the defeat doesn't mean too much for Geelong, it does however guarantee Sydney a finals spot and a shot at the top 4.

The other surprise was Dale Thomas ruining his Brownlow chances after being rubbed out for 2 matches by the Match Review Panel for a late bump on Freo's Ibbotson.

Fremantle vs Collingwood

Possible Votes: Beams, Pendlebury, Swan

Hawthorn vs Western Bulldogs

Possible Votes: Hodge, Franklin, Sewell

Geelong vs Sydney

Possible Votes: Mumford, Goodes, Ling

St Kilda vs North Melbourne

Possible Votes: Goddard, Riewoldt, Dal Santo

Brisbane vs West Coast

Possible Votes: Masten, Rockliff, Shuey

Adelaide vs Richmond

Possible Votes: Martin, Cotchin, Van Berlo

Melbourne vs Gold Coast

Possible Votes: Blease, Ablett, Garland

Essendon vs Pt Adelaide

Possible Votes: Rodan, Gray, Watson

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'A half century of possessions' - Round 22, 2011 Wrap

2011-09-25T22:46:00.002+10:00

Adelaide have well and truly turned around their early season slump to record their 3rd win in the past 4 weeks. They came out breathing fire against the hapless Suns, kicking 9 goals in the first quarter, but it was Scott Thompson who set the match alight. The Crows midfielder raised his bat as it were, gathering a staggering club record 51 disposals - a feat surpassed only by Greg Williams in VFL/AFL stats history.

Carlton vs Hawthorn

Possible Votes: Hodge, Lewis, Simpson

Gold Coast vs Adelaide

Possible Votes: Thompson, Ablett, Van Berlo

West Coast vs Essendon

Possible Votes: Priddis, Kerr, Shuey

North Melbourne vs Fremantle

Possible Votes: Swallow, Harvey, Wells

Collingwood vs Brisbane

Possible Votes: Swan, Cloke, Beams

Sydney vs St Kilda

Possible Votes: Goodes, Mumford, Hannebery

Port Adelaide vs Western Bulldogs

Possible Votes: Hall, Boyd, Tutt

Melbourne vs Richmond

Possible Votes: Sylvia, Jones, Martin

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'Power outage for Port' - Round 21, 2011 Wrap

2011-09-25T21:26:00.002+10:00

After being smashed by Collingwood in the previous week, Port have been dealt another massive defeat, this time at the hands of Hawthorn who dished out a 165 point drubbing. It was a very one sided affair, mirroring the Geelong vs Melbourne match 2 weeks prior, with Port unable to put a major on the board until the second term.

Franklin booted a handy bag of 8, whilst Rioli was as 'delicioussss' as ever, kicking 4 of his own - all in what was a fast starting first quarter.

St Kilda vs Collingwood

Possible Votes: Davis, Thomas, Swan

Hawthorn vs Port Adelaide

Possible Votes: Rioli, Franklin, Mitchell

Fremantle vs Carlton

Possible Votes: Gibbs, Murphy, Judd, Betts

Western Bulldogs vs Essendon

Possible Votes: Hurley, Stanton, Boyd

Brisbane vs Gold Coast

Possible Votes: Black, Redden, Leuenberger

Melbourne vs West Coast

Possible Votes: Embley, Priddis, Gaff

Richmond vs Sydney

Possible Votes: Houli, Kennedy, Cotchin

Adelaide vs Geelong

Possible Votes: Sloane, Kelly, Corey

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'Can't quite deliver the Goodes' - Round 20, 2011 Wrap

2011-09-25T21:11:00.003+10:00

It was a case of close but no cigar for Adam Goodes, who had the chance at stealing victory from the clutches of Essendon with a kick for goal after the siren.

In one of the closest and most intense matches of the year, the lead to-and-frod on numerous occasions, before the Swans broke clear by 12 points with just minutes left on the clock. But of course the Bombers were not done with yet, and lived up to the spirit of the match by snatching the lead in the closing stages. With seconds left, the Swans bombed the ball forward, finding the chest of the best man on the ground in Adam Goodes, with the siren sounding shortly after. But what could have been a fairytale ending soon turned into heartbreak, with the kick swinging late to sail through for a behind, giving Essendon a 1 point victory.

St Kilda vs Fremantle

Possible Votes: Jones, Dal Santo, Mzung

Carlton vs Melbourne

Possible Votes: Judd, Gibbs, Scotland

Geelong vs Gold Coast

Possible Votes: Johnson, Selwood, Podsiadly

Essendon vs Sydney

Possible Votes:Goodes, Watson, Ryder

Port Adelaide vs Collingwood

Possible Votes: Swan, Blair, Beams

Brisbane vs Adelaide

Possible Votes: Thompson, Rockliff, Van Berlo

Hawthorn vs North Melbourne

Possible Votes: Sewell, Mitchell, Campbell

West Coast vs Richmond

Possible Votes: Shuey, Kerr, Ebert

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'SJ puts on his wizard robe and hat' - Round 19, 2011 Wrap

2011-09-25T00:47:00.001+10:00

Well, if a 100 point loss is traditionally thought to be a 'flogging', what then would you call a 186 point loss? I'm sure that's one of the many questions the Demons would be asking themselves - all of which I assume they have no answer for given the swift sacking of Dean Bailey. The 31 goal margin was the second biggest winning margin in the history of the VFL/AFL.

Stevie J was phenomenal all day, with a clear best on ground performance consisting of 34 possessions, 7 goals and 9 marks. Fair to say front row tickets will already be sold out for his next showing of the 'Stevie J Show' on that back of that performance.

North Melbourne vs Carlton

Possible Votes: Gibbs, Scotland, Swallow, Yarran

Western Bulldogs vs West Coast

Possible Votes: Cox, Priddis, Boyd

Geelong vs Melbourne

Possible Votes: Johnson, Selwood, Corey

Gold Coast vs St Kilda

Possible Votes: Dal Santo, Ablett, Goddard

Fremantle vs Hawthorn

Possible Votes: Sewell, Mitchell, Broughton

Collingwood vs Essendon

Possible Votes: Pendlebury, Swan, Fasolo

Adelaide vs Port Adelaide

Possible Votes: Sloane, Van Berlo, Vince

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'Skywalker!' - Round 18, 2011 Wrap

2011-09-24T23:58:00.002+10:00

Every clash fought out between raditional rivals Carlton and Essendon always promises to deliver in some form or another. Whilst it didn't so much in terms of it being a close encounter, we were however treated to quite possibly both the goal and mark of the year in the same match, thanks to Betts and Walker!

Betts' solo effort in the forward pocket was an amazing sight. He danced and skipped around 3-4 Essendon players, all of who tried to run him over the boundary, only for Betts to slide through traffic and snap truly.

Betts' goal was only then to be overshadowed by Walker's screamer. What made his mark even more spectacular was that it was taken on the shoulders of Essendon's Carlisle who stands a touch under 200cm! Hard to believe he had the spring to catapult up so high. If the nickname of 'Skywalker' didn't stick before, well it sure will now!

St Kilda vs Adelaide

Possible Votes: Milne, Riewoldt, Dal Santo,

North Melbourne vs Brisbane

Possible Votes: Bastinac, Swallow, Black

Sydney vs Western Bulldogs

Possible Votes: Goodes, Bird, Jack

Gold Coast vs Collingwood

Possible Votes: Johnson, Pendlebury, Ablett

Essendon vs Carlton

Possible Votes: Judd, Murphy, Betts

Geelong vs Richmond

Possible Votes: Bartel, Christensen, Corey

Melbourne vs Hawthorn

Possible Votes: Mitchell, Sewell, Franklin, Rioli

Fremantle vs West Coast

Possible Votes: Shuey, Cox, Broughton

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'Suns coast to another win' - Round 17, 2011 Wrap

2011-09-24T23:05:00.001+10:00

Gold Coast has secured their 3rd win of the season, narrowly beating Richmond by 15 points. It was a gallant effort by the young Suns, who trailed by as much as 36 points at the first change only to peg back the Tigers and finish over the top.

Gary Ablett again featured among the best for the Suns, and is beginning to loom as a smokey for the Brownlow, whilst Swallow and Stanley were prominent.

Adelaide vs Essendon

Possible Votes: Monfries, Zaharakis, Thompson, Sloane

Richmond vs Gold Coast

Possible Votes: Stanley, Rischitelli, Ablett, Swallow

Carlton vs Collingwood

Possible Votes: Pendlebury, Thomas, Judd

St Kilda vs West Coast

Possible Votes: Montagna, Gaff, Naitanui

Melbourne vs Port Adelaide

Possible Votes: Pettard, Sylvia, Cassisi

Sydney vs Fremantle

Possible Votes: Lower, Fyfe, Broughton

Brisbane vs Geelong

Possible Votes: Bartel, Podsiadly, Christensen

North Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs

Possible Votes: Petrie, Wells, Ziebell

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'Collingwood soar, whilst Cats remain sore' - Round 16, 2011 Wrap

2011-09-23T00:14:00.002+10:00

In a surprise follow up to last week's unexpected loss to Essendon, Geelong have gone down to the Eagles at Subiaco by 8 points. After the Eagles led by a whopping 40 points mid-way through the game, the Cats clawed their way back only to fall agonizingly short.

To rub salt into the wound, Collingwood have taken advantage of Geelong's recent vulnerability and now sit top of the ladder. I guess the Cats will be left to lick their wounds... I hope they don't mind the taste of salt!

West Coast vs Geelong

Possible Votes: Embley, Ling, Kerr, Priddis

Hawthorn vs Brisbane

Possible Votes: Mitchell, Hodge, Franklin

Essendon vs Richmond

Possible Votes: Zaharakis, Stanton, Cotchin, Heppell

Gold Coast vs Sydney

Possible Votes: O'Keefe, Reid, McVeigh, Goodes

Collingwood vs North Melbourne

Possible Votes: Swan, Pendlebury, Thomas

Port Adelaide vs St Kilda

Possible Votes: Goddard, Dal Santo, Steven

Western Bulldogs vs Carlton

Possible Votes: Boyd, Murphy, Cooney

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'Essendon Spoils Geelong's Purrfect Streak' - Round 15, 2011 Wrap

2011-09-21T23:30:00.000+10:00

In what will be one of the biggest upsets of the season, Essendon have stunned the undefeated Cats, ending Chris Scott's dream run, to hang on by 4 points. You'd have been called a lunatic if you floated the idea that this was the first defeat Geelong was to sustain in Season 2011, particularly given Essendon's form over the past month!

We've seen some weird phenomenons this year, none more crazy than the amount of draws we've had this year. But this right here takes the cake! Speaking of crazy one must feel for the guy that had 1 Mill on Geelong to win. Just goes to show that nothing in sports betting is a certainty, and even the most unlikeliest of results can come to fruition.

Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

Possible Votes: Ward, Griffen, Cooney

Richmond vs Carlton

Possible Votes: Judd, Robinson, Murphy, Warnock

Fremantle vs Gold Coast

Possible Votes: Pavlich, Griffin, Ablett

Essendon vs Geelong

Possible Votes: Howlett, Heppell, Melksham, Hocking

Adelaide vs Sydney

Possible Votes: Johncock, Bolton, Vince

Brisbane vs Port Adelaide

Possible Votes: Black, Schultz, Power, Brown

Collingwood vs Hawthorn

Possible Votes: Pendlebury, Hodge, Thomas

North Melbourne vs St Kilda

Possible Votes: Dal Santo, Goldstein, Goddard

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'They're Flying High' - Round 14, 2011 Wrap

2011-09-20T17:15:00.000+10:00

West Coast continued their remarkable turnaround in form with a compelling victory over Carlton at Etihad Stadium. The win was even more significant given it shows the Eagles have the ability to win away from home, in Melbourne, when in previous seasons they have struggled to come to grips with the travelling factor.

With the Eagles having to play only one side in the top six teams prior to the finals, it looks likely they will successfully complete their transformation from being cellar dwellers to becoming a top four team - all in the space of twelve months.

Hawthorn vs Essendon

Possible Votes: Mitchell, Savage, Shiels, Hodge

Richmond vs Melbourne

Possible Votes: Moloney, Watts, Jones, Foley

Gold Coast vs Western Bulldogs

Possible Votes: Boyd, Griffen, Ablett

Fremantle vs Brisbane

Possible Votes: Broughton, Pavlich, , Black

Sydney vs Collingwood

Possible Votes: Cloke, Ball, O'Keefe, Goodes, Swan

Geelong vs Adelaide

Possible Votes: Enright, Ling, Chistensen, Varcoe, Corey

Carlton vs West Coast

Possible Votes: Priddis, Lynch, Scotland

Port Adelaide vs North Melbourne

Possible Votes: Goldstein, Petrie, Wells

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'New Kids on the Block' - Round 13, 2011 Wrap

2011-08-19T00:06:00.003+10:00

Last year we witnessed one of the up and coming superstars of the competition take his game to the next level, and lay claim to the fact that he deserves to be recognised as one of the elite of the competition. That man of course is Scott Pendlebury, who went on to poll 21 votes on the back of 13 in the previous season, and finish equal 4th in the Brownlow. Quite an impressive effort!

Another player who has had a similar rise in his game this year, and one who coincidentally was selected in the same draft as Pendlebury, is Marc Murphy. And just like Pendles, Murph has a similar polling performance when he polled15 votes in 2009. As a Carlton supporter having watched nearly all of the sides matches, it wasn't all that surprising that Murphy then went on to poll only 5 votes in 2010 given he looked underdone for much of the season due to an injury interrupted pre-season.

But now that he's fit and firing, and playing arguably his best season to date, you'd be silly not to think Murphy isn't a chance at taking home the Charlie. So too Pendles, for that matter, who has followed on with form into this season and is right up there in contention. The only thing standing in their way of glory is of course the polling machine that is Chris Judd. Come the end of the season we could very well be in a situation where the 'new lads' come up against the might of the established superstar in Judd.

Will it be a three-peat for Judd, or will his reign come to an end with one of the up-and-comers dethroning him?

Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide

Possible Votes: Ward, Griffen, Murphy, Giansiracusa

Hawthorn vs Gold Coast

Possible Votes: Savage, Bruest, Mitchell, Ablett

Essendon vs North Melbourne

Possible Votes: Harvey, Swallow, Petrie, Wells

Brisbane vs Richmond

Possible Votes: Vickery, Martin, Cotchin, Redden

St Kilda vs Geelong

Possible Votes: Corey, Stokes, Menzel, Ling

Melbourne vs Fremantle

Possible Votes: Scully, Green, Martin, Watts

Carlton vs Sydney

Possible Votes: Kruezer, Gibbs, Murphy, Walker

West Coast vs Port Adelaide

Possible Votes: Hurn, Priddis, LeCras, Kerr, Boak

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'Meet Me Halfway' - Round 12, 2011 Wrap

2011-08-02T20:33:00.004+10:00

It appears we have an overwhelming consensus with regards to who we all think will finish among the top 2 tiers of the Brownlow leaderboard come the conclusion of Round 12. Distinguishing the winner is the much harder task, with Judd only skipping 5 votes clear of Murphy over the last couple of days of voting in the poll. Hopefully the fact that I mistakenly wrote Round 14 - instead of Round 12 - in the heading of the poll didn't skew the votes. That'll teach me for setting up polls/writing blog entries @ 1AM. I mean, um... it wasn't a mistake, no... erm, it was a test... YES! ...you've passed the test!

Ahem.

Of the results we had:

Judd (44%)
Murphy (31%)
Mitchell (7%)
Pendlebury (5%)
Watson (5%)
Other (5%)
Ablett (0%)
Boyd (0%)
Moloney (0%)

TOTAL VOTES: 38.

St Kilda vs Western Bulldogs

Possible Votes: Goddard, Boyd, Jones, Steven

Adelaide vs West Coast

Possible Votes: Rosa, Kerr, Lecras

Gold Coast vs North Melbourne

Possible Votes: Wells, Harvey, Ablett

Geelong vs Hawthorn

Possible Votes: Podsiadly, Sewell, Mitchell, Bartel, Rioli

Carlton vs Brisbane

Possible Votes: Murphy, Walker, Robinson, Judd

Sydney vs Richmond

Possible Votes: O'Keefe, Seaby, Martin, Cotchin

Fremantle vs Essendon

Possible Votes: Pavlich, Ballantyne, Ibbotson, Fyfe

Melbourne vs Collingwood

Possible Votes: Cloke, Wellingham, Ball, Davis

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'Bombers Dee-moralised' - Round 11, 2011 Wrap

2011-07-22T02:07:00.001+10:00

It only feels like yesterday when Essendon handed the new AFL franchise in the Gold Coast a footballing lesson. But 5 weeks on and you wouldn't believe the Bombers form could stoop so low, having now lost to fledging sides Richmond and Melbourne in recent weeks.

With a loud chorus of media commentators talking up their chances of a Top 4 finish having all but sounded out to a whisper, one must ponder the question; where to now for the Bombers? If the popular opinion is that Judd is central to the success of the Carlton side, I guess you could say in relative terms that the same applies to Watson for Essendon.

For Hirdy, it appears the honeymoon is over, and the reality of a long and difficult marriage is only starting to sink in. Poor bloke.

Essendon vs Melbourne

Possible Votes: Moloney, McKenzie, Trengove, Gysberts

Geelong vs Western Bulldogs

Possible Votes: Johnson, Ottens, Bartel, Corey

West Coast vs Gold Coast

Possible Votes: Cox, LeCras, Priddis, Ablett

Brisbane vs Sydney

Possible Votes: Bird, Bolton, O'Keefe, Goodes

Collingwood vs St Kilda

Possible Votes: Cloke, Thomas, Pendlebury

Hawthorn vs Fremantle

Possible Votes: Rioli, Hill, Broughton, Mitchell

North Melbourne vs Adelaide

Possible Votes: Petrie, Swallow, Goldstein, Ziebell

Port Adelaide vs Carlton

Possible Votes: Robinson, Walker, Murphy

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'Leader(s) of the Pack' - Round 10, 2011 Wrap

2011-07-16T00:41:00.007+10:00


Explaining how she asked me for 6", and I gave her a footlong...

The results are in!

"But hold on", I hear you say. "Why is there a gratuitous
picture of some random chick accompanying this blog post?" That folks is female goal umpire Chelsea Roffey... who I may or may not have a little thing for. If anything she distracts me from wanting to punch in the face of that smirking guy that always sits behind the goals at Subiaco games waving those stupid 'Messages on Hold' hand-shaped signs.

But I digress...

So for the poll which asked all of you fellow Brownlow devotees, as of Round 10 "Which 3 players listed below do you think would feature in the Top 3 of the count at this stage of the season?", you voted...

1. C. Judd (67%)
2. J. Watson (62%)
3. S. Pendlebury (34%)
4. M. Murphy (25%)
5. J. Selwood (20%)
6. Other (20%)
7. D. Swan (16%)
8. M. Boyd (11%)
9. A. Sandilands (2%)

TOTAL VOTES: 42.

The results haven't sprung any surprises, although with Watson on the sidelines, i'd say he'll fall back off the pace given he isn't expected to return until Round 12 against Freo. There's still a long way to go, but can Judd sustain his lead coming into the half-way mark of the season, or will the likes of Pendles/Murphy/Selwood attain the upper hand? We’ll pose that question to you very soon, so keep an eye out!

Also, you may have noticed this blog hasn't been as quite up to date. The trouble is, I have been quite busy over the past few weeks and have had little time to dedicate to the write ups of this blog compared to last season. A few of you have even shot me emails in anticipation of my write-ups asking when the next is going to be posted, and i'm humbled to see there are still those out there who actually read this blog on a weekly basis. Kudos to you, good sir!

As a result of my busy schedule, from now on i'll be sacrificing my game-by-game write ups, as I just don't have time to do one for each game. I will, of course, continue to post up the top players from each game who I think are a chance at votes. Of course, if you want to discuss votes for any particular game feel free to reply to the blog entry located at the bottom and i'll be happy to share my thoughts. Hope that keeps you keen punters at bay!

All in all never fear though, folks, as this blog is still alive and well, it's just been in hibernation mode for a few weeks... much like Essendon's early season form of late! Anyway, on with the show...

Melbourne vs Carlton

Possible Votes: Murphy, Judd, Robinson, Walker

North Melbourne vs Sydney

Possible Votes: Swallow, Bird, McGlynn, Wells

Fremantle vs St Kilda

Possible Votes: Schneider, Dal Santo, Gilbert, Peake

Gold Coast vs Geelong

Possible Votes: Johnson, Selwood, Kelly, Podsiadly

Richmond vs Port Adelaide

Possible Votes: Gray, Boak, Foley, Thomas

Adelaide vs Brisbane

Possible Votes: Clarke, Thompson, Black

Collingwood vs West Coast

Possible Votes: Thomas, Ball, Pendlebury, Didak

West Bulldogs vs Hawthorn

Possible Votes: Guerra, Mitchell, Hodge, Sewell

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above does not reflect the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide. My own actual votes will be revealed at the conclusion of the season*

'Goodes nearly trips up. Yeah right!' - Round 9, 2011 Wrap

2011-06-12T02:07:00.001+10:00

Don't look so surprised Goodesy!

With Cyril Rioli, Leigh Montagna and Sam Mitchell ruling themselves out of the Brownlow race after being found guilty by the match review panel in recent weeks, the competition for the illustrious medal was almost thinned of one more player with Adam Goodes escaping with a reprimand for tripping Hawthorn's Brent 'The Rug' Guerra.

As a result, the dual Brownlow Medallist remains eligible for this year's award after accepting a reprimand and 66 points towards his future record.

But I guess this outcome was only inevitable given it involved the AFL's love-child, and ump favourite in Goodesy. Hahaaaa! Just kidding folks... well, half kidding. But i'm surprised that Guerra wasn't cited for running into the leg of Goodes. How dare he make it look as though Goodes tripped him! In fact I reckon the AFL would've done this back in the day just to preserve the clean image of the one Adam Goodes. No need to nowadays, though, as the match review panel gets it wrong 90% of the time now, so they can rely on him getting off without any further intervention needed. I can hear the champagne being uncorked at AFL House as we speak. Time to put on your birthday suit AD!

