West Coast midfielder Matt Priddis has taken out the 2014 Brownlow Medal with a winning count of 26 votes, over Sydney’s Lance Franklin and Gold Coast’s Gary Ablett, who both tallied 22 votes.
Nat Fyfe was second on the the official tally, with 25 votes, but he was never a threat to the prize after being ruled ineligible due to a bump on Gold Coast’s Michael Rischitelli in Round 2.
Here are the top four vote numbers for the 2014 Brownlow Medal.
1 – M. Priddis (26)
2 – N. Fyfe* (25)
3 – G. Ablett, L. Franklin (22)
4 – P. Dangerfield, T. Boak, J Selwood, J. Kennedy (21)
*Ineligible due to suspension
More Brownlow 2014:
» Live count and blog of the Brownlow Medal
» Alfred Chan’s prediction for Brownlow 2014
» Complete Brownlow 2014 guide, tips and odds
» Matt White wins 2014 goal of the year award
» Chad Wingard wins 2014 mark of the year award
A look at the stats will make you marvel as to why Priddis wasn’t more fancied for the prize in 2014, as he topped disposals for the competition, was second in clearances and third in tackles. A hard-working, honest midfielder, Priddis was not fancied to the degree of Gary Ablett, who only managed 15 games, or Geelong star Joel Selwood, who was a vote further back from Ablett on 21.
Priddis denies second place-getter Ablett a second straight Brownlow, and becomes the third Eagle to win the Brownlow, the first since Ben Cousins in 2005.
Nowhere near one the favourites coming into the AFL’s night of nights, the bookies had installed Priddis as $41 long shot to take out the prize, with Joel Selwood the shortest at $2.5, Gary Ablett at $4 and Port Adelaide’s Robbie Gray the next fancied at $7 chance of taking home the game’s biggest individual prize.
It caps off a remarkable season for Priddis, who played in 22 games and racked up a whopping 627 disposals.
Matt Priddis stats – (Photo: Twitter)
He fended off strong competition from early frontrunner Gary Ablett, who tallied 22 votes before his popped shoulder cruelled any hopes of his taking the top gong for the second year in a row and the third time total.
Adelaide’s Patrick Dangerfield proved to be an unlikely challenger, but didn’t manage to finish the season as strongly as Priddis. He needed three votes in the final round to tie Priddis, but the West Coast star’s two votes in the final round sealed the deal.
It’s an amazing achievement for the consistent performer of 2014. Amazingly, he manage to poll in 13 of the 22 games he played. It’s a great way to cap off the year for a deserving star.
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