Lachie Neale is a wonderful footballer, but he was not the AFL’s fairest and best player in 2023.
To be fair, he’s not the first and certainly won’t be the last to claim a Brownlow Medal despite being well down the pecking order of the season’s elite.
But footy’s most prestigious award hasn’t had a more baffling victor since at least Shane Woewodin in 2000 – and perhaps even further back.
I could safely name ten players – hell, ten midfielders, if we remove gun key backs and forwards who never poll well, who had better seasons than Neale: Marcus Bontempelli, Nick Daicos, Christian Petracca, Errol Gulden, Jordan Dawson, Zak Butters and Connor Rozee certainly all had far superior campaigns, while I would genuinely put Tom Liberatore, Jack Viney and Caleb Serong on at least a level pegging with the Lions gun.
And I’m certainly not alone on this: you only need look at Neale missing the All-Australian team (the first Brownlow winner to do so since Matt Priddis in 2014 and just the fourth ever), and not even being a particularly controversial absentee compared to the likes of Liberatore, as a sign some of the game’s sharpest analysts and a host of former greats didn’t have him in the conversation for the game’s best player.
There will no doubt be plenty of pointing the finger at the games in which Neale polled undeservedly, most obviously in Round 6 against GWS when a 20-disposal effort was deemed superior to 41 and 38 from Giants pair Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio respectively, as well as seven goals from Charlie Cameron.
That he failed to receive a single coaches vote for that match should be enough to sway anyone sceptical of using statistics to judge performance: Cameron, as it happens, got a perfect 10 for that match.
But it would be wrong to single out Neale in this regard: all of the candidates, and even some of the also-rans, were the recipients of some quite staggering votes on regular occasions.
Jason Horne-Francis’ 13 disposal, three-vote effort against Geelong was clearly the most staggering, but all of Bontempelli, Petracca and especially last year’s winner Patrick Cripps – though not, as it happens, Nick Daicos, who was unlucky not to poll more – polled in games they shouldn’t have, as do many, many victors and proven vote-getters in years gone by.
The positive is that some of this year’s votes should put to bed the notion that umpires only look at the stats when deciding their votes – had they done so, Horne-Francis for one would never have got near them against the Cats.
The AFL Coaches Association award has some flaws in it too – I’m not convinced the coaches don’t have too much on their plates on game day to be doling out votes after games – but to have 17 examples of players polling three Brownlow votes but not a single coaches vote – Neale and Horne-Francis two glaring examples – and 20 more of players with a maximum 10 coaches votes getting no love for the umpires (even big names like Petracca, Jordan De Goey and Caleb Serong were in this mix) is a quite alarming chasm considering everyone involved is watching the same game.
It’s been my belief for years that umpires simply have far too much on their plate to be overly preoccupied mid-game with which players are having a blinder.
Naturally, their presence around the ball is always going to make them predisposed to voting for the midfielders that share their immediate surroundings – cue the ‘midfielder’s medal’ accusations – but in recent years especially it has become deeper than that.
Neale’s win dispels my theory that the Brownlow has become a ‘favourite’s award’, where the stars spoken about glowingly in the media and touted as candidates from early in the season are likelier to poll more, but Neale and Cripps’ high-voting seasons despite what I would argue to be, by their standards, average or even underwhelming years as a whole, suggests a greater sway towards players already known to be superstars.
That would explain why Neale polled so heavily to start the season – including, yes, in that Giants game – and why Daicos, despite being near-universally regarded as the Brownlow frontrunner up to mid-year, missed out quite regularly on major votes.
It would also explain why the numbers polled by the winners is slowly but surely getting bigger and bigger – in nearly all cases over the last decade, 30 votes has been required to claim a Brownlow.
Up to 2009, just three times, excluding occasions where two sets of votes were given, did a victor reach 30 votes: since then, it’s happened 10 times out of 15 – 11 if you include Jobe Watson’s 30 in 2012 before his Brownlow was stripped off him – with 26 the lowest. The game’s elite players are attracting more votes than ever before, and more often than not it doesn’t even matter how well they actually played.
None of this is the umpires’ fault at all – they’ve got the toughest officiating job in any sport in the world, with rules that seem to change with every passing week at times, and have to cover extraordinary distances during games while copping endless criticism for even small mistakes.
The role of an umpire has never been more hands-on than in modern footy – sure, past umps had to deal with far more fighting, player abuse and even physical assault at times, these days whistleblowers need to keep a close eye on players showing too much dissent at a free kick, watch for any number of off-the-ball incidents that they’ll be baked for if they miss them but also slammed if they pay ones that aren’t there, and the countless other jobs big and small they are required to perform.
Lachie Neale with the 2023 Brownlow Medal. (Photo by Albert Perez/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Being given Brownlow voting rights might be an honour, but it is also just an extra burden lumped on their shoulders – and, importantly, one which, in 2023 more than ever before, came up with some truly baffling decisions.
The NRL’s Dally M medal is voted on by a pool of anonymous former players, with two assigned to each match and awarding votes on a 3-2-1 basis, identical to the AFL.
It’s specifically someone’s job to judge who in each match is worthy of votes, and if the AFL are serious in ensuring its most prestigious medal carries with it indisputable integrity, it’s a method they should deeply consider adopting.
Sure, they’d need to be careful about who they pick – Kane Cornes getting a Richmond game would be bad news for Tim Taranto, for one – but this is one of those times when the sheer volume of former players having transitioned into the media could work to the game’s benefit for once.
The 2023 Brownlow Medal count was an absolute thriller; it made for great viewing; it featured drama with every passing round; and in the end, Charlie went to a champion of the game who, for all I’ve said leading up to this, cannot be begrudged a second win and a secured place as a great of modern football.