Carlton vs Geelong

Possible Votes: Scotland, Selwood, Murphy, Varcoe

Scotland really stood up and assumed the role of the general commanding his troops, particularly in the last when Judd was restricted with a sore foot. His possessions were flawless along the wing, and through the middle. Selwood was headed for a blinder up until 3QT, when he barely touched it and faded out of the game. Murphy continued his run of good form in recent weeks and was again dominant in the middle. Varcoe was quiet somewhat, but had a very influential say in the result of the game in the latter stages of the game, with a dominant 3rd Q.

St Kilda vs Melbourne

Possible Votes: Goddard, Montagna, Riewoldt, N. Jones

Goddard was quite the accumulator, earning 37 possessions. Montagna hit back well, after having a weeks break through suspension, and was a solid contributor. Riewoldt prowess up forward proved lethal to the Dees, kicking 3 important goals. Nathan Jones was the best for the Dees, gathering 31 possies and setting up his side with quite a few scoring opportunities with 7 inside 50s.

Port Adelaide vs Fremantle

Potential Votes: Lower, Fyfe, Pavlich, Sandi, Duffield

Lower played one of his best games for Freo, amassing 28 possies and kicking a nice goal. Fyfe and Pav were the other standouts through the middle, and Sandi was very noticable up until he came off with injury. Duffield got plenty of quality touches off half back, and was also good.

Brisbane vs North Melbourne

Potential Votes: Brown, Adcock, Black, Swallow

Brown was the difference in the end, snatching 11 marks and 4 goals. Adcock thrived on the hard contested ball, and Black's ball use was superb given the tough conditions. Swallow was by far the best for North.

Richmond vs Essendon

Potential Votes: Deledio, Cotchin, Jetta, Heppell

Deledio played a bit part superbly both in the middle and mopping up down back, whilst Cotchin was again superb, with his extraction skills the stand out. Jetta's electrifying speed and 3 goals were a rare highlight in what was a grim match for the Dons. Heppell contested the packs at every opportunity and can walk away with his head held high.

Collingwood vs Adelaide

Potential Votes: Thomas, Thompson, Ball, Pendlebury

Thomas was electrifying all day, and Thompson had 33 possessions in a dominant display for the Crows who dropped the bundle in the last Q. Ball worked tirelessly all day with his in and under work, and Pendles was crucial with his penetrating kicking.

Sydney vs Hawthorn

Potential Votes: Franklin, Shiels, Roughead, Sewell, Hodge

Franklin played a blinder kicking 6.6, and could've had 10+ had he kicked straight. Shiels had a lot around stoppages and Roughead played a great game pinch hitting in the ruck and going forward at stages throughout the game. Sewell did well to give his team mates first use of the ball around the stoppages, and Hodge was overly solid throughout.

West Coast vs Westerm Bulldogs

Potential Votes: Kennedy, Shuey, Embley, Le Cras, Cox

Kennedy kicked 10, so his game speaks for itself. Shuey kicked his own bag, converting 5 goals and was involved in heaps of midfield work. Embley dominated with his usual ran and dash, and Le Cras gathered 29 possessions to go with 3.3 along the way. Cox was a beast in the ruck, and smashed the Bulldogs at the stoppages.

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above is not indicative of the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide.*

'Close Encounters of the Furr Kind' - Round 8, 2011 Wrap

2011-06-04T19:56:00.001+10:00

In an encounter that was touted the match of the round, it sure lived up to expectations with the clash between the two undefeated titans - Geelong and Collingwood - going right down to the wire. Coming away victorious were the Cats who fought bravely against the reigning premiers, and very much had the ascendancy all night.

One player that stood out and set the tone early for the Catters was Selwood, who capped off his 100th game in style with a 28 possession performance, which included 7 clearances, 8 inside 50's and a whopping 17 contested possessions.

Selwood has gone under the radar up until now, with many bookies writing him off. Could this be the beginning of a run of promising performances to come that will thrust his name back into the Brownlow spotlight? He has the runs on the board in previous seasons, particularly in the latter half of last year when he polled a total of 14 votes in a run of 8 consecutive games. Almost Judd-esque is our resident 'Wood Seller'!

Geelong vs Collingwood

Possible Votes: Selwood, Thomas, Swan, Bartel, Ottens.

Selwood purely awesome in his milestone game, and Thomas' stoppage work was a feature of his game that stood out and kicked a late goal to bring the Pies within striking distance. Swan played a solid game with 30 possessions, whilst Bartel was very quiet early on in the match, but kicked 2 crucial goals.Ottens dominated the ruck and could figure.

North Melbourne vs Melbourne

Possible Votes: Goldstein, Wells, Edwards, Adams.

Goldstein dominated all day against Melbourne's depleated and non-existant ruck setup. Wells' run, carry and precise movement of the ball was invaluable, and Edwards' performance speaks for itself with 6 goals 10 marks. Adams tried his heart out and was very damaging.

Adelaide vs Gold Coast

Possible Votes: Dangerfield, Van Berlo, Thompson, Ablett.

Dangerfield kicked 6 and smashed the GC. Van Berlo played a very nice captains game, leading from the front and gathering 36 possies. Thompson's in and under work was flawless. Gazza was showing glimpses of his Brownlow medal form in the first quarter and a bit, kicking 4 goals and amassing 41 possessions in a dominant display, but slowed just as his side did as the game wore on.

Brisbane vs Essendon

Possible Votes: Myers, Zaharakis, Rockliff, Hocking.

Myers was quiet up until the last half when he was racking up possessions off half-back in a rebound role that went some way to negating Brisbane's forward entries. Zaharakis played a starring role in the Bomber's win, with 4 goals. Rockliff was among the best stoppage players on the night, along with Hocking who had 11 contested possessions.

Sydney vs Port Adelaide

Possible Votes: Bolton, Kennedy, Goodes, O'Keefe.

Bolton was courageous as always, laying 13 tackles to go with his 33 touches. Kennedy had a day out as well, kicking 2 goals whilst smashing out 17 contested possessions among his 31 possessions. Goodes had a very servicable game kicking a couple of nice goals, and O'Keefe played a crucial role in the Swans win.

Hawthorn vs St Kilda

Possible Votes: Savage, Franklin, Hodge, Lewis.

This is a very hard game for votes! Savage really grew into the match and was a dominant force down the wings, whilst Franklin was his influential self kicking 5. Hodge worked his way into form with arguably his best game for the year, and likewise Lewis was an accumulator.

Western Bulldogs vs Richmond

Possible Votes: Gilbee, Ward, Boyd, Minson.

Gilbee booted 5 goals in a very dominant display. Ward was outstanding in the midfield, likewise Boyd who played a solid game. Minson should come into calculations, smashing it not only in the ruck, but up forward as well.

West Coast vs Fremantle

Possible Votes: Priddis, Naitanui, Fyfe, Mundy.

Priddis was BOG, winning the match day medal. NicNat played a great ruckmans game, working in tandem with Cox to get the better of Sandilands. Fyfe was among the best for Freo, and kicked a classy goal that put him in contention for goal of the year. Mundy is another that tried hard for the Dockers.

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above is not indicative of the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide.*

'I'd like to see that!' - Round 7, 2011 Wrap

2011-05-20T01:21:00.003+10:00

When I first heard news that Melbourne's Jack Trengove had been cited and suspended for 3 matches, I thought he must've whacked someone behind play or something of that nature, but having watched the Melbourne vs Adelaide match in its entirety I didn't recall him being involved in any malicious acts, nor did I remember him being reported or hear any of the commentators mentioning any particular incident during the game. What could he have done I thought?

Well, when I saw a replay of the incident in question I had no words... at first. I was too shocked to see what he had been reported for, and more specifically in utter disbelief at what our game, the game I follow almost religiously, the game I know and love dearly, had decended to. The profanity laden reponse that followed was a combination of frustration, anger, and disbelief. A small part of my passion for the game had wilted at that very moment.

Here we have a second year rookie; with no tribunal history; not renowned for being violent or malicious on the field; who was not reported during play; had laid a hard, fair tackle in play; didn't catch Dangerfield high; didn't irresponsibly sling him, or let him fall to the ground after the tackle; didn't intend on hurting him; and was even defended by Adelaide themselves who gave evidence to support his case. Heck, even Dangerfield was fit enough to play in Round 8! And yet, the end result is he gets 3 weeks.

To put this in greater perspective as to how ridiculous this is, compare this to the Campbell Brown case who deliberately elbowed Callan Ward IN THE FACE. His actions were high; it was behind play; had the deliberate intent of hurting his opponent; and biggest of all - has a long history of malicious reports. But somehow for this incident alone (he was also reported for another incident), he recieved 2 weeks. How I hear you ask, well the all conquering MRP ruled that the contact he made was reckless (not intentional), and medium impact (not high). WTF?!

Errr... care to elaborate here AFL? I would seriously love to hear justifications behind both rulings.

Let me end my rant by giving you a look at an old AFL advertisement that ran during the 90s, promoting our wonderful game for what it was - hard, tough, passionate, skillfull, entertaining, among other things. Does anyone else find it rather ironic that a large majority of the particular aspects of the game which feature in the video, are now either absent from the game or being fazed out thanks largely to the rules committee and the tribunal.

"Rules? What rules?" Dean Richards asks - Haha, well good sir that'd be the very thing that is slowly ruining the game, and what has made it almost a different sport entirely compared to that put on display in that advertisement. In essence its stolen away the games indentity.

It's the very reason that passionate supporters like myself could very well lose interest over time and be turned away. Because if the AFL don't overall their MRP process, ruling system, interpretations and the like, i'm sad to say this is a very real realization. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that.

"I'd like to see that" I hear them say. In response I say so would I...

So would I...

Port Adelaide vs Hawthorn

Possible Votes: Sewell, Mitchell, Chaplin, Pearce

Sewell was the hardest working midfielder, and his in and under work is sublime. Mitchell had a TON of the ball, but was scrappy at times. Chaplin was a rock in defence, and Pearce solid.

Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

Possible Votes: Goodes, Boyd, O'Keefe, Griffen

Goodesy played a very solid game, and Boyd likewise. O'Keefe was a standout and was a linkman across the ground, whilst Griffen's clean disposal stood out like a beacon.

Geelong vs North Melbourne

Possible Votes: Podsiadly, Kelly, Selwood, Corey

Pods was marking all and sundry, and kicking goals to boot (ha!). Kelly was seemingly everywhere, and was great in tight as usual, whilst Selwood also excelled in the middle. Corey also stood out and had a very workmanlike game.

Richmond vs Fremantle

Possible Votes: Nahas, Cotchin, Sandilands

Nahas has been in ripping form over the past few weeks, and backed it up with another great game. Cotchin broke lines, and kicked goals in an impressive overall game, and Sandilands dominated in the ruck as per usual.

Gold Coast vs Brisbane
Possible Votes: Brennan, Rischitelli, Krakouer, McGrath, Black, Rich

Brennan was clear BOG and recieved the match day medal. Rischitelli played a great game, and Krakouer helped lock in the win for the Suns with 5 goals. McGrath went one better, kicking 6 goals in a dominant display. Black was consistent, and Rich's raking kick was a feature.

Essendon vs West Coast

Possible Votes: Kerr, Watson, Hocking, Jetta

Kerr was simply awesome in the first half, but faded. Watson contributed well with 2 goals, and had a stack of possessions. Hocking was solid throughout, and Jetta was damaging with his run through the middle late in the game.

Melbourne vs Adelaide

Possible Votes: Sylvia, Moloney, Trengove, Davey

Sylvia stood out with his 4 goals, and Moloney was a beast at the stoppages as he has been in recent weeks. Trengove was silky smooth as usual, and Davey's evasiveness and run and carry was impeccable on the day.

St Kilda vs Carlton

Possible Votes: Gibbs, Fisher, Nick Dal Santo, Yarran, Judd

Was the hardest game of the week to try and narrow down votes. Gibbs nullified Goddard for the entire match, and kicked a couple of very classy goals. Fisher was the rock for St. Kilda and ensured St Kilda had a steady ship. Dal Santo was quiet early, but worked into it, especially in the last Q. Yarran was a wizard down back, sweeping the ball up and disposing of the ball with both feet, with his usual charm. Judd was held quite well by Gilbert, but came into his own in the last 2 Q's to help secure a win for his side.

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above is not indicative of the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide.*

'Night is Darkest Just Before the Dawn' - Round 6, 2011 Wrap

2011-05-11T01:10:00.001+10:00

A week after the Suns recorded their first win in emphatic style, the elation soon came to a crashing halt this round when Essendon absolutely pantsed them... and I don't mean just any regular shelacking, I mean record breaking.

Can you believe the score at quarter time was Essendon 94, Suns 1?! Wow! Of course that horror start set the tone for the rest of the match, and Essendon were ruthless up until the final siren. Among the records that were smashed included; the highest score kicked in a first quarter, and not surprisingly; the biggest deficit at quarter time. It's one thing to be beaten by 139 points, but to have Kyle Reimers kick 8 goals against you is definitely more embarrassing!

But chin up to any Suns supporters out there. With such a young team, you'll find that the Suns will be the Jekyl and Hyde throughout much of the year, similar to Port Adelaide (whom they only beat last week - ironic much?). No doubt there will be weeks when they put in a solid competitive effort or even come up with a win, and then there will be those instances where they are humiliated - akin to the poor bloke on his bucks night when he is bound and tied naked to a lamppost by his mates. Just the nature of the business I suppose... except in his case the poor sod goes on to get married and faces a life of misery, whereas the Suns' future looks much brighter in comparison.

Not so bleak afterall, eh? Huzzah for crazy, random analogies! Winning!

West Coast vs Melbourne

Possible Votes: Embley, Priddis, Cox, Kerr

Embley played well, particularly in the first half and kicked 3 goals in a dominant display by the Eagles. Priddis was the cog in the Eagles' midfield, and Cox monstered his opponent Jamar all night. Kerr put in a fantastic effort and showed flashes of his brilliance circa his premiership days playing alongside Juddy and Cousins.

Sydney vs Carlton

Possible Votes: Judd, McGlynn, Kennedy, Bett, Curnow

No jokes about it really, Judd was a clear BOG and played quite possibly his best game in the Navy Blue. McGlynn had a great game, kicking 4 goals, which is very solid when you factour in the rain. Kennedy impressed me a lot and worked tirelessly for Sydney in what were horrid conditions, and little Eddie played a very nice game to work his way back into form. Curnow thrived on the contested ball, and did well you clear the ball from congestion on numerous occasions.

North Melbourne vs Pt Adelaide

Possible Votes: Goldstein, Swallow, Harvey, Hartlett

Was a pretty ordinary game, let be honest.
Goldstein was very dominant in the ruck for the Kangas, and played a Sandi type game, even roving his own ruckwork and dishing out clearances. Swallow played a very solid game, and his skill and composure shone through in patches. Harvey was impressive, and stood out with his running goal. Hartlett was the best for Port, which was a fair effort when your team is on the receiving end of a thumping.

Richmond vs Brisbane

Possible Votes: Nahas, Martin, Foley, Black

Nahas was everywhere! Probably played his best game for Richmond over the journey. Martin was terrific and put in another outstanding performance on the back of last week, and Foley had a tonne of the ball. Black's silky disposal and nouse to know exactly where his teammates are in congestion and have to the ability to dish it out to advantage is superb.

Adelaide vs St Kilda

Possible Votes: Tippett, Thompson, Douglas, Knights, Dal Santo

Tippet and Thompson were both as equally damaging as each other, with the former marking everything that came his way and the latter carving the Saints midfield to shreds, seemingly always having first opportunity at the ball. Douglas played a decent bit-part alongside Thompson at stages, kicking 2 very nice goals, and Knights was the steadying hand up forward, kicking 2 crucial goals when the Saints came within 3 points. Dal Santo had a nice day out by his own accounts, gathering 29 touches and laying 6 tackles in what was another glum day for the Saints.

Essendon vs Gold Coast

Possible Votes: ANYONE!

Quite seriously, anyone could potentially poll in the votes given the whopping margin... well... anyone that wore an Essendon guernsey. Reimers is obviously one that should figure with his career high 8 goals.

Collingwood vs Western Bulldogs

Possible Votes: Krakouer, Shaw, Sidebottom, Brown

Krakouer showed the footballing world his bag of tricks, when on a couple of occasions he dodged and weaved around numerous opponents to snap around his body and goal. Very flashy! Shaw played his usual ran and carry gamestyle, much to the advantage of the Pies. He also won the Rose/Sutton medal for best afield, as voted by a selection of Fox Sports panellists. Sidebottom was ruthless all day, and kicked 3 goals, whilst Brown slotted 4 crucial goals in the last to put some space between the reigning premiers and the Bulldogs, when it looked as though the latter were pressing.

"Rising Suns" - Round 5, 2011 Wrap

2011-05-07T01:52:00.004+10:00

Only a few minutes out from 3/4 time in the Port Adelaide vs Gold Coast match, the visitors were trailing by a lengthy 40 points and were headed for another certain defeat. But what transpired over the next quarter can be described as both quite hilarious, and quite remarkable! It really can only be seen to be believed - Gold Coast, a new side, down and out, and much renowned as the whipping boys of the AFL, rose from the ashes against all the odds to come back and overcome the much fancied home side to record their first win in it's short history.

I don't think i've ever barracked for another team as hard as what I did for the Suns against Port - but how couldn't you, for the lulz alone it was worth it. Poor Port...

Oh, and on another note, I was very close to publicly declaring that the AFL were taking the piss when it looked as though Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs were headed for a draw late in the last quarter. On the back of my blog post last week, I was half expecting the football gods to dish up another LOL at my expense but thankfully it wasn't to be! But I somehow have the feeling that this won't be the last we'll see of the draws.

Brisbane v St Kilda

Possible Votes: A. Schneider, L. Montagna, J. Adcock, S. Black, J. Redden.

Montagna, I felt, was among the Saint's best with 10 clearances. Adcock was solid across the whole game and really commanded the game for Brisbane, whilst Schneider kicked 2 very important goals in the last to tip the game in the Saints' favour. Others of note; Black/Redden.

Pt Adelaide v Gold Coast

Possible Votes: M. Rischitelli, B. Matera, G. Ablett, D. Swallow, H. Hartlett.

Rischitelli was an absolute beast all day and recieved the match-day medal, ajudged the best man afield. Matera had the x-factor and the goals he kicked were pure class for such a young player, and really stepped it up a cog in the last Q. Ablett kicked a nice captains goal to kick start the Suns resurgence. Swallow was quiet early, but stood up in unison with the rest of his team to lift the side to victory in the last half. Hartlett was Port's best in what was a close loss in a side that dominated play all day until the final 30 minutes of the match

Carlton v Adelaide

Possible Votes: M. Murphy, P. Dangerfield, A. Walker, C. Judd.

Murphy was pure class all night and had a well rounded game. Danger was fantastic for the Crows and was by far their best in the engine room. His ability and strength to shrug tackles and break open into space astounds me. Walker came out firing in the first quarter, and even took a very nice grab, whilst kicking 4 very nice goals. Judd was looking to break the game apart in the first few minutes, but finished with what was a solid game.

North Melbourne v Richmond

Possible Votes: J. Riewoldt, D. Petrie, D. Martin, A. Swallow.

JRoo kicked another bag and was the shining light for the Tiges up forward leading his side to victory. Petrie marked everything that came his way and kicked 6 in a very dominant display. Martin played a huge game for a bloke who's only in his 2nd season, and has all the hallmarks of a future Richmond captain. Swallow played a solid game also.

Essendon v Collingwood

Possible Votes: S. Pendlebury, H. Shaw, D. Heppell, T. Cloke.

Pendles was simply awesome, not much else can be said about his performance. A clear BOG, winning the Anzac Day Medal. Shaw was everywhere, and in top form demonstrating his famous run and carry throughout the match. Heppell was awesome across half back, and at times running through the centre with great composure. Cloke kicked 2 crucial goals in the space of a few minutes to snuff out any hope of Essendon winning in the last.

Fremantle v Western Bulldogs

Possible Votes: D. Mundy, M. Boyd, A. Sandilands.

Mundy kicked 2 impressive goals and was unsighted early until he was thrown into the centre and started to dominate. Boyd played like a man possessed, and stood out, but with 40 odd touches how can you not? Sandilands owned the ruck, but the Bulldogs roved his taps for most the night.

Hawthorn v Geelong

Possible Votes: H. Taylor, P.Chapman, B. Sewell, J. Bartel, J. Selwood

Taylor took a ton of contested marks, dropping back into space, while Franklin didnt get near it. Chapman was a dominant force up forward for the Cats, and swining through the middle to apply fantastic pressure. Sewell, I felt, was one of the best performing Hawks midfielders. Bartel was a standout, and whilst Selwood wasn't at his best that's for sure, but with 32 possies/14 CP/6 CL, he's hard to ignore.

*DISCLAIMER: The deliberate random order of the players above is not indicative of the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide.*

Another draw?! C'mon guys this isn't funny anymore! - Round 4, 2011 Wrap

2011-04-25T00:52:00.006+10:00

Ok, ok. You know when I said in Round 2 that I hope there aren't many more draws... well, I wasn't expecting we'd again be witnessing one only 2 weeks later.

It's as if the football gods are reading my weekly blog and thought they'd take the piss out of me by delivering another draw. Thanks alot guys, yeah laugh it up, enjoy your night! Well, in saying that, these draws are getting mighty ridiculous. Let's hope there aren't any more... within 2 weeks... football gods, you listening?

Richmond vs Collingwood

Possible Votes: D. Swan, T. Cloke, T. Cotchin, D. Martin, B. Deledio, D. Thomas

Swan again had his usual bivvy of touches, but kicked 4 goals which is sure to shift the umps' spotlight onto him. Cloke lead well and had a respectable night out, kicking 3. Cotchin impressed me with his run and silky kicking, whilst Martin was just as effective for the Tiges in the middle. Deledio poise and skill stood out, and Thomas' running goal through the centre was a highlight.

Hawthorn vs West Coast

Possible Votes: L. Franklin, S. Mitchell, C. Rioli, M. Priddis

Franklin's performance speaks for itself, kicking 6 goals in a dominant display. Mitchell got a shiteload of football, winning 37 possessions in total and having a phenomenal impact on the game. Rioli was influential in patches and Priddis was a standout for the Eagles with 14 tackles.

Carlton vs Essendon

Possible Votes: M. Murphy, D. Fletcher, J. Watson, K. Simpson, C. Yarran

Murphy was a clear standout for Carlton, and Fletcher was the saving grace for the Dons, who had two pieces of play - the saving tackle and long range goal - which summed up his brilliant day out. Watson was clearly Essendon's best midfielder, whilst Simpson and Yarran were dominant for Carlton.

