2011 Brownlow Medal
Encyclopedia
The Brownlow Medal is the most prestigious individual award in Australian rules football
. The award was presented on Monday, 26 September, in the week before the 2011 AFL Grand Final
.
won the Brownlow Medal, polling 34 votes, a record number of votes in a Brownlow Medal counted under the 3-2-1 voting system.
* The player was ineligible to win the medal due to suspension by the AFL Tribunal
during the year. Source
(those umpires who control the flow of the game, as opposed to goal or boundary umpires) confer after each match and award three votes, two votes and one vote to the players they regard as the best, second best and third best in the match, respectively. The votes are kept secret until the awards night, and are read and tallied on the evening.
was an overwhelming favourite in betting markets to win the award for a second consecutive year, and third time overall. By Round 18, his odds were shorter than $2 to win the award, and one agency, Sportsbet, decided to pay out early to all punters who had already backed Judd for the win. Sydney's Adam Goodes
, who had attracted odds as wide as $30 during the season, had a very strong end to the season, and closed in to second-favouritism by the count. Collingwood's Scott Pendlebury
and Dane Swan
, and Carlton's Marc Murphy
, were also expected to feature prominently in the count.
are ineligible to win the award, but are still allowed to poll votes.
The most notable player ineligible for the 2011 Brownlow Medal was Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell
. Mitchell received a one-match sanction, which was reduced to a reprimand without suspension with an early guilty plea, for rough conduct against Geelong's Steve Johnson in Round 5. Mitchell featured prominently in several media best and fairest awards, including winning the Lou Richards Medal
and the Herald Sun Player of the Year
, and was considered a realistic chance to poll the most votes; he ultimately polled the second-most votes, four fewer than winner Dane Swan. His 30 votes was the most by any ineligible player in AFL history.
Other ineligible players included: Dale Thomas
; Joel Selwood
, Joel Corey
, Matthew Scarlett
, Brad Ottens
; Lance Franklin
, Cyril Rioli
, Jordan Lewis
; Shane Mumford
, Ryan O'Keefe
; Leigh Montagna
, Nick Riewoldt
; Colin Sylvia
, Jack Trengove
, Brent Moloney
; Jack Redden
; Brent Stanton
; Luke McPharlin
; Nathan Bock
; Nic Naitanui ; and Daniel Cross .
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
. The award was presented on Monday, 26 September, in the week before the 2011 AFL Grand Final
2011 AFL Grand Final
The 2011 Australian Football League Grand Final was an Australian rules football match, played to determine the premiers of the 2011 season. It was contested between the Collingwood Football Club and the Geelong Football Club....
.
Leading votegetters
's Dane SwanDane Swan
Dane Swan is an Australian rules footballer for Collingwood in the Australian Football League.Since 2007 Swan has emerged as one of the AFL's elite midfielders, winner of the prestigious Brownlow Medal in 2011 with a record tally of 34 votes...
won the Brownlow Medal, polling 34 votes, a record number of votes in a Brownlow Medal counted under the 3-2-1 voting system.
