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Home , 1941 Brownlow Medal, 1946 Brownlow Medal, 1948 Brownlow Medal, Adam Goodes, Andrew Gaff, Barry Round

74 SPORT SATURDAY JULY 21 2018 MAX FACTOR WHERE ’S SITS IN THE RECKONING BROWNLOW PREDICTOR TALL ORDER AFTER ROUND 17 THERE is nothing on 20 votes, one ahead of when he was 10 behind winner 19 Tom Mitchell (Haw), conventional about The Mitchell and Fyfe. . Gawn’s 2018 stats (WC) Melbourne’s one-of-a-kind Surprisingly, he isn’t are superior to Sandilands’ 17 (Rich) big man Max Gawn, but he zeitgeist rated a strong Brownlow return from 2010. 15 (Geel) will have to do something chance by the Champion Gawn’s best voting 14 (Frem) special if he is to break the GLENN Data predictor, but neither performance was when he 13 (Melb), modern mould of ruckmen McFARLANE says Max is Collingwood’s Brodie polled 16 votes in 2016, 19 Josh Kennedy (Syd), being almost invisible when it Grundy, despite their huge adrift of Dangerfield’s winning (Ess) comes to winning the influence in 2018. tally. 12 MAX GAWN (MELB), Brownlow Medal. Gawn can Champion Data rated Former Gawn has been the Surprisingly, it also has him Gawn best afield in one of his big man , who (Rich), Stephen Brownlow buzzword in recent trailing the past two winners win the 16 matches this season – the started an overwhelming Coniglio (GWS), weeks and is in career-best Dustin Martin (Richmond, 17) Round 6 game against Brownlow favourite in 2002 (GWS), (WB) form, firming into $5 second and Patrick Dangerfield Essendon – while it has him but finished nine votes behind 11 (Geel), favourite behind Hawthorn’s (, 15), who have had Brownlow polling votes in nine games , hopes Gawn can (PA), possession machine Tom solid years rather than overall. buck the trend. (Bris), (Coll), Mitchell ($2.75). spectacular ones. Medal — Ruckmen had a strong “I’ll be barracking for the Gary Ablett (Geel), But while , Derek Humphery-Smith, Brownlow record during the big fellow,” Darcy said. “I (NM) Luke Darcy and Jonathan who umpired 83 games from and ’80s, with six think he can win it. 10 (NM) Brown believe Gawn’s form 1996 to 2003, doubts Gawn history has winners in 10 seasons from “I am loving seeing Grundy has been among the best from can win, saying the ground- 1975-84, but it has been mostly and Max Gawn and those sort PLAYER a ruckman for many seasons, level perceptions of umpires another a drought since, with the of ruckmen get 20 and OF THE YEAR there are others including a meant ruckmen were often award often dubbed “a sometimes 30 possessions and 20 Max Gawn (Melb) respected former umpire who overlooked. midfielder’s medal”. applying their ruck craft. 19 Nat Fyfe (Frem) say that while ruckmen may While conceding Gawn’s view is “You really do get a bonus win games, they just don’t win distinctive look – the beard, acknowledged as the last player in the midfield. Tom Mitchell (Haw) Brownlows. the height and the shaved onballer on the move, the ruckman to win a Brownlow “What I love about 17 Jack Macrae (WB) Even Champion Data’s head – helped him stand out bloke who you remember is Medal in 2003, although he Max’s game right now is Brodie Grundy (Coll) Brownlow Medal predictor from the crowd, it likely the bloke who sprints out of was an undersized 191cm he is going forward and (Carl) has Gawn sitting on only 12 wouldn’t see his name the pack. player who also spent time in taking big marks, and going 15 Dayne Beams (BL) votes from 17 rounds. scrawled often enough on the “So if it is (Aaron) other positions during his back and taking great Shaun Higgins (NM) That leaves him seven voting slips to win Australian Sandilands to (Nat) Fyfe, you dominant season. defensive marks when his 12 (Haw) votes behind projected leaders football’s most prestigious tend to remember Fyfe’s effort The last of the traditional team needs it. Joel Selwood (Geel) Mitchell and West Coast’s award. going away from the contest ruckmen to take out the “He’s the most likeable (StK) Andrew Gaff. “I just think it is less more than you do the Brownlow was in person you would ever meet. Dustin Martin (Rich) obvious to umpires the Sandilands tap. 1992, a year after “He’s worked so hard to get influence he (Gawn) is having “That’s just purely an (whose No.11 Gawn wears himself as fit as he is. THE BETTING on a game,” Humphrey-Smith observational thing. It’s just today). “He’s come a long way $2.50 Tom Mitchell said. human behaviour.” The last time a ruckman from smoking ‘darts’ on the $5 Max Gawn “Even when a beautiful Gawn leads the Herald polled 20 votes was way to training.” piece of tapwork goes to an Sun’s Player of the Year award Sandilands eight years ago, [email protected] $7 Patrick Cripps $9 Andrew Gaff $11 Shaun Higgins $17 Dustin Martin $21 Dayne Beams, Trent Cotchin, Jack Macrae, , Brodie Grundy $34 Dyson Heppell, , Clayton Oliver, Joel Selwood, Ollie Wines Demon Max Gawn dominates games, but it $51 Gary Ablett, remains to be seen Patrick Dangerfield, whether whistleblowers , will reward him with MEDAL Odds: TAB Brownlow Medal votes Picture: GETTY IMAGES METTLE #1 GAWN IN 2018 Disposals: 17 3rd Contested possessions: 9 7th Hitout win: 62.6% 3rd Hitout to adv win: 22.3% 2nd Marks: 5 #1st Score involvements: 6.8 1st Note: Averages, ranking for ruckmen

BROWNLOW WINNING BIG MEN 2003 Adam Goodes (played as an undersized ruckman for much of the year) 1992 Scott Wynd 1991 Jim Stynes 1984 Peter Moore 1980 1979 Peter Moore 1977 1976 1975 Gary Dempsey 1965 Noel Teasdale 1960 John Schultz 1957 Brian Gleeson 1954 1952 Roy Wright 1948 Bill Morris 1946 1941 Norm Ware 1927

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