Sydney vs Geelong

Possible Votes: D. Wojcinksi, P. Chapman, S. Johnson, J. Kennedy, K. Jack

Wojo's legspeed was scintillating and was what enabled Geelong to run into space, also laying an impressive 12 tackles. Chappy was everywhere and kicked 2 nice goals, whilst Johnson took a spectacular mark and was dominant up forward. Kennedy and Jack were a couple of standouts for the Swans.

Port Adelaide vs Adelaide

Possible Votes: D. Rodan, J. Westhoff, T. Boak, S. Thompson, T. Chaplin

Rodan was quiet in patches, but his goals were the spark to ignite the Power in turning it on after the first Q. Westhoff was marking everything that was coming his way and stood out like a beacon, justifying him winning the game medal. Boak played a solid game, and S. Thompson was among the best for the Crows. As a defender, Chaplin played a near flawless game, gathering a lazy 30 odd possessions as well.

Gold Coast vs Melbourne

Possible Votes: B. Moloney, A. Davey, J. Trengove, C. Sylvia

Moloney's clearance work was a feature all day and his work in close was superb. Davey's uncanny ability to run, carry, and dodge around opponents still amazes me. Trengove's disposal was pure silk, and tore Gold Coast apart with his precise kicking. Sylvia took a little while to get into the game, but was very dominant in the last quarter when Melbourne kicked it into top gear.

Fremantle vs North Melbourne

Possible Votes: M. Pavlich, H. Ballantyne, N. Fyfe, A. Swallow

Pav lit up the ground with his clearance work and solid marking around the ground. Superb all round game! Balla ran riot, pushing up the ground and then sprinting back in time to run into space and goal on numerous occasions. He probably worked the hardest out of anyone I saw. Fyfe was very solid and kicked some classy goals, whilst for the visitors, Swallow played well gathering 31 touches (12 clearances).

*DISCLAIMER: The order of the players above is not indicative of the order I think they will poll in, and should be treated/used only as a guide.*

"Elementary, my dear Watson." - Round 3, 2011 Wrap

2011-04-24T13:02:00.008+10:00

Essendon again proved to both St. Kilda and the football world that they aren't to be treated so lightly in season 2011, with a convincing victory over last years grand finalist - mind you, who they've had the wood over for the past 2 and a half seasons.

One man to stand out was again Jobe Watson who I only spoke of in Round 1, and after another scintillating game the bookies have slashed his odds and installed him as third favourite overall to take home the Charlie in 2011. I probably wouldn't act as hastily as what they have just yet, but the signs are promising. Whether he can push the likes of Judd, Swan, Pendles et. al. right up until the finish remains to be seen.

Collingwood vs Carlton

Possible Votes: J. Blair, H. Shaw, T. Cloke, C Yarran, C. Judd

Blair had a few goals gifted to him, and some of which were uncontested. But that's not to discount the fact that kicking 5 goals is an awesome achievement in itself. Shaw's rebounding run, carry and drive from half back was invaluable. T. Cloke was a focal point up forward for the Pies, and was their best forward all day. Yarran's run and drive from half back was important, and Judd played a solid, but not spectacular game like he can, however he was thereabouts.

Western Bulldogs vs Gold Coast

Possible Votes: D. Cross, S. Higgins, M. Boyd

All 3 of these players were the standouts, and shadowed everyone else. Will be interesting to see in what order they will be given votes.

Adelaide vs Fremantle

Possible Votes: D. Mundy, S. Thompson, P. Dangerfield, N. Fyfe

Thompson had a ripper game, and Mundy was up there for the Dockers. Dangerfield and Fyfe were others who I thought was equally as damaging for their respective sides.

Richmond vs Hawthorn

Possible Votes: L. Franklin, S. Burgoyne, L. Hodge, B. Sewell, J. Lewis.

Franklin was the clear 3 without a doubt. Burgoyne lit up the stadium with his dashing plays down the wings and was eye-catching through the centre. Hodge was ruthless as always, leading from the front, and likewise Sewell and Lewis were solid.

West Coast vs Sydney

Possible Votes: J. Bolton, D. Cox, A. Goodes

This game seems pretty self explanatory and should feature the above players.

Melbourne vs Brisbane

Possible Votes: L. Jurrah, B. Moloney, N. Jones, L. Power

Jurrah was the x-factor who sparked the Dees resurgence halfway through the match kicking 5 crucial goals in a purple patch, whilst Moloney was the most consistent for Melbourne across 4Qs. Jones was a tough nut and provided the grunt through the middle, and Power was among the standouts for Brisbane, swinging forward in patches to kick 4 nice goals.

Geelong vs Port Adelaide

Possible Votes: J. Kelly, J. Bartel, J. Selwood

Kelly stood out with an amazing 23 possies in the first half alone. Bartel ran ragged around the ground, and Selwood's in and under work was fantastic.

St. Kilda vs Essendon

Possible Votes: J. Watson, P. Ryder, M. Hurley, T. Bellchambers, Fletcher

Watson should once again feature here, and there were a bivvy of other players who stood out.

*DISCLAIMER: The order of the players above is not indicative of the order I think they will poll in, and should be used only as a guide.*

Drawn Together - Round 2, 2011 Wrap

2011-04-11T14:27:00.002+10:00

What is it with the draws over the past two rounds of the season? Don't get me wrong, i'm not a anti-draw nazi ala some of the so called journo's from the Age/Herald, I just think it's quite funny that we've had 2 draws across 16 games - or 3 in 17 if you include last years drawn grand final! Amazing! More amazing was that this weeks drawn game was between St. Kilda and Richmond - both teams on opposite ends of the ladder in 2010. Waaah?

For the sake of the Brownlow, let's just hope there aren't many more given it's quite difficult to ascertain as to who will get the 3 votes in drawn games.

Of other news to come from Round 2, Hawthorn dynamo Cyril Rioli has been rubbed out for a week for striking Melbourne's Nathan Jones and is now ineligible for the medal. I'm sure there aren't many of you out there, but condolences to those of you that already had pre-season money on him for the Brownlow. He sure was ripping it up, and was actually making me a little nervous as a late outside contender, so his suspension gives me some respite in that sense. Humourous that he'll probably poll 3 votes this round to go along with his suspension.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

St Kilda v Richmond

Lids deserves the 3 straight up for his game on Goddard, and plus won the medal. Milne, as much as I despise the little tiprat, played a lone hand up forward for the Saints kicking 4, and should be some chance of seeing votes. Dal Santo was good, but faded as the game progressed. Martin could sneak a vote for his work in the last quarter when the game was on the line, kicking a couple of crucial goals to keep the Tiges in it. Grigg played a fine game and kicked an important goal, to go along with a handful of possessions. My smokey for this game is Cotchin - he really impressed me with his work in tight, and silky disposal.

North Melbourne v Collingwood

Swan was veeery scrappy at times, and hardly touched it in the first quarter, but redeemed himself by gathering 18 odd touches in the 2nd. Pendles was a standout. He glided around the ground, and his disposal was as smooth as silk as per usual. Beams could feature for his 26 possie, 3 goal game, likewise Dawes who I thought played a superb game as the roaming forward.

Port Adelaide v West Coast

As the commentators said throughout the game; Embley owned that side of the ground he was playing on. Great all round game. Cox backed up his game last week with another impressive performance this week, and Shuey stepped it up as the game went on providing run and drive through the middle. For Port, Gray would be the only chance to sneak a 1, if that.

Gold Coast v Carlton

Gibbs racked it up, but I felt he got a ton of possessions in the back half playing as a loose man with no real opponent. Despite this, his kicking was pure silk and a standout. Judd kicked a couple of nice goals and was his usual dominant self against the inexperienced Suns lineup, in what was his milestone game. Garlett was the most potent fowrad all night and kicked truly on numerous occasions to really sting the GC. Murphy got caught once or twice trying to shrug tackles, which may work against him, but was dominant throughout.

Fremantle v Geelong

This is probably the hardest game to distribute votes!

Enright was clearly one of the standouts for Geelong, but with his unfavourable polling history who knows? Another from the Cats that was impressive was Joel Corey. I felt Pav was Freo's best along with Mundy, but went with the former because he was more eye-catching in the middle.

Western Bulldogs v Brisbane

Griff stood out with his composure under pressure, and kicked 3 very nice goals. Silky smooth! Boyd was a little sloppy with his disposal early on, but was probably the most solid performer over 4 quarters. Coondog played a great game, and was much more solid than last week. Higgins impressed me alot, and his tackling pressure was what stood out head and shoulders above anyone else.

Sydney v Essendon

Bolton was sensational. For an old bloke he really stood out and played his usual blinder against the Dons, and how about that game winning tackle and goal. Very impressive! Goodes was... well, goodes all day. His marking really stood out, and along with Bolton, was the man behind the Swans resurgence in the last quarter.

O'Keefe ran ragged around the ground all day, but played his best work in the middle, smashing it with numerous clearances, and precise footwork. Watson was the best for the Dons in what was a tight game throughout.

Hawthorn v Melbourne

Rioli was the clear BOG. His work in the first quarter alone had me mesmerised! Suckling had a MASSIVE 3rd quarter to turn the tide in the Hawks' favour, and Burgoyne followed up on his solid effort last week. Sewell was also in his prime, dominating at the stoppages. The Dees, however, were woeful in the second half, and given the margin i'd say any of their players are little chance of polling any votes.

Flying Start! - Round 1, 2011 Wrap

2011-04-02T14:16:00.003+11:00

No, no, i'm not talking about the 'Flying Start' you're thinking of...

Hai guyz!

Thanks for that Ricky, so kind of you to stop by. But no, I'm talking about one of the biggest stories to come out of Round 1; but if you've spoken to any Essendon supporter i'm sure you're already quite familiar with their incessant ramblings about the second coming in the form of Sir. James.

As much as it pains me to say as a Carlton supporter, you can't deny they looked like a completely different outfit to that of 2010, and quite an impressive one at that. They seem to be playing an exciting, play on at all costs, pressurised zoning brand of football vastly different to that boring setup they'd adopted over the previous two seasons. But the most pleasing thing to come from this in Brownlow terms is the form of some of their stars - namely Jobe Watson.

With 35 possessions and 2 goals, he's sure to figure in the votes come Brownlow night, and is an outside roughie one needs to consider if Essendon can maintain their current form. In my opinion I don't believe Essendon can win enough games to warrant Jobe a chance, and in no way am I saying he will win it, but if they can manage to finish in the Top 8 and win their fair share of games he is a shot at polling inside the Top 5 at the very least. I'm usually a critic of his disposal, which can be quite erratic at times, and even though it's still early days i'd say he's eclipsed the 2010 form he was in when he won 'Tool of the Week' and then 'Tool of the Year' on Before the Game when he couldn't resist the charms of an elderly lady. Eyes on the ball Jobey... eyes on the ball.

Also, note i'll be using a different format this year, where i'll be throwing up names of the players who I think will feature in the votes, rather than just naming my 3, 2, 1's outright. The benefit is i'll be going into much more detail for each game, providing more insightful analysis, which will hopefully help to generate discussion and help you pick your own 3, 2 1's. So what of my own votes? Well I'll still be doing them throughout the year, but will instead post my full 24 rounds worth of 3, 2, 1's once the season has concluded and the odds have been released. So without further ado, here is what I made of that first glorious 8 games of the season...

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ROUND 1

Carlton vs Richmond

Wow, what a game to kick off the season!

Gibbs was head to head with Murphy for quite some time, but had the tendency of fading off in patches. Although his poise and composure showed in the last to help Carlton steady.

Jumping Jack was clearly the best player for Richmond all night, and with 6 goals it's hard not to be. His marking was a feature and almost won the Tiges the game off his own boot!

Also for the Tiges, Cotchin turned it around after having little influence on the game early. This kid is a star in the making.

Murphy was fantastic all night, and even though I thought he started to slip in the second half, his accurate kicking and awareness was a class above the rest.

Judd was a little rusty throughout the first half, but turned it on in the second - particularly the last quarter where he played mostly a lone hand.

Geelong vs St. Kilda

Up until half-time Dal Santo was ripping the game to shreds, but he then faded away and had very little influence in the second half when Geelong mounted a challenge.

Bartel was inspirational in the last quarter, and his goal on the boundary was a ripper! Steadied the ship for Geelong, and played with a cool head when the Saints put on the pressure.

Enright played a very solid game in what happened to be, coincidently, his milestone game. Broke the lines, ran and carried the ball, and provided the drive that Geelong was seeking after a lack-lustre first 2 1/2 quarters.

Lenny Hayes really stepped it up in the second half and was everywhere in the clinches. His poise, composure, and ability to side step players is a feature of his game that I love and this game was no exception.

Collingwood vs Port Adelaide

Johnson was solid throughout the entire match, and didn't falter at any point. Broke the lines, and kicked a couple of classy goals as well.

Swan was his usual self, gathering a shiteload of possessions at will. Played his usual link-man role outside the packs, and killed it in the first 2 quarters kicking 3 goals, kick starting the Pies' into shellacking Port.

Dawes had a ripper of a game, and it appears as though he's going to take his game to the next level in 2011. I'm predicting he'll take bigger strides than Cloke this year, in terms of development.
Pendles played a classy game and tried hard all day. His stoppage work stood out and shone through.

For Port there weren't many to speak of given the margin, although Matt Thomas was impressive.

Adelaide vs Hawthorn

Danger was no where to be seen in the first half, with only 2 possies up until half time if my memory serves correct. But from then on, when he was finally thrown into the midfield by Craig he was an absolute jet! Kicked 3 goals at a crucial stage of the match when the game was there to be won. People compare him to Mark Ricciuto, and now I see why, as that was a Ricciuto type game right there.

Also for the Crows, Thompson was his usual tough-nut self and Reilly did very well to simultaneously curb Burgoyne's influence in the second half as well as lift a notch when the game was on the line.
Sewell was among the best for the Hawks up until he was subbed off. He was simply everywhere and thrived on the contested ball.

Mitchell was an absolute ball magnet for the entire match. He work in close was a feature that stoof out. Leather poisoning at it's very finest.

Brisbane vs Fremantle

Sandi looked rather rusty in the first two quarters, but thereafter worked his way into the game and was much better. From there he dominated the ruck, and once he finally got his hands on the pill he started to really have an effect on the game.

Fyfe was the other Docker that caught my eye. He played a superb game and thrived on the contested ball, which is sure to stand out to the umpires.

Black was outstanding all night. His work in close was superb, and was at his hardworking, tireless best for the entire game.

Pav played a different game, lining up in the middle, but to his credit he stood up to the challenge and had quite a few clearances. Good game.

Essendon vs Western Bulldogs

Watson was a clear BOG. Not much can be added to what I wrote about him above - as it's quite clear he has a penchant for the older woman.

Hille was also among the best, with his big-body work around the ground and crucial marking the most impressive aspect of his game.

Stanton, whilst rusty early on - with a kick into the man on the mark resulting in a turnover goal the lowlight - he soon turned it around, swinging from defence to running goalkicker throughout the match.

Ryder was very solid. It's a joy to watch him play, as it seems he glides along as an extra midfielder despite his size. Kicked some nice goals.

Hocking was a clearance king and enjoyed the work in close.

For the Bulldogs there weren't many positives, apart from maybe Boyd who tried hard.

Melbourne vs Sydney

O'Keefe was the everywhere man. Played around the ground and was unstoppable throughout.

Moloney swung the game back in Melbourne's favour when it looked as though the Swans were going to run away with the game. His clearance work was some of the best I saw all weekend.

Goodes looked as though he was going to single handedly win the game for Sydney early on, but his influence waned as the match went on.

Trengove and Davey were of the others that were most impressive for the Dees.

West Coast vs North Melbourne

Cox smashed it, and I guess that was always a given considering North Melbourne went into the match with no real ruckmen.

Swallow was among the best for North, and carried on his form from that of last season which caught my eye.

Embley impressed me, particularly with his work up forward. Solid throughout.

Priddis played one of his best games to rival last year. Worked his way into the game and even snuck forward to do some nice work.

2011 Brownlow Player Preview: J. Selwood

2011-03-23T20:03:00.006+11:00

Name: J. Selwood
Club: Geelong

2010 Brownlow Performance: Equal 4th

WTS's 2010 Pre-Season Prediction: 3-4 ✔

Total Votes: 21

Games Polled: 12

Games Played: 21

Total Votes Breakdown: 2, 5, 5

Brownlow Odds: $11 (Courtesy of TAB)

Joel Selwood. This is a bloke that has polled 58 votes out of a possible 82 games, or an average 0.71 votes a game - which happens to be the 2nd highest votes per game average behind Chris Judd. But the similarities between these two don't stop there, with some even comparing his ability to turn a game with that of a young Judd at West Coast when he won his first Brownlow at just the tender age of 21 in 2004.

So is 2011 the year Selwood justifies these comparisons by winning the Brownlow Medal in a similar vein to Judd, at 23 years of age? Well, at that sort of votes per game average I guess it's only a matter of time! So what lies in store for the season ahead?

The notable absence in Geelong's lineup this year is of course Gary Ablett, who moved to Gold Coast over the summer. Whilst devastating for Geelong as a whole, this however could be a godsend for the likes of Selwood, Bartel et. al. in that they will be the players that will be netting all of those votes that would otherwise be handed to Ablett if he were still playing down at the Cattery.

Last year Selwood had only two 3 vote games - one of which was in Round 6, which is of particular note, as this was the same game that Ablett missed through injury. Very interesting! Could this be a slight indicator of what's in store for the 'wood seller' in 2011 now that Ablett is no longer there?

It's quite a (albeit unwanted) feat to have polled in 12 games, and only finish with 21 votes - particularly when you consider that Judd also polled in 12 games and yet finished with 30 votes. That alone highlights how much of a detrimental influence Ablett was having on the polling ability of Selwood. For this reason I believe Selwood has the ability to poll much more than he did in 2010.

Let's play devils advocate for a moment and say the Gold Coast were to enter the competition a year earlier than anticipated, and Ablett up and left a year earlier. Had this happened i'd say Selwood's polling performance at the 2010 Brownlow would've been much different to what actually transpired in reality. Without Ablett there's a fair chance a vast majority of those 2 vote games Selwood polled in would've likely been 3 vote games, and likewise those 1 vote games would've been 2.

Having said that i'd say Selwood would've come much closer to winning the medal than what he did, which gives me more reason to think that he is a major chance at taking out the Charlie in 2011. Without Ablett to hold him back anything is possible, and with both the uncanny polling ability and history to rival that of Chris Judd, i'd say he's one of the major contenders for Season 2011.

**Predicted 2011 Brownlow Finish: 1st-3rd**

2011 Brownlow Player Preview: M. Boyd

2011-03-21T20:43:00.004+11:00

Name: M. Boyd
Club: Western Bulldogs

2010 Brownlow Performance: 6th

WTS's 2010 Pre-Season Prediction: N/A

WTS's 2010 Post-Season Prediction: 9th X

Total Votes: 20

Games Polled: 9

Games Played: 20

Total Votes Breakdown: 4, 3, 2

Brownlow Odds: $21 (Courtesy of TAB)

Boyd proved to many pundits last year that he deserves to identified alongside the likes of Ablett, and Judd in being one of the premier midfielders in the game. But can he take it a step further and match their feats by winning his first Brownlow Medal in 2011?

Approaching the 2010 Brownlow Medal many were unsure as to whether or not Boyd was good enough to take out the most votes for the Western Bulldogs, particularly because he needed to outpoll that of a previous Brownlow Medallist in Adam Cooney. But as we all know, he blew everyones expectations out of the water, amassing a surprising 20 votes to finish top dog... at, well, the doggies. Ok, that was a pretty terrible attempt at a pun - i'll grab my coat...

But before I do, let me give you a run down of his performance at the 2010 Brownlow and have a look into what possibly lies ahead for Boydy in Season 2011. So just how did he topple Coondog?

Ever since Cooney won the Brownlow in 2008, the umpires have rated his performances with more critical eyes, hence the reason he has only polled a total of 11 votes over the past 2 seasons. For Boyd, on the other hand, this has meant his polling ability over the 2009-10 seasons has improved; amassing a whopping 34 votes in that time.

This vast improvement is more evident by tracing his polling performances over the past 3 seasons, where his total votes have risen from 12 (2008) to 14 (2009), and 20 (2010). Is it conceivable that he has the ability to poll more than 20 votes in 2011? That remains to be seen, but one thing that will help his cause is the fact that he is now captaining the Western Bulldogs; meaning that he will demand more attention from the umpires during games.

The only worrying sign with Boyd is that he polled in a meagre 9 out of 20 games; which equates to an average of 0.45 votes a game. However, one sole factor one must remember in regards to his polling frequency is that over the past 3 seasons this figure has improved from 6 to 9. Thus, it is quite possible that with the increased exposure - both on-field and off-field - that comes with being a club captain, one can only assume that it is more than likely he'll poll in a greater number of games for 2011.

Can he win it? I believe he can. As long as he can keep polling more 3 vote games than he does 2 and 1 vote games - as he did last year - then he'll be in with a big shot. He is definitely one to watch!

**Predicted 2011 Brownlow Finish: 1st-3rd**

2011 Brownlow Player Preview: S. Pendlebury

2011-03-17T00:10:00.004+11:00

Name: S. Pendlebury

Club: Collingwood

2010 Brownlow Performance: Equal 4th

WTS's 2010 Pre-Season Prediction: N/A

WTS's 2010 Post-Season Prediction: 3rd CLOSE!

Total Votes: 21

Games Polled: 8

Games Played: 22

Total Votes Breakdown: 5, 3, 0

Brownlow Odds: $15 (Courtesy of TAB)

Pendles is one bloke who went under my radar during the 2010 pre-season, so much so I didn't bother to write up a Pre-Season Player Preview last year. It wasn't until a few rounds in the season, and on further inspection of my phantom count did I realise we were witnessing the coming of age of one of the future elite midfielders of the game. And if you thought he stepped it up last year, then this year will be a sight to be seen as I expect very BIG things for young Pendles.

Being a Carlton supporter, I despise all Collingwood players, except for Pendles who happens to be one of my favourite players in the competition. Not that this has any bearing on anything else, but just thought i'd share with you the admiration I have for this bloke and how highly I rate him.