| Player | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Dane Swan Dane Swan Dane Swan is an Australian rules footballer for Collingwood in the Australian Football League.Since 2007 Swan has emerged as one of the AFL's elite midfielders, winner of the prestigious Brownlow Medal in 2011 with a record tally of 34 votes... |
34 |
| Sam Mitchell Sam Mitchell (footballer) Samuel Mitchell is an Australian rules football player for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League .- Debut season :... * |
30 | |
| 2nd | Nick Dal Santo Nick Dal Santo Nick Dal Santo is an Australian rules footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Early career:... |
28 |
| =3rd | Matthew Boyd Matthew Boyd Matthew Boyd is an Australian rules football player who has come through the Western Bulldogs' rookie list, debuting in 2003. Prior to that he had played for Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup and Frankston in the VFL... Scott Pendlebury Scott Pendlebury Scott Pendlebury is a professional Australian rules football player who plays for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League .- Early life :... |
24 |
| =5th | Gary Ablett, Jr. Gary Ablett, Jr. Gary Ablett, Jr. is a professional Australian rules football player and current captain of the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League .... Chris Judd Chris Judd Christopher Dylan "Chris" Judd is a professional Australian rules footballer and current captain of the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League .... |
23 |
| Lance Franklin Lance Franklin Lance "Buddy" Franklin, Jr is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League . Nicknamed 'Buddy', Franklin primarily plays as a centre half-forward, but also spends some time in the midfield, where he plays along the wing... * |
20 | |
| =7th | Adam Goodes Adam Goodes Adam Goodes is a professional Australian rules football player with the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League .... Marc Murphy Marc Murphy Marc Murphy is an Australian rules footballer, recruited at number one in the 2005 AFL Draft by the Carlton Football Club.-Early life and junior career:... Matthew Priddis Matthew Priddis Matthew Harley "Matt" Priddis is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the West Australian football club the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League .... |
19 |
| Brent Moloney Brent Moloney Brent "Beamer" Moloney is an Australian rules footballer, with the Melbourne Football Club, and previously the Geelong Football Club, in the Australian Football League.-Early life:... * |
19 | |
| 10th | Dean Cox | 18 |
AFL Tribunal
The AFL Tribunal is the disciplinary tribunal of the Australian Football League .-Points system:Source: AFL Tribunal 2011 Guidebook...
during the year. Source
Voting procedure
The three field umpiresUmpire (Australian rules football)
An umpire is an official in the sport of Australian rules football.-Origins:Unlike many other codes of football, where the official is called a referee, in Australian Football, the officials borrow their title from the game of cricket, which is played on the same types of fields and was an...
(those umpires who control the flow of the game, as opposed to goal or boundary umpires) confer after each match and award three votes, two votes and one vote to the players they regard as the best, second best and third best in the match, respectively. The votes are kept secret until the awards night, and are read and tallied on the evening.
Favourites
For most of the season, Carlton's Chris JuddChris Judd
Christopher Dylan "Chris" Judd is a professional Australian rules footballer and current captain of the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
was an overwhelming favourite in betting markets to win the award for a second consecutive year, and third time overall. By Round 18, his odds were shorter than $2 to win the award, and one agency, Sportsbet, decided to pay out early to all punters who had already backed Judd for the win. Sydney's Adam Goodes
Adam Goodes
Adam Goodes is a professional Australian rules football player with the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League ....
, who had attracted odds as wide as $30 during the season, had a very strong end to the season, and closed in to second-favouritism by the count. Collingwood's Scott Pendlebury
Scott Pendlebury
Scott Pendlebury is a professional Australian rules football player who plays for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League .- Early life :...
and Dane Swan
Dane Swan
Dane Swan is an Australian rules footballer for Collingwood in the Australian Football League.Since 2007 Swan has emerged as one of the AFL's elite midfielders, winner of the prestigious Brownlow Medal in 2011 with a record tally of 34 votes...
, and Carlton's Marc Murphy
Marc Murphy
Marc Murphy is an Australian rules footballer, recruited at number one in the 2005 AFL Draft by the Carlton Football Club.-Early life and junior career:...
, were also expected to feature prominently in the count.
Ineligible players
As the award is for the fairest and best player in the league, players found guilty of a suspendable offence by the AFL TribunalAFL Tribunal
The AFL Tribunal is the disciplinary tribunal of the Australian Football League .-Points system:Source: AFL Tribunal 2011 Guidebook...
are ineligible to win the award, but are still allowed to poll votes.
The most notable player ineligible for the 2011 Brownlow Medal was Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell
Sam Mitchell (footballer)
Samuel Mitchell is an Australian rules football player for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League .- Debut season :...
