Brisbane superstar Lachie Neale has claimed his second Brownlow Medal, winning the 2023 award after a thrilling count.
Neale, who also won the medal in 2020, was a shock outsider, but polled strongly all night, with a three-vote performance in the Lions’ final-round win over St Kilda getting him over the line with 31 votes.
For the second time in three seasons, Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli finished second with 29 votes, while Nick Daicos’ late-season knee injury arguably cost him a remarkable win in his second season, finishing on 28, equal-third with Melbourne star Christian Petracca.
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Daicos, though, will have the chance to get revenge on Neale when his Collingwood take on the Lions in Saturday’s grand final.
So unexpected was Neale’s win that he becomes just the fourth winner, along with Melbourne’s Shane Woewodin (2000), West Coast’s Matt Priddis (2014) and Hawthorn’s Sam Mitchell (2012), to fail to make that year’s All-Australian team.
Neale’s disposals-per-game average of 26.92 is also, remarkably, his lowest since 2014, excluding the shortened-quarters 2020 season – in which he still averaged 26.89 a match. Coincidentally, the two years mark his two Brownlow wins.
“I’m sure it will sink in at a later date. I’m pretty rattled to be honest,” a shocked Neale said after accepting the medal.
“I did not expect this, and to be amongst some of those names that have won two is unbelievable.”
Neale joins former Fremantle teammate Nat Fyfe in rare air with a second Brownlow win, becoming just the 16th multiple victor in the award’s 99-year history – though Dick Reynolds, Haydn Bunton Sr, Bob Skilton and Ian Stewart still hold the outright record for most wins with three apiece.
“It doesn’t sit well,” Neale said of joining the prestigious group.
Neale’s win wasn’t without controversy, with a three-vote effort in the Lions’ Round 6 win over GWS coming as a major surprise.
The 30-year old mustered just 20 disposals at Manuka Oval, well behind Giants pair Josh Kelly (41) and Stephen Coniglio (38), while Lions teammate Charlie Cameron kicked seven goals but only received two votes.
The Giants’ social media took to X expressing their shock – and they were far from alone.
Neale’s win concluded a thrilling count that reached the final round with five players – Daicos, Neale, Petracca, Bontempelli and Errol Gulden – all in contention for at least a share of the award.
Gulden’s hopes were dashed with a one-vote effort in the Swans’ loss to Melbourne, despite 42 disposals and two goals, that left him with 27 votes – one shy of Daicos (28), who missed the final three rounds with a fractued knee.
Petracca failed to poll in the last two rounds to leave him one back on 26 – leapfrogged by Port Adelaide gun Zak Butters’ three-vote effort to fall outside the top five – while Bontempelli had the chance to claim his first Brownlow when he leapfrogged the Magpies gun to 29 votes with a best-afield effort in the Dogs’ win over Geelong.
However, with the final vote of the night, Neale’s three votes for a 30-disposal, best-afield effort against the Saints saw him jump to 31, having headed into the final round tied at the top with Daicos.
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Not often you see an umpire reverse his own decision!
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