At the present time, Pendlebury sits in the same bracket as Joel Selwood as one of the few players from the crop of future superstars that are most likely to win the Brownlow Medal over the next few seasons. With aging stars such as Goodes, Black et. al. slowly but surely dropping off the pace, I feel the time has come for one of the next up and comers to snag the Brownlow. Given this, and in light of catapulting into the Top 5 in the 2010 count, I rate Pendlebury a very high chance of taking it a step higher and winning the coveted medal.

So how does one analyse his 2010 season?

One way is to compare it to that of his direct counterpart - Dane Swan. The reason for this is that Swan is the only real player to steal votes off him, so when on song, who is most likely to seal the 3 votes?

Well, if you look at the number of 3 vote games Swan polled in, there were only 2 in total - which happens to be among the lowest amount alongside Selwood out of those players to finish in the Top 10. Compare this to Pendlebury, who polled 5; this being the second equal highest number behind Judd (8), and one can see that Pendlebury is more than likely given the nod ahead of Swan when it comes to standout games.

And if Pendles steps it up a notch, and gains more votes alongside this form of grabbing more 3 vote games than Swan, i'd say he's a fair chance to win the 2011 Brownlow Medal. He won the Norm Smith, so why couldn't he go one better? At this stage, this is one speculative player i'll be on for Season 2011.

**Predicted 2011 Brownlow Finish: 1st-4th**

2011 Brownlow Player Preview: C. Judd

2011-03-10T01:26:00.005+11:00

Name: Chris Judd

Club: Carlton

2010 Brownlow Performance: Winner!

WTS's 2010 Pre-Season Prediction: 2-3 CLOSE!

Total Votes: 30

Games Polled: 12

Games Played: 19

Total Votes Breakdown: 8, 2, 2

Brownlow Odds: $9 (Courtesy of TAB)

Well, where to begin? Some would call him an umpires pet, others would call him a champion player of our time and a worthy recipient of 2 Brownlow Medals. Whether you're on either ends of the spectrum, one can't deny the fact that he still remains one of the best players in the competition. And to come back and win the 2010 Brownlow Medal despite missing the first 3 rounds is testament to that fact.

So, the question remains: can the Juddmeister go back-to-back, and write himself into the history books to sit alongside the likes of other past champions such as Bobby Skilton, Dick Reynolds, Haydn Bunton, and Ian Stewart, in having won 3 Brownlow medals - the most in VFL/AFL.

But before you ponder that, just how did Judd manage to win the medal in 19 games? Let me break it down for you...

First off, he polled the most 3 vote games in the competition, amassing 3 votes in a whopping 8 games - way ahead of the next best with 5 (Ablett/Pendlebury/Hayes). The one thing this indicates, if anything, is that he was the absolute stand out player for Carlton. To put this in greater context, the only other players for Carlton that recieved 3 votes were Simpson, Gibbs, and Scotland, each obtaining only one 3 vote game apiece.

Secondly, Judd smashed all records by obtaining 3 votes in 5 consecutive games (Rnds 4-8)! Yep, that's right, 15 votes in the space of 5 games - meaning he scored half of his total 30 votes in that streak of games alone. On the night, at that point in the count he was a considerable margin a head of the rest and a near certain lock to win the medal. I recall during the pre-season in 2010 in my write up of Judd I reminded people not to underestimate Judd despite the fact he was missing the first 3 games of the season. In my write up back then I alluded to his injury riddled 2007 season when he played 19 games, and yet polled 16 votes in the first 8 games. Fact of the matter is this is a bloke that can poll a handful of votes within the space of only a few games, and it was this very reason why I warned people to write him off.

Thirdly, he polled in 12 out of the 19 games he played; meaning he polled at an average of 2.5 votes a game. A fair stat in itself, if you ask me.

So, let us harp back to the original question; is he capable of winning back-to-back Brownlows, and claiming his 3rd overall? Obviously it would stupid to write him off in light of what i've just said, and besides, it'd be ignorant to state that he couldn't replicate his feats of last year given he is after all the reigning Brownlow Medallist. However, one thing that must be factored in to the equation is that you'd expect either of Murphy or Gibbs, or if not both, will step up and take their game to the next level - particularly Gibbs, given there's talk Ratten will give him more time in the midfield. Given this, i'd say it's only fair to assume Gibbs and Murphy will be stealing votes off Judd, therefore making him less chance of being a runaway winner ala. 2010. But who's to say whether or not the umpires will change their stance in distributing the votes? They could still continue to give Judd the 3 votes even if either Gibbs or Murphy step it up and have awesome games to rival that of Judd.

It'll be interesting to see how it unfolds, but even if Gibbs or Murphy steal votes off Judd, i'd say he's still a chance to garner enough votes to win his 3rd Brownlow Medal. But that too is dependent on the dominance of Pendlebury, Selwood, and Boyd in their respective sides - who I can all see matching it with Judd on overall votes.

**Predicted 2011 Brownlow Finish: 1st-3rd**

2011 Brownlow Player Preview: Gary Ablett

2011-02-26T16:02:00.011+11:00

Name: Gary Ablett

Club: Gold Coast

2010 Brownlow Performance: 2nd

WTS's 2010 Pre-Season Prediction: 1-2 ✔

Total Votes: 26

Games Polled: 13

Games Played: 21

Total Votes Breakdown: 5, 3, 5

Brownlow Odds: $11 (Courtesy of TAB)

It was only 2 years ago now, that Ablett - a much loved son at Geelong - had been awarded his first Brownlow Medal, and was on the verge of tasting premiership success for the second time in his career. Fast forward to the present day and it's still quite hard to believe that Ablett has left Geelong and is now the captain of a brand new franchise in the Gold Coast Suns. Well, if you factor in the money they were throwing at him I guess it isn't too hard to fathom, but who would've thunk it a mere 2 years ago? If a week is a long time in football, then 2 years is an eternity!

But will it be a case of new state, new club, new captain, new Brownlow for ye' ol Gazza Ablett in 2011?

That in itself would be a massive ask of him, given history suggests otherwise. Whilst Gold Coast may be good enough to avoid finishing last, he faces an uphill battle to win the Charlie playing for a team that will almost odds on finish outside the top 8. Here are some noteworthy stats for you:

Since the inception of the award in 1924, only 3 players have won the Brownlow in seasons when their teams finished in the bottom tier of the ladder. These were;

Kelvin Templeton in 1980, when the Bulldogs managed a mere 5 wins and finished third last.
Peter Moore in 1984, when Melbourne won 9 games and finished fourth last.
Paul Kelly in 1995, when Sydney won only 8 games and finished fifth last.
And most recently, in 1999, Shane Crawford took home the honours, when the Hawks won 10 games and narrowly missed out on the top 8 to finish 9th.

But you'll find from the 1980s up until now, umpires have increasingly been shying away from giving votes to players in a losing team and instead giving more votes in favour of those in the winning team.

From 1984-1991, losing teams received 11.5 per cent of three votes.
From 1992-99, that figure dropped to 9.9 per cent.
And from 2000-07, it slipped a further 7.9 per cent.

Of course, in light of these figures, the chances of Ablett taking home another Charlie in 2011 look rather slim. The only chance he has is perhaps sneaking a handful of 2 votes in losing games. But again, this isn't anything to hang your hat on given he only polled in 3 out of 7 losses in 2010. However, you must remember that he was vying for votes alongside the likes of Bartel, Selwood et. al. during his time at Geelong, and given he's going to be hands down the best player for the Gold Coast it isn't out of the realms of possibility that he'll poll in a greater number of losses

But in a couple of years time when the Suns begin to make the finals, I wouldn't be surprised to see him win another Charlie when he'll be snagging all of the votes left, right and centre ala. Judd this year when he was the standout player for Carlton. Until then though, i'd say it'd be a fair effort if Ablett finished in the Top 5 this year.

** Predicted 2011 Brownlow Finish: 5-7 **

2011 Brownlow Player Preview: Dane Swan

2011-02-20T01:20:00.008+11:00

Name: Dane Swan
Club: Collingwood
2010 Brownlow Performance: 3rd
WTS's 2010 Pre-Season Prediction: 7-10th X
Total Votes: 24
Games Polled: 12
Games Played: 22
Total Votes Breakdown, 3 2 1: 2, 8, 2
Brownlow Odds: $7 (Courtesy of TAB)

When I think of this bloke in Brownlow terms, I think of two words; Groundhog Day. Hence the reason why I prefer to call him Dane Groundhog.

I remember coming into season 2010 people were singing his praises, claiming the umpires were going to finally ‘cave’ and give him votes because he under polled the year before. Moreso, as we approached Brownlow night a groundswell of popular opinion jumped on his bandwagon and claimed that because the media had widely publicized his efforts throughout the year and predicted that he’d be almost a ‘lock’ for the 2010 Brownlow Medal, that this would therefore mean it was almost inevitable that this was going to become a reality. Of course, we all know what happened. Without blowing my own trumpet… or would that be sax?

Diiii-di-di-di-di-diiii-di (Video Link)

Ahem, where was I? Oh yes, as I was saying, without blowing my own trumpet I was one of the few who went against this popular train of thought from the get go. During the 2010 Pre-Season, in my Dane Swan player preview some of you may recall me saying:

“Swan was an absolute ball magnet last year (2009), dead set you wouldn't blame the man had he got leather poisoning. He was racking up possessions at will to such an extent that people starting judging his game by the amount of possies he had.”

Of course, this is the exact trap that many people have fallen into 2 years in a row now. No matter how much the media beats on about how many possessions he gets, it isn’t going to change the umpire’s minds. It’s a simple fact, which has rung true over consecutive years now. The thing you must remember is stats don’t show how and where in the field of play Swan has gathered his possessions. This is one of the central rules when it comes to analyzing a player's performance in Brownlow terms.

This relates to where I went on to say:

“If anything, Swan is a prime example to any punter out there that may be under the belief that the amount of possessions a player gets will therefore correlate to Brownlow votes. Because quite simply, this isn't necessarily the case. I am a big believer that umpires favour those midfielders whose strength in their game is the ability to get their own contested footy and create the play. If you look at the amount of possessions Swan gathered, in relation to the amount of those that were contested, you'll see he falls under that bracket of players I like to call 'link men receivers'. Out of the total 700 possessions he racked up - the best of any player - only 227 of those were contested. This means that only 32.42% of his possessions were contested, whilst 67.58% were uncontested.

The interesting thing though, is that Ablett didn't fair much better for this statistic, and yet he won the Brownlow medal. So what gives? The way i see it, i consider Ablett more of a playmaker whose possessions directly influence games, thereby catching the eye of the umps. On the other hand, I classify Swan to be more of a linkman who is usually the second or third link in a string of play that involves the ball being passed to multiple players before the last player in that link creates the play and either sets up a goal or has a forward 50 entry. Thus, so whilst Swan racks up a ton of possessions, he is seen by the umpire as a linkman rather than a playmaker and therefore fails to impress the men in white.”

In simpler terms, another way of saying this is that Swan doesn’t quite stand out as a damaging player to the umpire, unlike the aforementioned Judd or Ablett. A simple comparison in the number of votes Judd polled in Carlton wins to that of which Swan polled when Collingwood won highlights this very discrepancy. Judd polled in 9 out of 10 wins (90%), whilst Swan polled in 10 out of 17 wins (58%). You may disagree with me, and by all means you can, but to me that says Judd plays more of a direct influence in the outcome of those games where Carlton recorded a win, whereas Swan plays more of a ‘bit-man’ part in turning games in the favour of the Pies. The other factor you must weigh up is that other players, particularly of the likes of Pendlebury and Didak, will steal votes of Swan and stand out more.

And then there is of course the argument that Swan’s footballing style is rather unorthodox and that he doesn’t possess the same poise, and class as that of Judd, Ablett, or even Pendlebury. Or even more out there, is the claim that perhaps the umpires are of the opinion that his sleeve tattoos aren't exactly a glowing endorsement for the game, and particularly not the sort of image a Brownlow Medalist should provide.

Given these points, I will once again reiterate and stand by what I said last pre-season:

“Unless Swan alters his game somewhat to mirror that of say an Ablett, or Judd, who make every one of their possessions count, his 700 possessions a season will amount to nothing come Brownlow night. But until then, i'm not convinced.”

Will history repeat itself again? You be the judge!

** Predicted 2011 Brownlow Finish: 3-5 **

"It begiiins!" Brownlow Talk 2011 Officially Kicks-off!

2011-02-10T00:44:00.005+11:00

Well, hello ladies and gents, and welcome once more to Brownlow Talk 2011!

I hope your offseason was plentiful, and you didn't get up to as much mischief as those down at St. Kilda... or performed the 'worm' across the top of any taxis ala. Andrew Hooper in Hong Kong. Just on that, why are people chastising the man? If anything that man deserves more credit for pulling that move off. But I digress!

As some of you may have already noticed, over the off-season i've given the site an overhaul and changed up a few aspects. Consider it Brownlow Talk 2.0. I bet Dustin Martin wishes he came back from the off-season looking in just as good a shape... or that he never went ahead with that crazy neck tattoo. Ba-dum-cheesh!

So what's changed I hear you ask? Well, learned reader, apart from the site looking more 'schlimming' with the black background, I also put my mad Adobe Paint Shop Pro skillz to the test and put together a semi-professional banner. Actually, it was more an excuse to continually take the piss out of Eddie by plastering his vengeful looking face across my blog, as it gives me great joy each time I see how spiteful he was towards the one and only C. Judd winning the 2010 Brownlow. Plus, I think the redness in his face offsets the more darker aspects of the banner and gives it a certain feng shui. Although, it is alarming to notice that his face is only a couple of shades off being as red as the '2011'.

Reminds me a little of this photo that was doing the rounds a few years back:

Derp de derp.

Anyhoo! You'll also notice a major addition to the blog for Season 2011, in the form of a chatroom located just below the banner. I'll be checking in now and again, and most probably stop in every Wed/Thurs for some discussion and Q&A after I post my weekly spiel. I hope to see some of you on there sometime throughout the year!

As the NAB Cup begins this Friday, 11th, i'll begin posting my player previews for some of the top fancied Brownlow favs. And for those that like a speculative pre-season Brownlow bet, i'll be treating you with a rundown as to which of the various betting agencies are offering the best odds on the top 50 players quoted.

Ahhh yes! It's good to have footy back, oh how i've missed your longing embrace!

It's coming... Brownlow Talk 2011.

2011-01-11T23:24:00.008+11:00

Stay tuned, folks, as Brownlow Talk 2011 will be kicking into next gear come the start of Pre-Season on Feb 11, and it promises a few goodies to whet your appetites for the season ahead.

So what do we have in store? Well, like last year, i'll be giving you a run down of the players to keep your eye on throughout the season, and give you my insight into who's showing the better form throughout the pre-season. I will also be announcing my 'crystal ball' predictions where I attempt to predict where some of the more fancied players could finish come the night of nights in mid September. It's all in the name of fun of course, because lets face it, i'm no Nostradamus... or am I? Either way, at the end of it all, it's always fun to look back at how you rated certain players and how close your predictions were to the real thing. I'll also reveal how close I came with a few of my pre-season predictions last year. Pretty eerie actually, if I do say so myself!

So what doth thou have in store for the season proper, you say? Let's just say that Brownlow Talk will provide you with some of the most comprohensive Brownlow, and all around football analysis you'll get, covering each and every round, game by game. Take that Hutchy! If I find I have enough time I will even attempt to provide a run down of each of the 8 games each week, accompanied with the players I thought should figure in the 3, 2, 1 votes for those games. Either way you can expect to see much of the same tasty 'round wrap-ups' as per last season. And as we enter the juicy end of the season and approach the big night, i'll be providing you with an insight into some of the value bets (hopefully) provided by the numerous bookies.

Well, we have exactly 29 days until all of us footy tragics get our first taste of the great game in action for 2011. Until then i'll leave you with my Brownlow remix of the song "Talkin' Baseball" by Terry Cashman, or otherwise more widely known as the "Talkin' Softball" song on the Simpsons. I think it sums up the 2010 Brownlow in perfect style. Enjoy!

We're Talkin' Brownlow.

Well Chris Judd had done it; the Brownlow, he'd won it
With Eddie Maguire cursing all the while
Swannies shortfall made us punters smile
But it was the 'Most Team Votes' that made the night all worthwhile
We're talkin' Brownlow
From Hayes to Scott Thompson
Talkin' Brownlow
From Boak to Jobe Watson
If Sylvia managed to get one more vote
We really would've cleaned out the Tote
We're talkin' Brownlow
With Juddy and Co. ©

Congratulations, Chris Judd - Winner of the 2010 Brownlow Medal!

2010-09-23T01:36:00.007+10:00

Wowee! What can I say, except what a massive Brownlow count that was! It simply had everything! Here is just some of what transpired on that fateful night:

Judd proving the numerous pundits, who didn't rate him a chance, wrong by claiming his second Brownlow Medal.
A massive polling performance to the goliath in Sandilands, who shot out to the lead early on in the count and eventually finished on a very modest 20 votes for a big man.
Ablett's slow start to the season in what many thought were a massive few games where he'd poll very well.
Judd's 5 (Yes, 5!!) BOG 3 vote games in a row, after returning from suspension in Round 4.
Swan coming up short yet again, with a Top 5 finish to Pendlebury after a great polling performance.
Hodge not living up to expectations, to finish outside the Top 5.

First off, I must give my very warm congratulations to the man, the myth, the legend, that is Chris Judd. Can you believe the bookies rated him a $21 outsider to take home the medal leading into the count, and $32 (which later lengthened to $51) for the Judd/Ablett Quinella?! Well, not me that's for sure, given I had him finishing a solitary vote away from taking home the medal in my phantom count. Not only did I get on him for the win, I also backed him to finish in the Top 5, AND I backed him in the Judd/Ablett Quinella! Huzzah! I hope some of you out there followed my lead and got on some of this easy money.

Also, some of you may fondly remember what I wrote in my pre-season player preview write up about Judd in this article: Player Preview: Chris Judd where I made the prophetic call that Judd is "one bloke you simply cannot underestimate". I alluded to his uncanny ability to poll votes from nowhere, and do so so effectively within the space of a few games, such as in his injury riddled 2007 season where he played 19 games, and yet polled 16 votes in the first 8 games?

This is what happened this year in his first 5 games in Rounds 4 - 8: 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 for a total of 15 votes in 5 games!! Without trying to sound too cocky, this is one of the few calls I made very early on which I am going to proudly hang my hat on, and reaffirms why Judd is my favourite player. The man is a freak!

To compare my count with that of the real one, below you'll see I have listed the real Top 10 Leaderboard, and alongside each player and the votes they polled I have listed in brackets the total votes I predicted they'd poll according to my phantom tally; and the difference in votes between the two tallies.

Brownlow Medal - Top 10.

Chris Judd - 30 (25/+5)
Gary Ablett - 26 (26/-)
Dane Swan - 24 (19/+5)
Scott Pendlebury - 21 (24/-3)
Joel Selwood - 21 (20/+1)

Matthew Boyd - 20 (16/+4)

Aaron Sandilands - 20 (13/+7)

Lenny Hayes - 19 (21/-2)

Luke Hodge - 16 (22/-6)

Leigh Montagna - 16 (14/+2)

As you can see straight away, there are a couple of discrepancies. The first of which is related to the number of votes I had Judd polling, which was even a surprise to me despite the fact I predicted him to poll 25 votes - which many had told me was a little high. Funnily enough, it turns out it was too low! ;P Despite this fact, I still had Judd finishing in the Top 2, so in terms of my positioning I wasn't too far off.

Sandilands was my biggest oversight by a mile, but i'm sure very few predicted he'd poll the way he did. It was simply a phenomenal effort by the big man, and off the top of my head his was the best polling performance there has been by a ruckman for a very long time, if ever.

I slightly underestimated Swan's polling performance, which I thought was the case when I finalized my tally after Round 22. If you compare my tally to that of the real one I predicted that Pendles would steal more votes off Swan, but on the whole I was nearly on the money in terms of the difference in votes between the two.

Hodge was another who underpolled compared to what I, and many others, had him finishing on. But I did state throughout the season that I was quite weary of Hodge given his history of back-chatting the umpires came back to bite him come Brownlow night - and the same occurred this year as well, despite enjoying his best season to date.

The only votes I got spot on were that of Ablett, who I had winning my count by 1 vote over Judd.

Apart from these particular players i'd say, on the whole, I was thereabouts in terms of vote predictions, but it could have been a little better.

Or another way to look at it is that of the players that finished in the Top 10, I correctly predicted 8/10, except Sandilands and Montagna who come in at the expense of Swallow and Bartel. Also, of those in the Top 5 I corretly tipped 3/5, with Selwood and Swan replacing Hodge and Hayes. The only problem is the order is muddled up! My tally is below for reference:

WTS's Brownlow Medal - Top 10.

G. Ablett - 26
C. Judd - 25
S. Pendlebury - 24
L. Hodge - 22
L. Hayes - 21
J. Selwood - 20
D. Swan - 19
A. Swallow - 17
M. Boyd - 16
J. Bartel - 16

In terms of my betting performance, well let's just say that 10k will make my life a little easier for the time being. On the whole I was very successful with my 'Most Team Vote' and 'Head to Head' multis, but my 'Group Votes' are what let me down a little. Overall, comparing my performance to that of last year, I improved my output x5, which has surpassed my expectations by a mile and was a much bigger improvement than what I was expecting, or even hoping for. What's even more crazy is the thought that I could have won more if Sylvia didn't tie for most votes at Melbourne, and Jack didn't tie for most votes in his group in the 'Group Votes' market.

Until next year, I hope you've enjoyed reading this blog throughout the season in what has been Brownlow Talk's first inaugural year of existence, and hope that it has perhaps helped you in some way to have a somewhat enjoyable and profitable night for the 2010 Brownlow count. The reality is this blog would've been nothing without the countless hits it has had over the course of the season, and if it weren't for you readers out there and the support you've provided I would've probably given up updating this blog very long ago. So thankyou! In the mean time, if you have any further questions, feedback, or even recommendations for this blog in Season 2011, feel free to reply below.

Cheers again! :)

The 2010 Brownlow Medal - "And now, the end is near. And so I face the final curtain"

2010-09-20T13:51:00.003+10:00

Here it is! It's what we've all been waiting for, and it finally commences tonight at 7.30PM AEST! I haven't been this excited since, well... last year's Brownlow, but I sure do feel like a kid on Christmas Eve once again.