. Mitchell received a one-match sanction, which was reduced to a reprimand without suspension with an early guilty plea, for rough conduct against Geelong's Steve Johnson in Round 5. Mitchell featured prominently in several media best and fairest awards, including winning the Lou Richards Medal
Lou Richards Medal
The Lou Richards Medal is an annual Most Valuable Player award for the Australian Football League, based on votes from the Sunday Footy Show panel each week.-History:The Lou Richards Medal is named after former Collingwood player, Lou Richards...
and the Herald Sun Player of the Year
Herald Sun Player of the Year
The Herald Sun Player of the Year award is a media award for the Australian Football League given by Melbourne newspaper the Herald Sun...
, and was considered a realistic chance to poll the most votes; he ultimately polled the second-most votes, four fewer than winner Dane Swan. His 30 votes was the most by any ineligible player in AFL history.
Other ineligible players included: Dale Thomas
Dale Thomas (footballer)
Dale Robert Jordan Thomas is a professional Australian rules football player currently with the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League.-Early life:...
; Joel Selwood
Joel Selwood
Joel Anthony Selwood is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League...
, Joel Corey
Joel Corey
Joel Corey is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League . A midfielder, tall and weighing , Corey is able to contribute inside or outside while on the ball....
, Matthew Scarlett
Matthew Scarlett
Matthew Scarlett is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League . A fullback, tall and weighing , Scarlett is the eldest son of former Geelong footballer John Scarlett....
, Brad Ottens
Brad Ottens
Brad "Otto" Ottens is a former Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club and Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Richmond: 1998–2004:...
; Lance Franklin
Lance Franklin
Lance "Buddy" Franklin, Jr is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League . Nicknamed 'Buddy', Franklin primarily plays as a centre half-forward, but also spends some time in the midfield, where he plays along the wing...
, Cyril Rioli
Cyril Rioli
Cyril Rioli is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
, Jordan Lewis
Jordan Lewis
Jordan Michael Lewis is an Australian rules footballer, currently playing for the Hawthorn Football Club of the Australian Football League. His nicknames are "Taz" and "Chief".Lewis was voted Hawthorn's best first-year player in 2005...
; Shane Mumford
Shane Mumford
Shane Mumford is an Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League , until he was traded to the Sydney Swans at the end of 2009.-Early career:...
, Ryan O'Keefe
Ryan O'Keefe
Ryan O'Keefe is an Australian Football League player with the Sydney Swans, and part of the Swans' 2005 premiership-winning side....
; Leigh Montagna
Leigh Montagna
Leigh Montagna is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. Montagna was recruited as the number 37 draft pick in the 2001 AFL Draft. He is a midfielder with St Kilda Football Club.-AFL career:...
, Nick Riewoldt
Nick Riewoldt
Nick Riewoldt is an Australian rules footballer who is the current captain of the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League . He was the first draft selection in the 2000 AFL Draft.-Early life:...
; Colin Sylvia
Colin Sylvia
Colin Sylvia is an Australian rules footballer, currently playing with the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Early life:...
, Jack Trengove
Jack Trengove
Jack Trengove is an Australian rules footballer for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
, Brent Moloney
Brent Moloney
Brent "Beamer" Moloney is an Australian rules footballer, with the Melbourne Football Club, and previously the Geelong Football Club, in the Australian Football League.-Early life:...
; Jack Redden
Jack Redden
Jack Redden is an Australian rules football player for the Brisbane Lions.Originally from Keith, South Australia, he is the brother of Tom Redden who was once on the Rookie List of the Adelaide Crows...
; Brent Stanton
Brent Stanton
Brent Stanton is an Australian rules footballer, playing for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League .- Early life :...
; Luke McPharlin
Luke McPharlin
Luke McPharlin is an Australian rules football player for the Fremantle Football Club. McPharlin was educated at Christ Church Grammar School, graduating in 1999. McPharlin is both a key back and a key forward....
; Nathan Bock
Nathan Bock
Nathan Bock is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League . He played for the Adelaide Football Club between 2002 and 2010, and announced in August 2010 that he would join the new Gold Coast Football Club in 2011.-Adelaide career:He was elevated off the Adelaide Football...
; Nic Naitanui ; and Daniel Cross .