Former Hawthorn star Sam Mitchell won’t say whether Jobe Watson deserved to lose his Brownlow Medal.
But he and Richmond captain Trent Cotchin never considered knocking back the joint award after the AFL officially stripped Watson of the 2012 Brownlow for his role in the Essendon supplements saga.
“In this game I guess you accept the umpire’s call,” Mitchell said during a press conference with Cotchin on Thursday.
“We’re both very proud to be Brownlow Medallists.
“We’re not going to go into (whether Watson’s sanction was appropriate). That’s not for us to decide.”
The pair, who were originally runners-up to Watson for the AFL’s greatest individual accolade, will receive their medals in a private ceremony next month.
Cotchin was holidaying with his family in Noosa when he received a nervously-anticipated phone call from AFL chief Gillon McLachlan on Tuesday confirming the league’s decision.
“We were waiting for a four o’clock call from Gil and we wondered whether he had a watch,” Cotchin joked.
“It’s mixed emotions. We’re still playing now and it’s been a four-year process but we still have won the most prestigious individual award in different circumstances. It’s definitely something we’ll reflect on post-career moreso.”
Mitchell was sitting in his backyard with his young son on his lap when he learned of the news.
“There’s a lot of things that have happened in the past that have got very little to do with us,” he said.
“But when I’ve got my son sitting there and I get a phone call saying ‘you’re a Brownlow Medallist’, I’d be lying if I (said) it was not a joyful experience to share that with my family right at that point.
“There’s a lots of awkwardness in the way it’s happened but hopefully from this point on we can put that side of it behind us and just take it for what it is.”
Neither of the winners have spoken to Watson since Tuesday’s AFL Commission decision but Mitchell says he feels a great deal of empathy for the Bombers veteran’s father, Essendon great Tim Watson.
“I don’t know Jobe at all. I don’t have his phone number or anything like that,” Mitchell said.
“Particularly as a father, I feel for Tim. When I look at my son, if he was going through something like Jobe is going through, you’d be heartbroken for him. So there’s that aspect but I don’t feel it’s my place to reach out.”
Chris Kew
Guest
Essendon supporters keep saying that their players were never caught taking banned supplements and that is true. However Essendon FC say they don't know what was given (so it could be banned substances) Dean Robinson should be able to clear the players (but Essendon has put a confidentiality clause in his payout) and Dank has both said it was TB4 and that it wasn't. Given that Dank legally supplies non WADA athletes with supplements, then Essendon FC! Hird, Robinson and Dank all should have known that as soon as Dank joined Essendon then it was up to the players to prove that they were not receiving banned supplements rather than WADA proving they were. I guarantee if I tried to sell Essendon vitamins for the sort of money Dank was charging they would demand records on quality, quantity and datasheets and they would check with an expert like the club doctor to make sure it was safe. That's why the lack of records is virtually an admission of guilt Essendon supporters should be asking how did we let our players down so badly
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
Haha, good reply Casper, got me there ?
Casper
Guest
So you're loving the ruling by CAS. Suck it up Essendon, the verdict has come in, accept it and move on. Bit different when the decision makers rule against your Bulldogs. All of a sudden there has been an injustice and the experts don't know what they are doing.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
Or Dippierdomenico. What a joke of the 'Fairest' component of the award with Diesel and Dipper joint winners that year! But at least Diesel was genuinely one of the very best. Dipper wasn't even the best in his side, or the best in his position.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
BS. Chris Grant struck the ball solidly in trying to knock it forwards, had eyes only for the ball, but happened to connect with Holland's face on the follow through. Grant wasn't even reported and the MRP didn't exist back then, but the infamous Ian Collins decided a special case was warranted. Like Robert Harvey, Grant was 100% gentleman on the football field and played with class and fairness his whole career. He was robbed.
Birdman
Guest
I think Mitchell handled it masterfully by empathising with Tim Watson as a father rather than directly addressing Jobe's situation.
Casper
Guest
Not at all. We categorically know that Chris Grant struck Nick Holland. There is no proof that Watson actually took TB4.
Slane
Guest
They are both certainly more deserving of the award than a bloke who was getting 15+ performance enhancing injections every week.
Bobbo7
Guest
Fair result. The winner was on the juice so it should go to these guys.
Kavvy
Guest
By your logic Robert Harvey didn't deserve his first one either but you're wrong, it's not complex
paulywalnuts
Guest
Jason Dunstall kicked 139 goals in 1992. Maybe 'deep down' Scott Wynd thinks he didn't deserve the Brownlow that year. Or any other number of players who have won it and weren't necessarily the best player that year. Not to mention those who won due to the ineligibility of someone who finished higher. Or maybe they just think what the hell, I'm a Brownlow medallist.
Casper
Guest
I don't really blame them for accepting it, but they don't deserve it and deep down they will know that.
Pete
Guest
Why should they consider knocking back the Brownlow ?? As the eligible players with the most votes they deserve to take it home. Well done to Sam Mitchell and Trent Cotchin. As the FAIREST and best players for that season they have earnt the medal.