As this will be my last blog entry before the spectacle that is the Brownlow medal, i'd like to take this opportunity to wish all of my readers out there, and punters in general the best of luck, and I hope my blog has been somewhat informative and held you in good stead throughout the year. Let's hope we can all take the bookies to the cleaners and make a tidy profit come the end of tonight!

In signing off, I thought i'd leave you with the lyrics to Frank Sinatra's rendition of 'My Way', which I think is quite reminiscent of the trials and tribulations us hardcore Brownlow followers have faced in the lead up to tonight's main event. Sure, we've doubted ourselves, planned relentlessly, pondered over many a multi, but just have faith in your bets and regardless of what other opinions people may have, take solace in the fact that yes, "you did it your way".

"And now, the end is near,
And so I face the final curtain.
My friends, I'll say it clear;
I'll state my case of which I'm certain.

I've lived a life that's full -
I've travelled each and every highway.
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Regrets? I've had a few,
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.

I planned each charted course -
Each careful step along the byway,
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew,
When I bit off more than I could chew,
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way.

I've loved, I've laughed and cried,
I've had my fill - my share of losing.
But now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.

To think I did all that,
And may I say, not in a shy way -
Oh no. Oh no, not me.
I did it my way.

For what is a man? What has he got?
If not himself - Then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way.

Yes, it was my way."

"ArRrGhHh! Pressure point! Pressure point! Steven Seagal! Steven... HEY STEVEN!!" - Q&A Brownlow Talk with Walker.

2010-09-14T23:21:00.004+10:00

With the holy grail that is the Brownlow Medal less than a week away, I thought i'd provide you - the readers - with a chance to ask any questions you may have regarding the Brownlow, and provide you with the space to discuss some of your thoughts leading up to what many have dubbed 'Christmas in September'. I know some of you have asked a few questions already in the Browlow ChatterBox located on the right hand side of the blog, but I thought it'd be easier to respond and order if all of the questions were collated within this space.

Got no questions? For the sake of hilarity, allow me to take you on trip down memory lane by taking a look at Fevola's awesome effort at the Brownlow last year.

'Go ahead, make my day!' - Release of Group Votes!

2010-09-10T01:45:00.004+10:00

"I know what you're thinking: Did the TAB just quote Judd vs Goddard in the H2H at $2.00, or only $1.02? Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I've kinda lost track myself. But being as this is Chris Judd, one of the most powerful guns in the footballing world, and could still yet snatch Ablett's Brownlow clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"

Well, well, well, just when we thought all the value had been sapped away from the 'Most Team Votes' market - the likes of which many of us thought we'd never see again - the TAB comes to the rescue and bestows upon us the glorious Head to Head market that is Judd vs Goddard. And yes, believe it or not Judd has been installed as the outsider in that matchup at $2 up against Goddard at $1.75!!! WTF indeed! Oh, I feel lucky alright!

The beauty of this is that you can now use Judd as an 'anchor' for your Group Vote/H2H multis. ZING! Also, for that added bit of extra value, don't forget you can multi up your Group Vote bets with players from the Most Team Votes market - just as long as that same player doesn't feature in both of those 2 markets.

Here are the Groups, and please note the odds are obviously subject to change, so they may not be as accurate as first depicted here:

Group 1;

SWAN Dane (COLL) 1.90 $ 
 ABLETT Gary (GEEL) 3.75 $ 
 HODGE Luke (HAW) 6.00 $ 
 JUDD Chris (CARL) 7.00 $ 
 PENDLEBURY Sott (COLL) 9.00

Group 2;

 SANDILANDS Aaron (FREM) 3.00 $ 
 GODDARD Brendon (STK) 3.00 $ 
 HARVEY Brent (NM) 4.50 $ 
 HAYES Lenny (STK) 5.00 $ 
 GOODES Adam (SYD) 5.50

Group 3;

 FRANKLIN Lance (HAW) 3.00 $ 
CHAPMAN Paul (GEEL) 3.50 $ 
 JACK Kieran (SYD) 3.50 $ 
 BOLTON Jude (SYD) 5.50 $ 
 RIOLI Cyril (HAW) 7.50 $ 

Group 4;

 BROWN Jonathan (BL) 2.50 $ 
 HALL Barry (WBDG) 4.00 $ 
 MITCHELL Sam (HAW) 4.00 $ 
DAL SANTO Nick (STK) 5.50 $ 
 PAVLICH Matthew (FREM) 7.00 $ 

Group 5;

 BARLOW Michael (FREM) 2.50 $ 
 BARTEL Jimmy (GEEL) 4.50 $ 
 BOYD Matthew (WBDG) 4.50 $ 
 THOMPSON Scott (ADEL) 4.50 $
SWALLOW Andrew (NM) 7.00 $

 "So where's the breakdown, what's the value? I gots to knoooow!"

Out of those groups you'll notice i've highlighted those selections that I think are value in green. I won't be touching Group 1, as it is basically the same as betting on the 'Brownlow Winner' market at crappier odds. Hayes is awesome value in Group 2, but I wouldn't say he is a sure thing. I'm confident that Chapman or Jack will take the honours in Group 3, whilst in Group 4 Nicky Dal presents massive value at $5.50. He should be at the very least equal favourite with Brown IMO, but it will be a very tight group given I only have Dal Santo beating the quoted favourite in Brown by one solitary vote. Group 5 presents a no-go-zone to me, as I believe any one of those 5 can win it, but on value alone it might be worth looking at Swallow - but with very little confidence given the competition.

And here are the Head to Heads:

H2H 1:

D. Swan $1.40 vs G. Ablett $2.80

H2h 2:

L. Hodge $1.75 vs S. Pendlebury $2

H2H 3:

C. Judd $2 vs B. Goddard $1.75

H2H 4:

L. Hayes $1.75 vs A. Goodes $2

H2H 5:

B. Harvey $1.87 vs J. Selwood $1.87

'Multi-ing aint easy, yo!' - Analysis & Breakdown of odds released for TAB's 'Most Team Votes' market.

2010-09-02T01:42:00.003+10:00

Aaaand i'm spent! From about mid day yesterday when news broke that the TAB had posted up their market for 'most team votes', i've since been frantically smashing out as many multis as I could in order to capitalise on the early value.

As you would've seen in my previous blog entry below, there was some serious value to be had, and as a result some of this value has been slashed slightly because everyone has been making the most of it. Good work lads! The most notable changes include:

Boak: WAS $6.00 --> NOW $4.00.

Green: WAS $5.50 --> NOW $3.

Brown: WAS $1.60 --> NOW $1.55.
Thompson: WAS $1.40 --> NOW $1.35

Brown: WAS $1.60 --> NOW $1.55

Watson: WAS $1.65 --> NOW $1.60

Boyd: WAS $4.50 --> NOW $4.00

I've taken it a little easier today, analysing my different combinations and trying to cover myself as much as I could for those teams that I think have only 2 players that could win their teams most votes. Below I shall give my thoughts on each of the teams; who am I entrusting to be my 'locks/anchors'; who offers value; which are the teams where the winner can be narrowed down to 2 players?

---------------------------------------------------------

Adelaide:

THOMPSON Scott (ADEL) $1.35

DOUGLAS Richard (ADEL) $6.50

NOTES: I'm treating Thompson as one of my locks. However, out of those 3-4 players i'm treating as locks, Thompson is one I still hold small reservations about in regards to him being a resounding winner at Adelaide, and particularly given his direct competition in Douglas has had his best season to date and is a relative unknown at the Brownlow. I will be using Thompson in 90% or so of my multi's but will cover myself by including Douglas in a few if an upset does occur. Verdict: Thompson

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Brisbane:

BROWN Jonathan (BL) $1.55

RISCHITELLI Michael $17

NOTES: Brown is the second of those group of players i've classified as a lock. Like Thompson, he does have a threat - albeit quite minor - in Rischitelli who is quoted as 4th favourite behind Black and Brennan to beat Brown. In my eyes Rischitelli has the greatest chance of these players to do so, and as such, have put Rischitelli in one or two and even omitted Brown/Brisbane from a few 5/6 leg multis in case an upset occurs. But I will reiterate that the threat to me is quite small and is a lesser chance at getting toppled than Thompson, but it's better safe than sorry! Verdict: Brown.

----------------------------------------------------------

Carlton:

JUDD Chris (CARL) $1.02

NOTES: Juddy is as safe as houses, and his odds rightly so reflect just that. Pity his odds aren't closer to $1.05-$1.10 to at least bump some value into your combined multi odds. Biggest lock by a country mile! Verdict: Judd.

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Collingwood:

SWAN Dane (COLL) $1.18

PENDLEBURY Scott (COLL) $4.50

NOTES: As we saw last year, many people got fooled by the allure of Swan's odds and got whacked when he ultimately got beaten by Pendlebury. I have a funny feeling that history will repeat this year, and because of this I believe Pendlebury offers very good value at $4.50. On the whole i'll be steering clear of the Collingwood market altogether as I did successfully last year, but it's worthwhile tacking Pendles onto the end of some of your multi combo's to make the most of his value if he does happen to get up. Verdict: Line-ball call. If I had to choose: Pendlebury

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Essendon:

WATSON Jobe (ESS) $1.60

WINDERLICH Jason (ESS) $15

NOTES: Watson is my second biggest lock behind Judd. He's performed out of his skin this year in what was a very ordinary side in Essendon this year. Winderlich is still value if you happen to think that you need to cover yourself with him, so it might be worthwhile putting him as a saver in a 3 leg multi given his massive long odds. But i'm hopeful in relying on Watson to come through with the goods! Verdict: Watson.

----------------------------------------------------------

Fremantle:

SANDILANDS Aaron (FREM) $1.40

BARLOW Michael (FREM) $3.25

PAVLICH Matthew (FREM)$17

NOTES: This has to be one of the hardest teams to pick, and IMO could be won by any 3 of those players listed. On the one hand I think that perhaps Barlow has done enough to win prior to getting injured, whilst Sandilands still polls well for a ruckman and there's no doubting Pavlich polling history. This is a no go zone for me. Pavlich offers rediculous odds though. Verdict: Line-ball decision. If I had to choose: Barlow.

----------------------------------------------------------

Geelong:

ABLETT Gary (GEEL) $1.22

SELWOOD Joel (GEEL) $6.50

BARTEL Jimmy (GEEL)$11

NOTES: If one thing is for sure you cannot afford to underestimate the great Gazza when it comes to the Brownlow. Being the reigning Brownlow medalist, there's no doubting his polling history, but if the 'post-brownlow blues' occurs and Ablett doesn't poll as expected, then i'd say Selwood will be the next in line to top the votes down at Geelong. I'll be steering clear of Geelong, but perhaps add Selwood into 1-2 multis for the value alone. Verdict: No go zone. If I had to choose: Ablett.

----------------------------------------------------------

Hawthorn:

HODGE Luke (HAW) $1.15

MITCHELL Sam (HAW) $13

NOTES: Given his steller year, you'd imagine Hodge is a shoe in to take out most votes at Hawks. I'm not so sure. Whilst I too think he'll win it confortably - and even finish in the top 5 for the Brownlow - there is a part of me that says he's just not worth the risk including him in your multis given his very short odds. His polling history isn't too favourable, and given this think I will pass on him. Verdict: Hodge.

----------------------------------------------------------

Melbourne:

GREEN Brad (MELB) $3

SYLVIA Colin (MELB) $4

NOTES: This is one of those teams where the winner can be narrowed down to 2 players. Furthermore, this is the one that offers the most value given the are both $3 and $4, so if you alternate them in your multis, you'll still come out on top. I believe the winner will come from these 2 players, but cannot split them. Verdict: Sylvia... JUST!

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North Melbourne:

HARVEY Brent (NM) $1.40

SWALLOW Andrew (NM) $4.00

NOTES: This is yet another team where the winner can be narrowed down to 2 players. Whilst they don't offer as much value as that of Green/Sylvia, Swallow is a big show at knocking off Harvey and at $4.00 he's worth a shot. Thus, it's worthwhile alternating them in your multis for cover. Verdict: Swallow... JUST!

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Port Adelaide:

CASSISI Domenic (PORT) $2.50
BOAK Travis (PORT) $4.50

NOTES: Like the previous two teams, here is another one that can be narrowed down to 2. Boak has smashed it this year and led from the front, whilst Cassisi has had a very solid year also. For me, Boak played a better contested game than Cassisi, and given the latters poor polling history, Boak gets the nod for me by a few votes. Verdict: Boak.

----------------------------------------------------------

Richmond:

RIEWOLDT Jack (RICH) $1.90

DELEDIO Brett (RICH) $2.75

NOTES: This is another no-go zone for me. Anything can happen, and anyone can win. Can you trust a KPP forward who has had his first breakout season and no real polling history to go by, or someone who didn't poll as close to what people expected he would last year. All these variables to consider, with no real value means it's a pass for me. Verdict: If I had to choose: Deledio by 1 vote.

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St. Kilda:

GODDARD Brendon (STK) $2.25

HAYES Lenny (STK) $2.75

MONTAGNA Leigh (STK) $4.00

DAL SANTO Nick (STK) $15

NOTES: Remember how I said Freo was the hardest team to predict for 'most team votes'... well scratch that because I completely forgot about St. Kilda! Whilst I personally think Hayes will win it for the Saints, it could turn out closer than I think and am not confident enough to use him in a lot of my multis. Verdict: Hayes.

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Sydney:

GOODES Adam (SYD) $1.35

JACK Kieran (SYD) $7

NOTES: Very confident these 2 players will slug it out for the honours. Goodes has an awesome polling history backing him, whilst Jack is the new kid on the block that smashed the competition with a handful of BOG performances in the last quarter of the season. At odds of $7, Jack is worth a flutter and is every chance at knocking off Goodes if the umps happen to mark his game harder. Goodes should take it out if history is anything to go by, but in no way am I using him as an anchor/lock like I have in the past. Verdict: Goodes.

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Western Bulldogs:

COONEY Adam (WBDG) $2.50

BOYD Matthew (WBDG) $4.00

NOTES: Boyd and Coondog should be going head-to-head, and it should be a tight battle. Coin toss here, however I have a better feeling about Boyd moreso than Cooney, but will be using both in various multis. Verdict: Boyd.

----------------------------------------------------------

West Coast:

PRIDDIS Matt (WCE) $1.45

LECRAS Mark (WCE) $3.50

NOTES: Never trust the team that finishes last. We saw what happened last year at Richmond when Richo won ahead of the favourite in Deledio in what was one of the biggest shocks at the Brownlow of 09. Too many things can go wrong, and all it takes is for one player to miss polling in a game that they were expected to and they could lose. Verdict: Priddis.

AhHhH! The TAB have opened their 'Most Team Votes' Market! Pandemonium Ensues!

2010-08-31T19:19:00.008+10:00

This is the moment we've been waiting for! The VicTAB Sportsbet have finally opened the market for 'Most Team Votes', and the most pleasing news is that they HAVE indeed allowed them to be multied!

Some of the heinous value to be had includes Pav at $17. I rate him 1/3 chance at taking out most votes for Freo, and considering that, he's majorly under the odds IMO! Can you believe he opened at $34 before a mass of people jumped on him and his odds were halved?! Crazy value, and there's more to be had!

Here's just a taste of what's on offer:

Boak @ $4.50

Any other Port Player (Rodan etc.) @ $17

Swallow @ $4

Sylvia @ $4

Green @ $5.50

Jack @ $7

Boyd $4.50

Checkout TAB.com.au, while the opening value is still there!

This sums up how excited I was when I found out the TAB had opened their market a day earlier than expected... complete with girly arm flailing and screaming whilst dancing down the street!

(0:52) "OMG!! They've opened the MULTIS!!!! AHHHHH!!!!"

Finalised 'Most Team Votes' Tally - Round 22 Wrap Pt. 2

2010-08-30T00:37:00.019+10:00

Here is my highly sought after 'Most team votes' for each of the 16 teams.

Stay tuned, as i'll be making another blog entry giving you my full length, in depth analysis of each of the teams and the odds released by the TAB. Who's the safest team to bet on; who am I treating as a 'lock' for my own multi's; who offers the most value?

All will be revealed in it's entirety very soon!

If you have any queries, questions, or critiques feel free to post them below or over in the 'chatter-box' located at the right hand side of this blog.

Cheers!

Adelaide

S. Thompson (14), R. Douglas (9), S. Goodwin (6), G. Johncock (5)

Brisbane

J. Brown (12), M. Rischitelli (8), J. Brennan (7), S. Black (7)

Carlton

C. Judd (25), M. Murphy (7), E. Betts (6), K. Simpson (5)

Collingwood

S. Pendlebury (24), D. Swan (19), A. Didak (8), L. Ball (7)

Essendon

J. Watson (14), N. Lovett-Murray (5), L. Jetta (4), D. Ryder (3)

Fremantle

M. Barlow (15), A. Sandilands (13), S. Hill (8), M. Pavlich (7)

Geelong

G. Ablett (26), J. Selwood (20), J. Bartel (16), P. Chapman (13)

Hawthorn

L. Hodge (22), S. Mitchell (13), L. Franklin (9), B. Sewell (6)

Melbourne

C. Sylvia (11), B. Green (10), B. Moloney (8), A. Davey (5)

North Melbourne

A. Swallow (17), B. Harvey (15), D. Wells (8), L. Anthony (4)

Port Adelaide

T. Boak (14), D. Cassissi (9), D. Rodan (8), K. Cornes (6)

Richmond

B. Deledio (9), J. Riewoldt (8), S. Tuck (6), C. Newman (4)

St. Kilda

L. Hayes (21), B. Goddard (14), L. Montagna (14), N. Dal Santo (13)

Sydney

A. Goodes (15), K. Jack (13), J. Bolton (10), D. Hannebery (9)

West Coast

M. Priddis (8), M. LeCras (6), D. Cox (4), J. Kennedy (3)

Western Bulldogs

M. Boyd (16), A. Cooney (15), D. Giansiracusa (12), D. Cross (10)

----------------------------------------------------------
Colour Key:
GREEN = The most safest picks. These are the players i'll be treating as 'locks/anchors' in a majority of my multis.

ORANGE = These are the players that pose a very small threat to a more favoured 'lock' player where consensus would say they'd be a shoe-in. Think about covering yourself if a massive upset occurs by perhaps leaving this team out of some of your multi's or covering them with this second player in 2%-5% of your multis.

YELLOW = 2 Horse Race. Ie. 95% sure team votes will be won by either player. Thus try and mix it up between these players in various multis in order to cover yourself and maximise your chances of winning.
----------------------------------------------------------

'I declare the winner of the 2010 Brownlow Medal...' - Round 22, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-08-29T23:34:00.003+10:00

Well, it's all come down to this. 22 rounds on, and we draw the curtain on yet another year filled with numerous upsets, highs, lows, retirements, suspensions, shelackings, sackings, and not to mention the hundreds of contenders in the running to take out football's highest, and most prestigious individual honour.

In the wake of Ablett's overly dominant display across the 2009 season, prior to season 2010 commencing, many shared the expectation that Gazza would once again take the competition by storm and win his second consecutive Brownlow medal. And this too was reflected in the betting markets, with all of the bookies mirroring this sentiment, opening Ablett's odds up at a very short $6 when betting for the Brownlow winner market first commenced.

Others, on the other hand, were of the opinion that one of the other contenders would topple the reigning medalist. And all of them shared a common factor; not only did they each face an uphill battle in terms of producing a better season than the lofty standard set by Ablett's outstanding year in 2009, they also had to overcome other personal adversaries that stood in their path to glory.

Among these included Judd - who would sit out the first 3 rounds of the season due to a carry of suspension. Could he come back and produce his best in an attempt to make up for lost ground in order to go toe to toe with Ablett at the top of the count?

Another was Swan. Could he fly in the face adversary and finally poll in games where he was expected to poll, as was the problem he encountered in 2009.

Hayes showed last year that he was edging ever closer to winning the medal, polling considerably well, and taking many of the bookies by surprise - much to the enjoyment of many punters like myself. Could he have a consistent season, and get through a full season unscathed?

Or would a young, superstar in the making - such as Selwood and Pendlebury - stun the football world and take out the Charlie against their more favoured opponents?

And so, as we draw a close to the Home and Away 2010 season, only one question remains:

Which of these players, among a host of others, will win the 2010 Brownlow Medal?

In my best Andrew Demetriou impersonation, here come my final votes for 2010.

Round 22

Fremantle V Carlton
3. S. Hill
2. M. Johnson
1. C...*pause* Judd

Geelong V West Coast
3. G... *pause* Ablett
2. J. Kelly
1. D. Milburn

Hawthorn V Collingwood
3. L. Franklin
2. S... *pause* Mitchell
1. D. Swan

Adelaide V St. Kilda
3. S. Thompson
2. R. Douglas
1. N. Dal Santo

Brisbane V Sydney
3. K. Jack
2. N. Malceski
1. J. Kennedy

Western Bulldogs V Essendon
3. J. Grant
2. C. Ward
1. D. Giansiracusa

Richmond V Port Adelaide
3. T. Boak
2. M. Morton
1. D. Brogan

Melbourne V North Melbourne
3. L. Greenwood
2. B. Harvey
1. B. Green

-----------------------------------------------------------

Final Leaderboard:
26 - G. Ablett
25 - C. Judd
24 - S. Pendlebury
22 - L. Hodge
21 - L. Hayes
20 – J. Selwood
19 - D. Swan

"I declare the winner of the 2010 Brownlow Medal; Gary Ablett, of the Geelong Football Club!"

So there we have it! Ablett scores the BOG honours, and leapfrogs Judd as soon as he gains the one vote lead over Pendlebury. Make no mistake, i'm just as shocked to see my phantom count name Ablett the winner, as it was only at the conclusion of Round 16 that he trailed the leading Hodge by a staggering 5 votes! But I must admit he's had a very solid finish to the year; very much mirroring the phenomenal start he had in the first few rounds.

However, the one major factor that stands in his way of a second consecutive Brownlow is the 'second year Brownlow blues', which is something i've touched on numerous times throughout the year. This is the sentiment where the Brownlow medalist fails to poll as well as they would expect to in the year following their win. This train of thought centers around the theory that umpires take a more hardened and critical approach towards the performances of past Brownlow winners in the season following their Brownlow triumph.

Jimmy Bartel is one classic example of this theory. In 2008, Jimmy had a season that many would argue was much better than the previous year, in which he won the Brownlow, and coming into the medal count that year a vast majority of the footballing public were convinced he would go back to back. But as we all know he amazingly only polled 10 votes, despite polling 29 in 2007.

Need more evidence? Take a look at other previous winners:

Cooney, 2008: 24 Votes / 2009: 3 Votes.

Goodes, 2006: 26 Votes / 2007: 20 Votes.

Cousins, 2005: 20 Votes / 2006: 13 Votes.

Judd, 2004: 30 Votes / 2005: 15 Votes.

Black, 2002: 25 Votes / 2003: 12 Votes.

If this trend continues, one would suggest that many of the votes you'd expect Ablett to get would therefore go to Selwood, among others. If this were to be the case then you'd also expect he'd be much closer to the lead than my tally suggests. For this very reason I am still of the opinion that he is a slight smokey for the Brownlow and is not without a chance.

But with my tally indicating that only 2 votes separate the top 3 players, I am still of the belief that up to 3-4 players will be in contention on the night right up until Round 22, and thus could be won by any of these players.

Either way, as they say: "Ladies and Gentleman please be upstanding, charge your glasses to celebrate the winner of the 2010 Brownlow Medal... or just neck the damned bottle if it's the bloke you've got money on to win."

Stay tuned for my 'Most Team Votes' tally to follow!

'The Rat Pack' - Round 21, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-08-24T23:50:00.004+10:00

As we near the finish line and a few more Brownlow contenders fall off the pace, we come into Round 22 with a group of 5 supremely talented players that are quite possibly one game, if not mere votes away, from claiming the 2010 Brownlow Medal. And like the Rat Pack of old, you could say that most of these players are the footballing equivalent of say a Sinatra, Martin, et. al, so regardless of who comes out on top come the conclusion of next weekend's matches will be a worthy winner.

One surprise of late is the meteoric rise of Scott Pendlebury; having polled a whopping 12 votes in the past 5 rounds according to my phantom tally. And as of Round 21 I have him sitting as equal leader alongside Chris Judd. Who would have thought?! Well, not me that's for sure!

So as we head into the abyss that is Round 22, let's take a look at each of the 5 contenders facing off for football's highest individual honour using my phantom brownlow tally, giving particular focus to; the equation that faces them; what needs to happen for them to win; and of course my tip.

Chris Judd (vs. Fremantle)

Being equal leader on 24 votes, Judd is by no means in safe territory. With Pendlebury sitting alongside him and Hayes the smallest threat at a distance 3 votes, he cannot simply rely upon the other 4 players not polling a single vote - because this is of course highly unlikely. These are the various scenarios he may face:

Polls 3 votes:

He will win outright if Pendlebury polls less than 3.
He will be joint winner with Pendlebury if he also polls 3.

Polls 2 votes:

He will win outright/be joint winner if Pendlebury polls 2 votes or less.
He will be joint winner if Ablett polls 3 votes.
He will lose if Pendlebury polls 3 votes.

Polls 1 vote:

He will win outright if Pendlebury polls no votes.
He will be joint winner if: Pendlebury polls 1 and/or Ablett polls 2 and/or Hodge polls 3.
He will lose if Pendlebury polls 2-3 votes.
He will lose if Ablett polls 3 votes.

Previous Brownlow form in last 3 matches against Freo (2010 excl): 2 votes from his previous 3 games against Freo during his time at Carlton. 30+ possessions in their loss to Freo in Round 13 this year.

Scott Pendlebury (vs. Hawthorn)

Finds himself in a somewhat cosy position given his blistering form over the past 5 rounds. But, like Judd, he cannot afford to became too laxidazical and look behind him to sound out how close behind his competition is, otherwise he'll fall off his perch. Because the reality is, it's that close he cannot afford to lose his head and not poll in Round 22. These are the various scenarios he may face:

Polls 3 votes:

He will win outright if Judd polls less than 3.
He will be joint winner with Judd if he also polls 3.

Polls 2 votes:

He will win outright/be joint winner if Judd polls 2 votes or less.
He will be joint winner if Ablett polls 3 votes.
He will lose if Judd polls 3 votes.

Polls 1 vote:

He will win outright if Judd polls no votes.
He will be joint winner if: Judd polls 1 and/or Ablett polls 2 and/or Hodge polls 3.
He will lose if Judd polls 2-3 votes.
He will lose if Ablett polls 3 votes.

Previous Brownlow form in last 3 matches against Hawthorn : No votes as yet!

Gary Ablett (vs. West Coast)

Gazza is closing fast on his two rival leaders, but in trailing them both by 1 vote, he finds himself in a position where he NEEDS to poll in order to win. And with easy competition in West Coast this week, Judd and Pendles need to be aware that Ablett is fully capable of polling anywhere between 1-3.

Polls 3 votes:

He will win outright if either Pendles and/or Judd poll less than 3 votes.
He will be joint winner with Pendles and/or Judd if they poll 2 votes.

Polls 2 votes:

He will be outright winner if either Pendles and/or Judd poll no votes.
He will be joint winner with Pendles and/or Judd if they poll 1 vote.
He will lose if Judd polls 2 votes.
He will lose if Pendlebury polls 2 votes.
He will lose if Judd polls 3 votes.
He will lose if Pendlebury polls 3 votes.

Polls 1 vote:

He will be joint winner only if both Pendles and Judd poll no votes, and/or Hodge polls less than 2 votes.

Previous Brownlow form in last 3 matches against West Coast: 6 votes from his previous 3 games against West Coast.

Luke Hodge (vs. Collingwood)

Hodge finds himself 2 votes off the pace, and to make matters worse he injured his knee this week and is in some doubt as to whether he'll take the field for Round 22. My guess is that the Hawks will err on the side of caution and choose to take the safe option by resting him in preparation for the first week of the finals - which will in effect rule him out of winning this years Brownlow medal. But if he does take the field, this is what he faces:

Polls 3 votes:

He will win outright if Judd and Pendles poll no votes.
He will win outright if Ablett polls 1 vote or less.
He will be joint winner if Judd and Pendles poll 1 vote, and/or Ablett 2 votes.

Polls 2 votes:

He will be joint winner by relying on both Judd and Pendles polling no votes, and Ablett 1 or less.

Polls 1 vote:

As it stands currently, he will lose regardless of whoever polls. So he needs to poll at least 2 votes and hope other results fall his way.

Previous Brownlow form in last 3 matches against Collingwood: 3 votes from his previous 3 games.

Lenny Hayes (vs. Adelaide)

Lenny's Brownlow hopes were all but dashed when he failed to take his place in the side against Richmond last weekend, and left him in an almost impossible position at 3 votes behind the leaders. With 4 others in front of him, he needs to poll 3 votes and rely on each of them not polling a single vote. And the chances of that happening is pretty much zero, which is a shame because Hayes is one of my favourites and he was in with a decent shot leading into Round 21.

Previous Brownlow form in last 3 matches against Adelaide: 0 votes from his previous 3 games.

WTS's Verdict:

So there we have it folks, that's the rundown for each of the 5 contenders. So, who do I think can win based on my phantom Brownlow tally I hear you ask? Well, it's just too close to call even this close out, so I might take the safe option and sit on the fence by not picking any one individual player. ;) What I will do, however, is narrow it down to Judd, Pendlebury, and Ablett. The winner will come from any other these 3 players, but personally I wouldn't mind seeing a tie, or another 3-way tie ala Buckley, Goodes, and Ricciuto.

Either way, the result is sure going to come down to the wire! Feel free to give me your thoughts on the final result below this blog entry, as i'd love to hear them!

Also, stay tuned in the weeks ahead as i'll be releasing my 'most team votes' leaderboard; full winner leaderboard; and of course when the 'most team votes' market is opened i'll be offering up my advice and value picks that I myself will be including in a few of my heinous multis. 4 weeks to go until the big night, and the excitement is building! I'm like a child at Christmas time!

Geelong V Carlton
3. J. Selwood
2. P. Chapman
1. G. Ablett

St. Kilda V Richmond
3. J. Riewoldt
2. L. Montagna
1. N. Dal Santo

Hawthorn V Fremantle
3. S. Burgoyne
2. S. Mitchell
1. C. Rioli

Collingwood V Adelaide
3. S. Pendlebury
2. S. Thompson
1. D. Thomas

Sydney V Western Bulldogs
3. K. Jack
2. T. Dennis-Lane
1. J. Bolton

Port Adelaide V Melbourne
3. T. Boak
2. J. Schulz
1. D. Cassisi

Essendon V Brisbane
3. J. Brown
2. M. Rischitelli
1. S. Black

West Coast V North Melbourne
3. A. Swallow
2. D. Wells
1. D. Cox

-----------------------------------------------------------

Round 21 Leaderboard:
24 - C. Judd
24 - S. Pendlebury (+)
23 - G. Ablett (+)
22 - L. Hodge
21 - L. Hayes
20 – J. Selwood (+)
18 - D. Swan

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

'In the Box Seat' - Round 20, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-08-19T00:26:00.001+10:00

As the final round draws closer, so too does the number of players in with a realistic chance at winning. According to my phantom tally last week, approximately 14 players were statistically in the running to take home the coveted Brownlow Medal. However, after this week we see that number slashed to just 6.

And as we head into Round 21, Judd has leapfrogged Hodge to claim the winning position - which is also the first time Hodge has given up the top spot; having held it since Round 12. But with a lead of only 2 votes, Judd must maintain his current form and hope that Carlton can put in solid performances against Geelong and Freo if he is to hold on and win his second Charlie. Even if say Ablett were to recieve 6 votes in the remaining two rounds to follow, if my calucalations are correct, Judd will need to at least poll another 4 votes if he is to guarantee himself the win outright or share the honours, depending on how other players poll.

With Mark Thompson finally realising that Ablett plays his best footy in the middle, as he did last week against the Dogs, Gazza is showing signs that he's back to his effective best. As I stated way back in Round 8, it could very well turn out to be a battle between Judd and Ablett afterall. And with their teams meeting this Friday night, that battle could very well be decided as early as this weekend.

Essendon V Collingwood
3. S. Pendlebury
2. T. Cloke
1. J. Blair

Carlton V Richmond
3. C. Judd
2. H. Scotland
1. M. Murphy

Fremantle V Sydney
3. D. Hannebery
2. S. Mumford
1. G. Broughton

Western Bulldogs V Geelong
3. G. Ablett
2. J. Selwood
1. S. Johnson

Port Adelaide V West Coast
3. K. Cornes
2. D. Cassisi
1. D. Cox

Brisbane V Adelaide
3. R. Douglas
2. K. Tippett
1. S. Black

Hawthorn V Melbourne
3. B. Sewell
2. S. Burgoyne
1. L. Franklin

North Melbourne V St. Kilda
3. N. Riewoldt
2. B. Goddard
1. J. Gram

Round 20 Leaderboard:
24 - C. Judd (+)
22 - G. Ablett (+)
22 - L. Hodge
21 - L. Hayes
21 - S. Pendlebury (+)
18 - D. Swan
17 – J. Selwood (+)
16 - M. Boyd
16 - J. Bartel
15 – A. Goodes

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

'Heeeere's Juddy!' - Round 19, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-08-12T21:38:00.000+10:00

Well, well, well. I signed off my blog entry last week, posing the question as to whether Judd would be able to perform under a slight injury cloud against Essendon - a team renowned for trouncing Carlton in their past 6 encounters. I even stated: "Write him off at your own peril"... and boy did he justify that statement!

To put it in perspective, his numbers were:

28 disposals (12 contested possessions / 6 clearances / 7 inside 50s), 3 marks, 5 tackles, 1 goal.

That's a decent return from a bloke returning a little underdone in the fitness stakes. The man is a dead set champion!

My other favourite in Lenny Hayes is also performing as I predicted he would up until now, inching into equal second place in my phantom brownlow count alongside Judd. With arguably a BOG performance against Port Adelaide, it leaves him and the Juddernaut only 1 solitary vote behind the current leader in Luke Hodge - whose performances, like the Hawks, have taken a nosedive.

With only 3 rounds to go, we're on the home stretch, and these are two blokes i'll definitely be backing and cheering on home. Now it'll be interesting to see how Hodge responds in the battle to maintain the coveted first place, because these are two players you don't want breathing down your neck as you're approaching the finish line. And will Ablett put on the afterburners in an attempt to win back top spot?

Watch this space!

Essendon V Carlton
3. C. Judd
2. J. Garlett
1. J. Waite

Sydney V Hawthorn
3. K. Jack
2. A. Goodes
1. R. O’Keefe

North Melbourne V Fremantle
3. B. Harvey
2. B. Rawlings
1. H. McIntosh

Geelong V Collingwood
3. A. Didak
2. S. Wellingham
1. S. Pendlebury

West Coast V Brisbane
3. J. Brown
2. S. Selwood
1. M. Rischitelli

St. Kilda V Port Adelaide
3. L. Hayes
2. A. Schneider
1. B. Goddard

Melbourne V Richmond
3. L. Jurrah
2. L. Dunn
1. B. Green

Adelaide V Western Bulldogs
3. D. Giansiracusa
2. N. Eagleton
1. S. Thompson

-----------------------------------------------------------

Round 19 Leaderboard:
22 - L. Hodge
21 - C. Judd (+)
21 - L. Hayes (+)
19 - G. Ablett
18 - D. Swan
18 - S. Pendlebury (+)
16 - M. Boyd
16 - J. Bartel
15 – A. Goodes (+)
15 – J. Selwood
15 - A. Cooney
15 - M. Barlow
14 - J. Watson
14 - A. Swallow
13 - B. Harvey (+)
13 - A. Sandilands

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

'Oh, the injury last week looked frightful, but the news is so delightful!' - Round 18, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-08-05T16:41:00.001+10:00

When Chris Judd came off midway through the match against Collingwood last week unable to lift his arm, we all feared the worst - with many nervous punters sweating on the severity of his injury.

Fortunately, scans have revealed that he only sustained a bruised pectoral muscle, and not a shoulder injury; as had been first thought. And in pleasing news for Carlton fans and punters alike, Judd has been cleared to play this Friday night against arch-rival Essendon.

But the good news doesn't stop there, folks! Prior to the release of his medical scans earlier this week, many agencies were fearful that Judd was out for the season, and as such, opened up his odds on Monday at a lengthy - but albiet more than tasty - $34 (and $9.25 the place). If he happens to get BOG this Friday night, it wouldn't shock me to see his odds almost halved come next week, so the evident value is through the roof.

The only question is over whether or not he has fully recovered from the pectoral injury, and if it will hamper his game in any way - despite being given the 100% all clear from the Carlton medicos. It's sure a big ask for him to get BOG if he goes in under a small injury cloud against Carlton's bogey side, but as I have said all season: write him off at your own peril!

Essendon V St. Kilda:
3. B. Houli
2. B. Stanton
1. A. Monfries

Collingwood V Carlton:
3. S. Pendlebury
2. D. Beams
1. L. Ball

Port Adelaide V Hawthorn:
3. J. Schulz
2. D. Pearce
1. B. Sewell

Sydney V Geelong:
3. S. Johnson
2. G. Ablett
1. J. Selwood

Brisbane V Melbourne:
3. C. Sylvia
2. J. McKenzie
1. M. Rischitelli

Richmond V Adelaide:
3. S. Tuck
2. B. Deledio
1. B. Cousins

Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne:
3. B. Hall
2. M. Boyd
1. D. Giansiracusa

Fremantle V West Coast:
3. H. Ballantyne
2. A. Sandilands
1. G. Broughton

-----------------------------------------------------------

Round 18 Leaderboard:
22 - L. Hodge
19 - G. Ablett (+)
18 - C. Judd
18 - L. Hayes
18 - D. Swan
17 - S. Pendlebury (+)
16 - M. Boyd (+)
16 - J. Bartel (-)

15 – J. Selwood (+)
15 - A. Cooney
15 - M. Barlow
14 - J. Watson
14 - A. Swallow
13 - A. Sandilands (+)
13 – A. Goodes

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

Fashionably Late - Round 17, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-07-28T23:28:00.003+10:00

My post for Round 16 largely centred around Adam Goodes, and his tendency to make a late run for the Brownlow in the last few rounds of the season. Well, it appears as though another player is doing the same thing - Joel Selwood.

Selwood is a favorite of mine, and I in fact placed a bit of loose change on him during the pre-season (to win/place)- as I did last year - in hope that he would take out one of the few medals he is yet to claim, having already achieved everything else in his short career up until now. At the halfway mark of the season it looked as though he had very little chance at the Brownlow, as I only had him polling a handful of votes up until that stage of the season. But in the last 5 rounds, he has torn the competition to shreds; amassing an average 34.4 possessions, and a massive 15 tackles a game! As you'd expect, I have him grabbing votes left, right and centre according to my tally; 10 votes to be exact! (3,2,2,1,2)

That's an extraordinary run of games, and with the form he's in (plus Geelong's), there is every chance he'll finish in the top 3 and is even in with a great shot at taking it out, having trailled behind the competitions best for much of the year. But if one thing is for sure, it's that he'll be pushing the likes of Hodge, Judd and co. right up until the very last round of the count.

With 5 rounds to go, can he carry on with his rich vein of form and perhaps grab another 10 votes? Can he make the greatest of all comebacks and come from nowhere to steal the Brownlow? I know I say it all the time, but i'll say it again - it's sure going to be one hell of an exciting count this year!

St. Kilda V Hawthorn:

3. L. Hayes

2. L. Hodge

1. L. Franklin

Collingwood V Richmond:

3. A. Didak

2. S. Pendlebury

1. D. Swan

Geelong V Brisbane:

3. J. Selwood

2. G. Ablett

1. T. Varcoe

North Melbourne V Essendon:

3. J. Watson

2. A. Swallow

1. J. Winderlich

West Coast V Carlton:

3. K. Simpson

2. C. Judd

1. M. Murphy

Western Bulldogs V Fremantle:

3. A. Cooney

2. R. Griffen

1. D. Cross

Melbourne V Sydney:

3. C. Sylvia

2. B. Green

1. A. Goodes

Port Adelaide V Adelaide:

3. D. Cassisi

2. T. Chaplin

1. T. Boak

-----------------------------------------------------------

Round 17 Leaderboard:
22 - L. Hodge
18 - C. Judd (+)
18 - L. Hayes (+)
18 - D. Swan (+)
17 - G. Ablett (+)
16 - J. Bartel (-)
15 - A. Cooney (+)
15 - M. Barlow (-)
14 – J. Selwood (+)
14 - J. Watson (+)
14 - S. Pendlebury (+)
14 - M. Boyd (-)
14 - A. Swallow (+)
13 – A. Goodes (+)
12 - L. Montagna
11 – P. Chapman
11 - A. Sandilands
11 - N. Dal Santo
11 - B. Goddard
10 - B. Harvey
10 – D. Cross (+)

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

Starting to look the 'Goodes' - Round 16, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-07-25T22:57:00.002+10:00

Adam Goodes has always been accused of being the umpire's 'love child' of seasons past when it comes to the Brownlow, but his overall form this year has been such that not even his most ardent knockers would say umpiring favouritism will help him this year.

But in the past month, as has been the case in the past couple of years, Goodes has had a complete reversal in form and is back to his scintillating best. Having struggled to obtain anything more than 23 possessions throughout the year, with minimal impact, in his past 3 matches he has averaged 24 possessions and kicked 6 goals (featuring one 33 possie, 11 marks, 3 goal game) . Much of this turnaround can be attributed to the fact that Roos has finally allowed him to run through the midfield - a position in which I believe he plays his best football.

A month ago I would have said he had little chance of maintaining his run of consecutively winning most votes at Sydney this year, but as of late i've since changed my tune. And what's scarier is he's slowly edging his way towards the top 5 on the leaderboard. But if he has any hope of catching the top echelon of players, what he needs to work in his favour is for Sydney to keep performing well in the last 6 rounds of the season, because at this stage in the count he could quite conceivably have a huge gap to bridge.

Adelaide V Geelong:
3. B. Vince
2. J. Selwood
1. G. Johncock

Collingwood V St. Kilda:
3. D. Swan
2. A. Didak
1. L. Brown

Hawthorn V Brisbane:
3. S. Mitchell
2. L. Hodge
1. S. Burgoyne

Essendon V West Coast:
3. M. LeCras
2. M. Priddis
1. A. Hams

Western Bulldogs V Port Adelaide:
3. D. Cross
2. M. Boyd
1. J. Harbrow

Carlton V Sydney:
3. A. Goodes
2. S. Mumford
1. R. O’Keefe

Richmond V North Melbourne:
3. A. Swallow
2. L. Adams
1. D. Wells

Fremantle V Melbourne:
3. P. Duffield
2. H. Ballantyne
1. S. Hill

-----------------------------------------------------------

Round 16 Leaderboard:
20 - L. Hodge
17 - D. Swan (+)
16 - C. Judd (-)
16 - J. Bartel
15 - L. Hayes
15 - G. Ablett
15 - M. Barlow
14 - M. Boyd (+)
12 – A. Goodes (+)
12 - S. Pendlebury
12 - A. Cooney
12 - L. Montagna
12 - A. Swallow (+)
11 – J. Selwood (+)
11 – P. Chapman
11 - A. Sandilands
11 - N. Dal Santo
11 - J. Watson
11 - B. Goddard
10 - B. Harvey

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

Champion Data: Monty for the Brownlow? - Round 15, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-07-16T19:27:00.007+10:00

According to Champion Data, they rate Montagna as the outsider most likely to deny Ablett the chance at going back to back this year. (LINK: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/af...-1225891860494)

Given the early release of their progressive findings, I thought i'd take the opportunity to give you all a brief insight into my own personal 'prediction model' and how it differs to that used by Champion Data. I'm sure a lot of you may have differing opinions to me, but after all, in this caper, it's all about tapping into the umpires minds and attempting to think like an umpire.

Based on what they have coined a 'prediction model', their formula is both founded upon and heavily weighted towards Supercoach rankings, among a range of other varying factors. Of these others, includes the theory that umpires are more likely to favour run-and-carry type midfielders who kick long.

In comparison to Champion Data, my ever evolving model for distribruting votes is largely founded upon the theory that in-and-under/contested possession/clearance type midfielders are the sort of players that are most likely to first catch the eye of the umpiring fraternity ahead of those run-and-carry players I would otherwise term 'possession accumulators' or 'link-men'.

The classic example of this in effect is Swan's polling performance at the Brownlow last year. Now I am a fan of Swan as a player, however, his style of play is such that I don't think it does him any favours when it comes to featuring in many of the umpires votes. You'll find he is one of these 'possesion accumulators' that I talk about, who stand on the outside of stoppage packs and are used as the 'link-men' in a passage of play once the in-and-under teammate obtains possession of the ball and dishes off to them.

So I am of the belief that whilst these players may still have an influence on the game, they do so indirectly as opposed to in-and-under players who dive into the contest and directly cause a turnover/retrieve the ball from a stoppage and give their team first use of the ball in the form of a clearance. Thus, the first player to catch the umpires eye at a stoppage is the in-and-under/contested possession/clearance specialist BEFORE the run-and-carry player who is used as a link-man in driving the ball forward.

Many were convinced last year that by gathering 35+ possessions each week Swan would therefore have performed considerably well at the Brownlow. Early on for a short period last season I too thought Swan would've come close to taking home the Charlie - that is until I started to monitor his game more closely. The truth is, that while he is prone to winning his own ball at times, he gets a majority of his possessions in his team's defensive half; many of which are uncontested. I think it's this aspect of his game that may perhaps look unappealing to the umpires and - whether rightly or wrongly - translates into 'cheap possession football'.

Of the other factors that Champion Data uses in formulating their predictions - and one which I am in agreeance with them on - is the contention that the umpires are, on the whole, more favourable towards midfielers over forwards/rucks/defenders. The Brownlow is still a midfielders medal, and I don't think there are any signs indicating this will change this season.

Now Champion Data have had a somewhat decent track record, and they always provide an interesting perspective on the Brownlow, but I wouldn't say that they have been impeccable in predicting past winners. Sure, they correctly chose Bartel in 2007 and Ablett in 2009, but they failed to select Cooney outright in 2008, instead hypothesising that he'd finished 3rd. You'll notice that both Bartel and Ablett were both in the top two favourites to take out the Brownlow for their years, so CD's correct predictions aren't all that surprising, whereas Cooney was largely seen as a shock winner in 2008 - which they failed to predict like most of us.

One other glaring discrepency in their formula is the fact that they don't take into account the scoreline for each match. So, you may find that they give 3 votes to a player whose side gets smashed by 10+ goals, and wasn't otherwise as deserving of the votes ahead of a player from the opposing side who won.Hence, I wouldn't read too much into their findings, but instead urge people to use it merely as a very loose guide.

Nevertheless, I look forward to their final results come the end of the season and how it compares to mine.

If you have any theories or formulas that you adopt yourself, i'd love to hear them. Feel free to post them below.

NOTE: My computer harddrive that my phantom tally is saved on was infected with a virus last week, and thus, at the moment it lays on there dorment until I get around to transferring it across to my new harddrive. So at the moment i'll be updating the leaderboard that was posted in the previous round, and consequently it may not be as accurate given I cannot remember who lies a vote or two outside of the leaderboard I posted, which means that players may now have worked their way onto the leaderboard that I'm unaware of. I'll update these players once I retrieve my word file containing the full leaderboard. Cheers!

Port Adelaide V Collingwood:
3. D. Rodan
2. D. Swan
1. S. Pendlebury

Geelong V Hawthorn:
3. J. Bartel
2. J. Selwood
1. C. Rioli

West Coast V Adelaide:
3. S. Thompson
2. S. Goodwin
1. M. LeCras

Brisbane V St. Kilda:
3. L. Montagna
2. L. Hayes
1. S. Black

Richmond V Fremantle:
3. D. Connors
2. D. Martin
1. C. Newman

Sydney V North Melbourne:
3. A. Goodes
2. N. Malceski
1. T. Kennelly

Melbourne V Essendon:
3. B. Green
2. C. Sylvia
1. M. Jamar

Carlton V Western Bulldogs:
3. M. Boyd
2. B. Lake
1. A. Cooney

-----------------------------------------------------------

Round 15 Leaderboard:
18 - L. Hodge
16 - C. Judd
16 - J. Bartel (+)
15 - L. Hayes (+)
15 - G. Ablett (-)
15 - M. Barlow (-)
14 - D. Swan (+)
12 - S. Pendlebury (+)
12 - A. Cooney (+)
12 - L. Montagna (+)
12 - M. Boyd
11 – P. Chapman
11 - A. Sandilands
11 - N. Dal Santo
11 - J. Watson
11 - B. Goddard
10 - B. Harvey
9 - J. Selwood (+)
9 - J. Bolton
9 - A. Swallow

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

Barlow Blow - Round 14, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-07-07T02:09:00.004+10:00

The biggest news to come out of the weekend was the horrific leg injury that first year Brownlow fancy Michael Barlow sustained, which has effectively ended his season along with any chance he may have had at taking home the Charlie.

After initially being promoted from the Dockers rookie list prior to Round 1, Barlow has lead from the front and taken the competition by storm, quite possibly paving the way for other AFL clubs to take a punt on more mature-age players like himself come draft time.

It truly is sad to see any player sustain such an injury, but particularly someone so early into their career after finally being given the chance to play the game they love, following several years of being overlooked in the draft. I wish him all the best for his recovery and hope he comes back and recaptures the same passion and scintillating form he has displayed in his first 14 games.

But what's equally as saddening for punters alike is that other players 'lurking in the shadows' who were previously offering value have already started to shorten in price. Among these players is Chris Judd.

Prior to Round 14, Judd's odds had plummeted to a mind-blowing $21, but following a solid performance and Barlow's unfortunate injury, he has already shortened to $13. And I assure you those odds will only get shorter as we approach the last few weeks of the season, so if you fancy Judd's chances like I do now would be the time to jump on.

Carlton V Brisbane:
3. E. Betts
2. C. Judd
1. H. Scotland

Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs:
3. S. Mitchell
2. M. Boyd
1. L. Hodge

Fremantle V Port Adelaide:
3. R. Crowley
2. R. Palmer
1. A. Sandilands

Collingwood V West Coast:
3. D. Jolly
2. D. Swan
1. S. Pendlebury

Adelaide V Essendon:
3. S. Thompson
2. K. Tippett
1. R. Douglas

Geelong V North Melbourne:
3. P. Chapman
2. J. Podsiadly
1. J. Selwood

Richmond V Sydney:
3. C. Newman
2. J. Bolton
1. J. Riewoldt

St. Kilda V Melbourne:
3. L. Montagna
2. N. Dal Santo
1. C. Jones

-----------------------------------------------------------

Round 14 Leaderboard
18 - L. Hodge
16 - C. Judd (+)
15 - G. Ablett
15 - M. Barlow
13 - J. Bartel
13 - L. Hayes (+)
12 - D. Swan (+)
11 – P. Chapman (+)
11 - S. Pendlebury (+)
11 - A. Sandilands (+)
11 - N. Dal Santo (+)
11 - J. Watson
11 - A. Cooney
11 - B. Goddard
10 - B. Harvey
9 - L. Montagna (+)
9 - J. Bolton
9 - M. Boyd (+)
9 - A. Swallow

Cat Nipped - Round 13, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-06-29T23:32:00.007+10:00

The much anticipated clash between Geelong and St. Kilda on Friday night was touted by many to be 'a clash of the titans', and whilst the match didn't quite live up to these expectations, the one clash it will long be remembered for is that which involved Stevie Baker and Steve Johnson. In the aftermath, we saw the AFL hand down an unprecedented 12 weeks to Baker and 3 to Johnson; the former of which had his penalty reduced to 9 on appeal today.

In that match we again saw Ablett get a swagger of possesions, but - as has been much the case for the past few weeks - many pundits are very doubtful that he will receive any votes from the umpires. It's starting to become a worrying trend, and one that could perhaps see him come undone in his race towards claiming his second consecutive Brownlow. This train of thought centers around the theory that umpires take a more hardened and critical approach towards the performances of past Brownlow winners in the season following their Brownlow triumph.

Hawthorn V Essendon:
3. L. Franklin
2. J. Watson
1. J. Winderlich

Carlton V Fremantle:
3. M. Barlow
2. A. Sandilands
1. G. Ibbotson

Brisbane V Richmond:
3. B. Deledio
2. B. Cousins
1. D. Martin

North Melbourne V Port Adelaide:
3. B. Harvey
2. L. Hansen
1. J. Schulz

West Coast V Western Bulldogs:
3. D. Giansiracusa
2. L. Gilbee
1. D. Cross

St. Kilda V Geelong:
3. J. Gwilt
2. J. Selwood
1. L. Hayes

Sydney V Collingwood:
3. L. Ball
2. H. O'Brien
1. D. Thomas

Adelaide V Melbourne:
3. S. Goodwin
2. G. Johncock
1. B. Symes

-----------------------------------------------------------

Leaderboard
17 - L. Hodge
15 - G. Ablett
15 - M. Barlow (+)
14 - C. Judd
13 - J. Bartel
13 - L. Hayes (+)
11 - J. Watson (+)
11 - A. Cooney
11 - B. Goddard
10 - D. Swan
10 - S. Pendlebury
10 - A. Sandilands (+)
10 - B. Harvey (+)
9 - N. Dal Santo
9 - A. Swallow
8 – P. Chapman
8 - B. Moloney
7 - D. Giansiracusa (+)
7 - M. Boyd
7 - T. Boak
7 – D. Mundy
7 - M. Pavlich

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

M.I.A. - Round 12, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-06-22T13:59:00.003+10:00

As I reported in round 10, what was thought to be a season where only 3 or 4 players had a realistic chance at the Brownlow, has now blown out to include a number of other players as the likes of Ablett, Judd, and Hayes have dropped off in recent weeks. Whilst none of these players should be written off for a second, their perceived lack of votes from the umpires would suggest the run home to the Brownlow is going to be tight... very tight! And who would have thought, Hodge is currently in the lead according to my leaderboard?! But remember there is still a long way to go until Round 22, and anything can happen in regards to injury/suspension.

The positive to this, however, is that the top priced favorites are dropping in price in the short term and offer plenty of value - take Judd for example: he was at a ridiculous $9 a week ago, and now he is out to an astounding $15! Ahhh, gotta love it when the bookies write off champion players, with much of the season left to play; particularly one who is such a proven vote getter. V.A.L.U.E!

Also, the 'M.I.A.' heading also applies to myself, so just a quick apology to you readers out there for the late posting of the Round 12 votes. Let's just say that working sure does suck ass!

North Melbourne V Carlton
3. L. Thomas
2. S. Thompson
1. E. Betts

Hawthorn V Adelaide
3. L. Hodge
2. C. Rioli
1. S. Mitchell

Essendon V Geelong
3. J. Bartel
2. J. Kelly
1. T. Varcoe

Port Adelaide V Sydney
3. N. Malceski
2. A. Goodes
1. J. Bolton

Richmond V West Coast
3. J. Riewoldt
2. B. Deledio
1. T. Cotchin

Western Bulldogs V Brisbane
3. A. Cooney
2. D. Cross
1. B. Hall

Fremantle V St. Kilda
3. N. Dal Santo
2. B. Goddard
1. M. Barlow

Melbourne V Collingwood
3. B. Moloney
2. D. Swan
1. M. Jamar

-----------------------------------------------------------

Leaderboard:
17 - L. Hodge (+)
15 - G. Ablett (-)
14 - C. Judd
13 - J. Bartel (+)
12 - L. Hayes (-)
12 - M. Barlow (+)
11 - A. Cooney (+)
11 - B. Goddard (+)
10 - D. Swan (+)
10 - S. Pendlebury
9 - N. Dal Santo (+)
9 - J. Watson
9 - A. Swallow
8 – P. Chapman
8 - A. Sandilands
8 - B. Moloney (+)
7 - M. Boyd
7 - T. Boak
7 - B. Harvey
7 – D. Mundy
7 - M. Pavlich

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

'Whoaah, we're halfway there!' Round 11, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-06-08T21:49:00.009+10:00

Well there we have it folks, we're at the halfway point of the season - and damn has it gone quick! It feels like it was only last week when I was frantically counting down the days until season kickoff; geez, before we know it we'll all be counting down the minutes until the Brownlow Count gets underway! Scary!

Round 11 threw up some surprises, and gave a lot of punters quite a scare with a handful of prime Brownlow candidates reported; namely Sandilands, and Hayes. Personally, I nearly shat myself as I only just placed a small each-way bet on Hayes earlier last week, so I was understandably very nervous as to the outcome of his tribunal hearing. Thankfully both got off - Hayes with a reprimand, and Sandilands cleared - and are still eligible to win the Brownlow medal if they are fortunate enough to do so.

In other news, it looks as though the pack are slowly catching up to Ablett, Judd, and Hayes according to my voting tally. It looks to be very tight at the top, so there could possibly be some value in the 'Round 11 Brownlow Leader' market, but I haven't looked into it yet so it remains to be seen.

Richmond V St. Kilda
3. B. Goddard
2. S. Milne
1. J. Riewoldt

Carlton V Melbourne
3. R. Houlihan
2. A. Walker
1. C. Judd

Adelaide V Fremantle
3. T. Edwards
2. S. Thompson
1. M. Barlow

North Melbourne V Brisbane
3. B. Harvey
2. T. Johnstone
1. A. Swallow

West Coast V Geelong
3. P. Chapman
2. J. Bartel
1. B. Waters

Sydney V Essendon
3. J. Bolton
2. J. McVeigh
1. S. Mumford

Hawthorn V Port Adelaide
3. L. Hodge
2. B. Sewell
1. T. Boak

Collingwood V Western Bulldogs
3. S. Pendlebury
2. D. Thomas
1. M. Boyd

-----------------------------------------------------------

Leaderboard
15 - G. Ablett
14 - C. Judd
14 - L. Hodge (+)
12 - L. Hayes
11 - M. Barlow (+)
10 - S. Pendlebury (+)
10 - J. Bartel (+)
9 - B. Goddard (+)
9 - J. Watson
9 - A. Swallow (+)
8 – P. Chapman (+)
8 - A. Cooney
8 - A. Sandilands
8 - D. Swan
7 - M. Boyd (+)
7 - T. Boak (+)
7 - B. Harvey (+)
7 – D. Mundy
7 - M. Pavlich
7 - R. O'Keefe
7 - J. Brennan*

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

'All Quiet on The Northern Front' Round 10, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-06-01T21:56:00.009+10:00

There wasn't too much to report during this round... and nothing more for Aker to report either. But with no real standout performances from any of the top end players, it was a somewhat quiet round. Granted, Ablett, Judd and Hayes each received a single vote according to my tally, but none of them performed anywhere close to how they were expected to given each of them played against poultry opposition teams (Melbourne, West Coast, and Adelaide respectively).

If this indicates anything, it's that perhaps it might just end up being quite close between the top 3 or 4 players in terms of the number of votes that separate the players. I for one, still don't buy it, but am starting to believe that Hayes has now joined the likes of Judd and Ablett to become a realistic chance of taking out the Charlie.

If it's value you're after in regards to these three players, after some investigation i've found the best odds offered for Judd are $9 for the win, $3 a place (TAB Sportsbet), with Hayes' best value at $26/$6.50 (Sportsbet). For Ablett, on the other hand, the best you're going to get on him is $3.50 for the win outright, but for me he's far too short at this stage to offer any value.

Essendon V Western Bulldogs
3. L. Jetta
2. J. Watson
1. B. Stanton

Geelong V Melbourne
3. J. Podsiadly
2. T. Hawkins
1. G. Ablett

Port Adelaide V Richmond
3. S. Tuck
2. T. Cotchin
1. D. Martin

Brisbane V Collingwood
3. L. Power
2. D. Rich
1. S. Black

St. Kilda V Adelaide
3. L. Montagna
2. N. Dal Santo
1. L. Hayes

Hawthorn V Sydney
3. D. Hannebery
2. J. Lewis
1. S. Mitchell

Carlton V West Coast
3. B. Gibbs
2. M. Murphy
1. C. Judd

Fremantle V North Melbourne
3. D. Mundy
2. K. Bradley
1. N. Fyfe

-----------------------------------------------------------

Leaderboard
15 - G. Ablett
13 - C. Judd
12 - L. Hayes (+)
11 - L. Hodge
10 - M. Barlow
9 - J. Watson (+)
8 - A. Cooney
8 - J. Bartel
8 - A. Sandilands
8 - D. Swan
8 - A. Swallow
7 – D. Mundy (+)
7 - M. Pavlich
7 - S. Pendlebury
7 - J. Brennan*
7 - R. O'Keefe
6 - M. Murphy (+)
6 - D. Hannebery (+)
6 - N. Dal Santo (+)
6 - L. Montagna (+)
6 - B. Goddard
6 - M. Boyd
6 - M. Priddis
6 - J. Brown
6 - T. Boak

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

'Hayes Fever' Round 9, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-05-25T21:15:00.007+10:00

Given that both Judd and Ablett respectively had quiet weeks, were there any notable Brownlow smokies that made a dash in the voting stakes and attempted to bridge the sizable gap between the two aforementioned tally leaders and the rest of their competition?

The answer is yes, and one of these players was Hayes... Lenny Hayes.

This bloke is one of my favourite players outside of my own team (Carlton), and his game on the weekend exemplified why. The toughnut gathered 35 damaging disposals - 10 of which were in the third quarter - and was the standout barometer in the Saints fightback win against the Eagles.

Given his dominant performances in the past few weeks, it's hard to believe the TAB were offering odds of around $67 outright at Round 4/5. And if it weren't for the Saints poor form of late i'd suggest he'd have netted even more votes, as they are always hard to come by in a losing side. Personally, i'm still perplexed at how the bookies continue to underestimate his potential after what happened last year when they were robbed blind by those punters who snapped up the $8 they were offering for Hayes to win most votes at the Saints.

And if my Phantom Brownlow Tally is anything to go by, then Hayes looms as a suitable challenger to the 'Judd/Ablett Show'. Also, just as a sidenote, Hodge seems to be making a move also, but I hold out massive queries over his polling ability and 'likeability' factor to the umpires despite his very solid performances.

Collingwood V Geelong
3. J. Bartel
2. J. Kelly
1. D. Beams

North Melbourne V Western Bulldogs
3. A. Cooney
2. M. Boyd
1. B. Lake

Sydney V Fremantle
3. D. Mundy
2. P. Hasleby
1. M. Pavlich

Essendon V Richmond
3. D. Hille
2. J. Watson
1. L. Jetta

Melbourne V Port Adelaide
3. B. Green
2. A. Davey
1. T. Boak

Adelaide V Brisbane
3. R. Douglas
2. N. Van Berlo
1. A. McGrath

Carlton V Hawthorn
3. L. Hodge
2. L. Franklin
1. M. Osborne

West Coast V St. Kilda
3. L. Hayes
2. B. Goddard
1. N. Dal Santo

-----------------------------------------------------------

Leaderboard
14 - G. Ablett
12 - C. Judd
11 - L. Hayes (+)
11 - L. Hodge (+)
10 - M. Barlow
8 - A. Cooney (+)
8 - J. Bartel (+)
8 - A. Sandilands
8 - D. Swan
8 - A. Swallow
7 - M. Pavlich (+)
7 - J. Watson (+)
7 - S. Pendlebury
7 - J. Brennan*
7 - R. O'Keefe
6 - B. Goddard (+)
6 - M. Boyd (+)
6 - M. Priddis
6 - N. Riewoldt
6 - J. Brown
6 - T. Boak (+)

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

'A Two-Horse Race?' Round 8, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-05-19T00:46:00.014+10:00

We've not even reached the halfway mark of the season, and there are many who share my opinion, that the Brownlow is shaping up to be a two horse race between none other than Chris Judd and Gary Ablett.

Each are champion players in their own right, and are two of which that have been very much compared in recent years in an attempt to find as to who is superior player. And as my progressive count indicates thus far, the 2010 Brownlow could very well weigh into that debate.

It was only back in Round 4, that I posted an entry pondering as to whether Ablett already had the Brownlow sewn up. At the conclusion of that round I had Ablett already on 9 votes, with the next best in Riewoldt and Brown on 6; one of which suffered a severe injury and the other whose performances were starting to wane due to niggling groin injury. Coincidentally, that was also the fateful round of Judd's first game for 2010, which was a first up BOG performance against Adelaide. Still, Judd faced a seemingly uphill battle to make his way back, having been already 6 votes behind the bald Geelong wizard at this stage.

But, as they say, a week is a long time in football... even moreso 4 weeks.

And 4 rounds on, Ablett has only added 5 votes to his tally, whereas Judd has nearly doubled that figure, accumulating a staggering 9 votes by my count.

It's still only early stages, but it's sure looking to be a battle of epic proportions between these two footballing gladiators.

Fremantle V Collingwood:
3. T. Cloke
2. D. Swan
1. L. Ball

Western Bulldogs V Sydney:
3. B. Lake
2. B. Hall
1. D. Cross

Melbourne V West Coast:
3. M. Priddis
2. D. Cox
1. J. McDonald

Brisbane V Geelong:
3. S. Johnson
2. P. Chapman
1. J. Bartel

North Melbourne V Adelaide:
3. A. Swallow
2. D. Wells
1. T. Goldstein

Richmond V Hawthorn:
3. L. Hodge
2. B. Deledio
1. S. Mitchell

Port Adelaide V Carlton:
3. C. Judd
2. K. Simpson
1. M. Kreuzer

St. Kilda V Essendon:
3. P. Ryder
2. H. Hocking
1. L. Hayes

-----------------------------------------------------------

Leaderboard
14 - G. Ablett
12 - C. Judd (+)
10 - M. Barlow (-)
8 - A. Sandilands
8 - D. Swan (+)
8 - A. Swallow (+)
8 - L. Hodge (+)
8 - L. Hayes (+)
7 - S. Pendlebury
7 - J. Brennan*
7 - R. O'Keefe
6 - M. Priddis (+)
6 - N. Riewoldt
6 - J. Brown
6 - M. Pavlich

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

'Scully Tickles Umpires Pink' Round 7, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-05-12T22:32:00.011+10:00

Round 7 kicked off with a display from one young lad in Demon's colours (not to be confused with umpire colours) that drew the attention of football fans across the country. Tom Scully, the number 1 draft pick of last year, racked up an impressive 39 possies; 18 of which came in the last quarter. If anything is for sure as to who will get 3 votes across each of the games this round it's certainly this bloke... well, that is until Ablett played his game against Sydney on Sunday.

Ablett again went on his usual rampage and ripped Sydney to shreds, amassing 38 touches, 10 marks, 7 tackles, and 2 goals. He has topped the Brownlow votes in the past three occasions the Cats and Swans have met, and you'd suggest, on the back of his latest performance, this match will be no different.

And just an update in regards to the latest odds shows Ablett has shortened to $3.50 favouritism, whilst Judd has eased into $8, way ahead of the next best in Swan at $17.

If you were going to have a bet on Ablett, i'd suggest you do it pretty soon as there's little chance you'll see him at these odds for much longer. Personally I am still wary of Judd, so will be holding off for the time being.

Also, I only just noticed the headline i've given this blog entry makes it sound as though it's a title of a porn film. I'm sorry to disappoint those who read the blog expecting vastly different content. Sickos...

Western Bulldogs V Melbourne:
3. T. Scully
2. D. Giansiracusa
1. S. Higgins

Essendon V Port Adelaide:
3. D. Pearce
2. D. Rodan
1. A. Monfries

West Coast V Hawthorn:
3. J. Kennedy
2. M. LeCras
1. J. Lewis

Collingwood V North Melbourne:
3. D. Swan
2. L. Ball
1. S. Sidebottom

Brisbane V Fremantle:
3. S. Hill
2. S. Black
1. M. Pavlich

Geelong V Sydney:
3. G. Ablett
2. J. Selwood
1. J. Podsiadly

Adelaide V Richmond:
3. A. McLeod
2. G. Johncock
1. S. Goodwin

St. Kilda V Carlton:
3. J. Russell
2. J. Garlett
1. C. Judd

-----------------------------------------------------------

Top 10 Leaderboard:
14 - G. Ablett
10 - M. Barlow
9 - C. Judd (+)
8 - A. Sandilands (-)
7 - S. Pendlebury
7 - J. Brennan*
7 - L. Hayes
7 - R. O'Keefe
6 - D. Swan (+)
6 - M. Pavlich (+)

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

'God Jr. a mere mortal?' Round 6, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-05-04T23:13:00.011+10:00

The biggest news Brownlow wise, was Ablett missing Round 6 due to a hamstring complaint... or was it actually due to, as some would say, a pulled heartstring instead?

Despite many of the opinion that he was close to best-on-ground, Mark Thompson strangely enough criticized Ablett's game in their lackluster performance against Carlton, stating "I don't think Gary had a great game".

And with news only breaking today that Ablett was out at a Logies afterparty until 3AM, some are questioning the severity of his injury, or as to whether he is actually injured at all. Personally, i don't see what the fuss is all about, as a very minor hamstring injury isn't exactly going to prevent you going out and socializing. I suppose whether or not that is seen as an irresponsible thing for a leader to do under his circumstances, is another question altogether.

However, one important question that has presented itself is whether this injury has the potential to derail his chances of snapping up his second consecutive Brownlow this year. His biggest threat in Chris Judd, has almost definitely secured 2 more votes (if not 3) in his absence, and in turn narrowed the vote margin between the two to 3 votes, according to my vote tally. With Ablett also missing training at Geelong today, one must ask; could this hamstring injury sideline him for Round 7 as well, or perhaps longer? If so, will Judd now make the most of the opportunity and overrun Ablett in the voting stakes to become leader?

Interesting times ahead!

Western Bulldogs V St. Kilda:
3. L. Hayes
2. A. Cooney
1. J. Harbrow

North Melbourne V Melbourne:
3. A. Swallow
2. D. Wells
1. L. Anthony

Adelaide V Port Adelaide:
3. R. Gray
2. D. Cassissi
1. T. Edwards

Essendon V Hawthorn:
3. N. Lovett-Murray
2. J. Watson
1. D. Fletcher

Sydney V Brisbane:
3. K. Jack
2. R. O'Keefe
1. D. Bradshaw

Geelong V Richmond:
3. P. Chapman
2. J. Selwood
1. S. Johnson

Carlton V Collingwood:
3. S. Pendlebury
2. C. Judd
1. D. Thomas

West Coast V Fremantle:
3. M. Barlow
2. M. Pavlich
1. P. Duffield

-----------------------------------------------------------

Leaderboard:

11 - G. Ablett
10 - M. Barlow (+)
8 - A. Sandilands (+)
8 - C. Judd (+)
7 - S. Pendlebury (+)
7 - J. Brennan*
7 - L. Hayes (+)
7 - R. O'Keefe (+)
6 - N. Riewoldt
6 - J. Brown
5 - M. Pavlich (+)
5 - L. Hodge
5 - A. Cooney (+)
5 - H. Shaw
5 - A. Swallow (+)
5 - T. Boak
5 - R. Griffen
5 - B. Moloney
5 - N. Lovett-Murray (+)
5 - J. Watson (+)
4 - J. Bartel
4 - B. Goddard
4 - M. Murphy
4 - A. Goodes
4 - M. Rischitelli
4 - James McDonald
4 - M. Boyd

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

"Don't you know who I am? I'm the Juddernaut bitch!' Round 5, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-04-30T11:23:00.010+10:00

May i cast your minds back to my pre-season analysis of a certain Chris Judd where i made the warning that he could still threaten for the Brownlow, despite missing the first 3 games of the season. This is what i said...

"In summary, don't be fooled by the fact he'll be out for the first 3. Does anyone else fondly remember his injury riddled 2007 where he played 19 games, and yet polled 16 votes in the first 8 games?"

"This is one bloke you simply cannot underestimate"

URL: http://brownlowtalk.blogspot.com/2010/02/2010-brownlow-player-preview-chris-judd.html

Given his performances over the past fornight, i'd say my prediction was dead right, with my vote tally showing he has been BOG in his first two games. I may have posted last week that Ablett already had the Brownlow sewn up based on his performances up until Round 5... but that's not if Judd has anything to do with it!

Western Bulldogs V Adelaide:
3. R. Griffen
2. D. Giansiracusa
1. N. Eagleton

Sydney V West Coast:
3. J. McVeigh
2. R. O'Keefe
1. K. Jack

Melbourne V Brisbane:
3. B. Moloney
2. J. Trengove
1. M. Bate

Port Adelaide V St. Kilda
3. D. Rodan
2. L. Montagna
1. D. Cassissi

Collingwood V Essendon:
3. S. Pendlebury
2. D. Beams
1. S. Wellingham

Hawthorn V North Melbourne:
3. L. Anthony
2. L. Hodge
1. B. Rawlings

Fremantle V Richmond:
3. A. Sandilands
2. M. Barlow
1. D. Mundy

Carlton V Geelong:
3. C. Judd
2. G. Ablett
1. B. Gibbs

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leaderboard
11 - G. Ablett (+)
8 - A. Sandilands (+)
7 - J. Brennan*
7 - M. Barlow (+)
6 - C. Judd (+)
6 - N. Riewoldt
6 - J. Brown
5 - H. Shaw
5 - L. Hodge (+)
5 - T. Boak
5 - R. O'Keefe (+)
5 - R. Griffen (+)
5 - B. Moloney (+)
4 - S. Pendlebury (+)
4 - J. Bartel
4 - L. Hayes
4 - B. Goddard
4 - M. Murphy
4 - A. Goodes (+)

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

Only 4 rounds in, but is it already a case of 'Cat in the Bag'? Round 4, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-04-21T22:46:00.012+10:00

Gazza Ablett. Questions were posed of him before the start of the season, particularly those in relation as to where he'll be playing come next season. Others - namely punters - were asking, if he had the ability to go back to back in the Brownlow medal, and as each round progresses it appears more and more likely that it is going to become a reality. So does he have the Brownlow in the bag? Again this week he played a scorcher, amassing a massive 37 possessions, 4 tackles and kicking 3.3. Granted, nearly every member of the Geelong team played well against Port on the weekend, and yet despite this, arguably Gary Ablett still stands out as the best player on the park - which is testament to his influence on the game and his absolute dominance.

And the bookies are becoming ever so weary early on, most recently slicing his odds from $5 into $4, whilst the gap in competition widens with the next best in Brown and Judd at $13. As much as the bookies would rather not admit, it appears the classy cat could already be out of the bag.

West Coast V Essendon:
3. M. Priddis
2. N. Naitanui
1. A. Embley

North Melbourne V Sydney:
3. D. Hannebery
2. A. Goodes
1. D. Bradshaw

Adelaide V Carlton:
3. C. Judd
2. M. Murphy
1. A. Walker

Collingwood V Hawthorn:
3. H. Shaw
2. D. Thomas
1. S. Sidebottom

Brisbane V Western Bulldogs:
3. J. Brennan
2. L. Power
1. M. Rischitelli

Richmond V Melbourne:
3. C. Sylvia
2. B. Moloney
1. J. McDonald

Geelong V Port Adelaide:
3. G. Ablett
2. J. Corey
1. H. Taylor

St. Kilda V Fremantle:
3. N. Dal Santo
2. B. Goddard
1. L. Hayes

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LEADERBOARD AT CONCLUSION OF ROUND 4:
9 - G. Ablett (+)
7 - J. Brennan* (+)
6 - N. Riewoldt
6 - J. Brown
5 - A. Sandilands
5 - H. Shaw (+)
5 - M. Barlow
5 - T. Boak
4 - J. Bartel
4 - L. Hayes (+)
4 - B. Goddard (+)
4 - M. Murphy (+)
4 - A. Goodes (+)
4 - M. Rischitelli (+)
4 - James McDonald (+)
4 - M. Boyd
4 - B. Harvey
4 - B. McGlynn

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

'Rubbing "Voldt" into the Wound' Round 3, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-04-13T23:15:00.012+10:00

Round 3 ... what a round of football! Where, do i begin?

Among the hot topics included Mick Malthouse's onfield spat with Milne, which he then followed up with a straight up lie to the media denying the incident ever occurred, and only earlier today lying once again about having ever... erm... lied. You think that is confusing, well take the handful of Richmond players who quite literally drowned their sorrows by getting pissed in the early hours of the morning, not too long after their thumping in Sydney.

But by far the biggest story onfield was that which occurred first up on Friday night, with Nick Riewoldt sustaining a major hamstring injury, denting the premiership aspirations of the Saints and simultaneously crippling the hopes of those punters who may have already had a bet on him. You could say he left them feeling 'hamstrung', if you will... ok, ok enough with the cheesy puns.

With recent scans having revealed he will be out for up to a maximum 4 months, any chance he may of had at claiming the Brownlow has now all but evaporated. And if you've been following my round by round phantom Brownlow votes up until now, you'll have noticed I had the 'Voldt' leading with 6 votes at the conclusion of Round 3, so he was in spectacular form. It may be bold of me to say, but of the other St. Kilda players, i'm tipping Hayes will now receive much of the attention umpires were affording Riewoldt when they were drafting up their votes. Now that may just be the man-crush I have for him taking precedence, but in all seriousness, watch this space.

St Kilda vs Collingwood
3. L. Hayes
2. S. Gilbert
1. J. Gram

North Melbourne vs West Coast
3. B. Harvey
2. A. Swallow
1. D. Wells

Port Adelaide vs Brisbane Lions
3. M. Rischitelli
2. J. Sherman
1. J. Brown

Sydney vs Richmond
3. J. Bolton
2. B. McGlynn
1. H. Grundy

Carlton vs Essendon
3. J. Watson
2. N. Lovett-Murray
1. D. Fletcher

Melbourne vs Adelaide
3. James McDonald
2. J. Frawley
1. J. Grimes

Western Bulldogs vs Hawthorn
3. B. Boyd
2. R. Griffen
1. C. Rioli

Fremantle vs Geelong
3. M. Pavlich
2. G. Ablett
1. S. Hill

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LEADERBOARD AT CONCLUSION OF ROUND 2:
6 - N. Riewoldt
6 - J. Brown (+)
6 - G. Ablett (+)
5 - A. Sandilands
5 - M. Barlow
5 - T. Boak
4 - J. Bartel
4 - M. Boyd (+)
4 - B. Harvey (+)
4 - J. Brennan*
4 - B. McGlynn (+)
3 - L. Hayes
3 - A. Cooney
3 - M. Pavlich
3 - S. Gilbert (+)
3 - M. Rischitelli
3 - L. Hodge
3 - D. Swan
3 - A. Davey
3 - K. Cornes
3 - R. O'Keefe
3 - S. Byrnes
3 - A. Carrazzo
3 - J. Watson
3 - James McDonald
3 - J. Bolton
2 - A. Goodes
2 - R. Griffen
2 - H. Shaw
2 - A. Swallow
2 - J. Sherman
2 - R. Petterd
2 - J. Lewis
2 - A. Selwood
2 - M. Murphy
2 - B. Goddard
2 - E. Betts
2 - D. Cross
2 - N. Lovett-Murray
2 - J. Frawley
1 - S. Black
1 - S. Mitchell
1 - J. Gram
1 - M. Kreuzer
1 - H. Ballantyne
1 - C. Enright
1 - P. Hasleby
1 - S. Pendlebury
1 - L. Montagna
1 - J. Davenport
1 - L. Gilbee
1 - D. Wells
1 - H. Grundy
1 - P. Dangerfield
1 - D. Fletcher
1 - J. Grimes
1 - C. Rioli
1 - S. Hill

Note: (*) Ineligible. (+) Ranking Rise. (-) Ranking Drop.

'Attack of the Giants!' Round 2, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-04-07T23:41:00.010+10:00

Unlike the season opener a week prior, this rounds games brought about a few results from left field - upsets, shelackings, as well as performances from particular big men that stood out like... well, ducks nuts. One such player was the rampaging Jonathan Brown, who tore my team a new one on Thursday night and announced himself as a genuine chance at giving the Brownlow a fair shake in 2010. With Fev playing by his side as a foil/decoy, expect Browny to trouble most teams this year and have, what I predict will be, his best season of footy yet. With all this fuss in the media about him wasting time for throwing two chairs, and a photographers bag out of his way as he took a set shot for goal on the boundary, if his form continues, he can throw as many chairs as he likes. Or, at the very least, do it for some more hilarity!

I'm a big believer that forwards are always behind the 8-ball when it comes to receiving the umpires 3 votes ahead of midfielders, but he is playing such awesome football at the moment that i'm starting to believe he has a very big chance at winning the Brownlow this year. If any big men were to do so, it'd be him, with Riewoldt trailing close behind. Indeed, worrying signs for opposition teams out there!

Another eye-opener was watching the big 211cm giant trample over Essendon, and he'll come very close to being BOG unless his new partner in crime Barlow steals his thunder. These two are in top nick, and are shaping up to be quite a formidable duo! Good initiative by 'Anonymous', who last week posted in reply to my Round 1 votes that he jumped on Barlow at 400-1 each way for the Brownlow. He's already drifted into 100-1, and will only get shorter. He probably won't win it, but a top 5 finish wouldn't be out of the question.

Round 2, 2010.

Brisbane Lions V Carlton:
3. Jonathan Brown
2. Marc Murphy
1. Jared Brennan

Collingwood V Melbourne:
3. Aaron Davey
2. Ricky Petterd
1. Scott Pendlebury

West Coast V Port Adelaide:
3. Travis Boak
2. Adam Selwood
1. Jason Davenport

St. Kilda V North Melbourne:
3. Nick Riewoldt
2. Brendon Goddard
1. Leigh Montagna

Adelaide V Sydney:
3. Ryan O'Keefe
2. Ben McGlynn
1. Patrick Dangerfield

Essendon V Fremantle:
3. Aaron Sandilands
2. Michael Barlow
1. Paul Hasleby

Richmond V Western Bulldogs:
3. Adam Cooney
2. Daniel Cross
1. Lindsay Gilbee

Hawthorn V Geelong:
3. Jimmy Bartel
2. Gary Ablett
1. Corey Enright
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LEADERBOARD AT CONCLUSION OF ROUND 2:
6 - N. Riewoldt
5 - J. Brown
5 - A. Sandilands
5 - M. Barlow
5 - T. Boak
4 - G. Ablett
4 - J. Bartel
4 - J. Brennan*
3 - A. Cooney
3 - L. Hodge
3 - D. Swan
3 - A. Davey
3 - K. Cornes
3 - R. O'Keefe
3 - S. Byrnes
3 - A. Carrazzo
2 - A. Goodes
2 - H. Shaw
2 - R. Petterd
2 - J. Lewis
2 - A. Selwood
2 - M. Murphy
2 - B. Goddard
2 - E. Betts
2 - D. Cross
2 - B. McGlynn
1 - S. Black
1 - S. Gilbert
1 - S. Mitchell
1 - M. Boyd
1 - B. Harvey
1 - M. Kreuzer
1 - H. Ballantyne
1 - C. Enright
1 - P. Hasleby
1 - S. Pendlebury
1 - L. Montagna
1 - J. Davenport
1 - L. Gilbee
1 - P. Dangerfield

Note: (*) Ineligible.

Like a fine wine! - Round 1, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

2010-03-29T19:08:00.021+11:00

Round 1 didn't bring about too many surprises, with 6 of the 8 favourites victorious in their respective matches. There was, however, one young bloke by the name of Michael Barlow for the Dockers who had a ripper of a debut game, amassing 33 disposals, 4 clearances, 6 marks, and scoring 2.1. Such was his impact, he eclipsed former Brisbane Lion Bradd Dalziell’s record of 32 possessions on debut. Not a bad way to kick start your career in the AFL! For that effort I feel he's a near certainty to collect votes, whether it's 3 votes or only 2 remains to be seen, as I can't remember anyone in recent memory having scored 3 votes on debut. But if anyone else out there knows otherwise, feel free to comment down below.

Also i'd be interested to hear other peoples opinions on who they'd give their 3, 2, 1 votes to in Round 1, so comment away!

Carlton V Richmond
3. Carrazzo
2. Betts
1. Kreuzer

Geelong V Essendon
3. Byrnes
2. Ablett
1. Bartel

Melbourne V Hawthorn
3. Hodge
2. Lewis
1. Mitchell

Sydney V St Kilda
3. Riewoldt
2. Goodes
1. Gilbert

Brisbane V West Coast
3. Brennan
2. J. Brown
1. Black

Port Adelaide V North Melbourne
3. Kornes
2. Boak
1. Harvey

Western Bulldogs V Collingwood
3. Swan
2. Shaw
1. Boyd

Fremantle V Adelaide
3. Barlow
2. Sandilands
1. Ballantyne

2011 Brownlow Talk

'I declare the winner of the 2011 Brownlow Medal...'

'That's curtains, folks' - Round 24, 2011 Wrap

'Cats fall off scratching post' - Round 23, 2011 Wrap

'A half century of possessions' - Round 22, 2011 Wrap

'Power outage for Port' - Round 21, 2011 Wrap

'Can't quite deliver the Goodes' - Round 20, 2011 Wrap

'SJ *puts on his wizard robe and hat*' - Round 19, 2011 Wrap

'Skywalker!' - Round 18, 2011 Wrap

'Suns coast to another win' - Round 17, 2011 Wrap

'Collingwood soar, whilst Cats remain sore' - Round 16, 2011 Wrap

'Essendon Spoils Geelong's Purrfect Streak' - Round 15, 2011 Wrap

'They're Flying High' - Round 14, 2011 Wrap

'New Kids on the Block' - Round 13, 2011 Wrap

'Meet Me Halfway' - Round 12, 2011 Wrap

'Bombers Dee-moralised' - Round 11, 2011 Wrap

'Leader(s) of the Pack' - Round 10, 2011 Wrap

'Goodes nearly trips up. Yeah right!' - Round 9, 2011 Wrap

'Close Encounters of the Furr Kind' - Round 8, 2011 Wrap

'I'd like to see that!' - Round 7, 2011 Wrap

'Night is Darkest Just Before the Dawn' - Round 6, 2011 Wrap

"Rising Suns" - Round 5, 2011 Wrap

Another draw?! C'mon guys this isn't funny anymore! - Round 4, 2011 Wrap

"Elementary, my dear Watson." - Round 3, 2011 Wrap

Drawn Together - Round 2, 2011 Wrap

Flying Start! - Round 1, 2011 Wrap

2011 Brownlow Player Preview: J. Selwood

2011 Brownlow Player Preview: M. Boyd

2011 Brownlow Player Preview: S. Pendlebury

2011 Brownlow Player Preview: C. Judd

2011 Brownlow Player Preview: Gary Ablett

2011 Brownlow Player Preview: Dane Swan

"It begiiins!" Brownlow Talk 2011 Officially Kicks-off!

It's coming... Brownlow Talk 2011.

Congratulations, Chris Judd - Winner of the 2010 Brownlow Medal!

The 2010 Brownlow Medal - "And now, the end is near. And so I face the final curtain"

"ArRrGhHh! Pressure point! Pressure point! Steven Seagal! Steven... HEY STEVEN!!" - Q&A Brownlow Talk with Walker.

'Go ahead, make my day!' - Release of Group Votes!

'Multi-ing aint easy, yo!' - Analysis & Breakdown of odds released for TAB's 'Most Team Votes' market.

AhHhH! The TAB have opened their 'Most Team Votes' Market! Pandemonium Ensues!

Finalised 'Most Team Votes' Tally - Round 22 Wrap Pt. 2

'I declare the winner of the 2010 Brownlow Medal...' - Round 22, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

'The Rat Pack' - Round 21, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

'In the Box Seat' - Round 20, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

'Heeeere's Juddy!' - Round 19, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

'Oh, the injury last week looked frightful, but the news is so delightful!' - Round 18, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

Fashionably Late - Round 17, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

Starting to look the 'Goodes' - Round 16, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

Champion Data: Monty for the Brownlow? - Round 15, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

Barlow Blow - Round 14, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

Cat Nipped - Round 13, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

M.I.A. - Round 12, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

'Whoaah, we're halfway there!' Round 11, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

'All Quiet on The Northern Front' Round 10, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

'Hayes Fever' Round 9, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

'A Two-Horse Race?' Round 8, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

'Scully Tickles Umpires Pink' Round 7, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

'God Jr. a mere mortal?' Round 6, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

"Don't you know who I am? I'm the Juddernaut bitch!' Round 5, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

Only 4 rounds in, but is it already a case of 'Cat in the Bag'? Round 4, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

'Rubbing "Voldt" into the Wound' Round 3, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

'Attack of the Giants!' Round 2, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

Like a fine wine! - Round 1, 2010 Wrap - 3, 2, 1 Votes.

'SJ puts on his wizard robe and hat' - Round 19, 2011 Wrap