But the system with which he won it is deeply, and obviously flawed: if the AFL are serious in maintaining the Brownlow’s integrity, and preventing situations where umpires cop publicly ridicule for the occasional erroneous bit of voting, they’ll change it for the better.
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
Just got home walked through the door let the bully outside and preceded to walk out the back and Ralph myself. But fcuk it's been a good night. Lmao.
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
Could not have stated better myself!!
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
I lost my money on the lions, but a mate hit 63k so I'm a happy and very pissed boy.lol.
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
Blah blah blah still one of the best teams in the modern era. Your welcome. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
Well said, they probably are one of best there's been. You have judged them higher than other clubs with the same or better records due to their being more talent in that great Brisbane team, not on longevity, minor premierships or high % seasons. BTW, if I had to have a kicker kick a goal for my life, I would be choosing Jason Dunstall over Alistair Lynch. Enjoy the game today, I will be cheering for the Lions & I have taken the $2.10.
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
Well actually I said probably the best theres been and that would go for anybody that chooses any team over the years that they would consider the best whether that be vfl or afl era it would be an opinion because unless you can have them play off against each other nobody will ever know really would they, I still say and think they’ve been the best or one of the best theres been. And funny enough I don’t have to justify my opinion to anyone, facts say when you win 3 in a row you “probably”are one of the best theres been.
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
That's exactly my point ADT, you are the one making the statement "the best there’s been”. I have been asking you to substantiate why you would rank them so highly & now at last you have conceded "that's my opinion". I responded to your statement 2 days ago saying, "I doubt you could quantify that in anyway except being a personal opinion".
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
And thats it, thats my opinion and doesn't matter what you come up with if I had to choose a team to play a gf for my life, I would be chosing them.
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
As I said earlier, besides your personal opinion, there is really nothing to quantify "the best there ever was" tag. No minor premierships, no longevity or high % seasons. So if you were going to select a best 22 team of the last 25 years, how many players from that Lions team would get a start?
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
Personally I still think there's more talent in the Brisbane team then there was in those hawthorn teams different eras too so makes it hard but they were alot fitter then they were back in the 80s too. Its a shame they can't do like they do with the horses and AI where they put horses from different eras against each other, not sure how accurate they are but it's always abit of fun.
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
Between 1982 & 1994 the Hawks played finals 13 years in a row. 8 GFs between 1983-1991 for 5 premierships. Yes, Brisbane did play in four GFs, but they didn't do a lot before then & they did absolutely nothing afterwards. When you mention “the best there’s been”, longevity has to be an inclusive factor of judgement.
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
For sure personally I think they've been one of or the best. 4 grand finals in a row and the core group in all three lines is in my opinion probably been the strongest theres been, mal and Justin down back with the scott brothers, the fab four in the midfield and lynch and Brown down forward as your keys. So many other good players in that team over those years as well. Probs their only weakness through the year was the ruck but then Keating just use to save himself until the finals and manage to play like he hadn't missed a beat.lol. I think Brisbane now are probably the strongest on paper of the top 4, mind you that's with everybody in form but across all three lines they are pretty strong where as say Melbourne and Collingwood would match their defence and midfields but Brisbane would have the better forward line. It's like I've been trying to tell the Ken haters etc like I get.it but of you look at Port compared to the top 4 we don't match up as well as those teams do, forward line is average, backline is average and our midfield is good maybe a touch higher but very young still, you compare that to Brisbane, collingwood, gws and Carlton we are just not on the same level as them and to finish 5th is about where we belong, again personal opinion but hey.lol.
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
No argument on them being an incredible team, but when it comes to saying "the best there's been", I doubt you could quantify that in anyway except being a personal opinion.
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
They may not of been the best h and a team but I think they were definitely the best finals team when it mattered. It hurts saying this but I think we were the best h and a team in 2 of 3 of those years but it counted for squat when we got to finals. Personally I think they would be one of the best teams to ever go around.
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
I got $26 for Joe and a mate got $26 for Cameron.lol.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
Who is Bompettile???
PatrickVS
Roar Rookie
I think there's a bit of a fundamental misunderstanding on how the Brownlow actually works, and it's probably misleading by nature. It's not necessarily about who has the "best" season, but it's essentially who is most influential in the most number of games relative to the others playing in those games. This is a bit of a different problem in and of itself. The reason Neale won was basically because he had no midfield understudy to take votes off him like Libber did to Bont, Rozee to Butters, Viney to Trac, Warner to Goulden etc. the players who took votes off him did it in different ways which were inconsequential to him getting other votes (Charlie, Daniher, Andrews). Neale's game has changed a fair bit this year, he is not a 40-50 disposal magnet anymore, he's essentially an impact stoppage player. This is reflected in the style of the Lions game, they've been extremely high at scoring in transition and from forward half turnover. Neale has lead the team in winning clearance to lock the ball forward and his defensive effort has been massively improved. Noone seemed to give a toss when Wines won it as a defensive style midfield a couple years ago. But largely in the vast majority of Lions games and particularly Lions wins, he is the most influential player, he just doesn't get stats like he used to, or like other players do. And the way the medal works is that his influence relative to other players on his team (because they generally give the 3 to the winning team) get's recognised pretty hard. All that aside, he was robbed last year because of a technicality legal mumbo jumbo jargon thing with Cripps anyway.
tim
Roar Rookie
Or maybe ... the AFL coaches are the same people voting each week. That's could magnify a bias. I am sure there are a lot more umpires who cast votes. And you don't win a Brownlow because of one game. This guy won it by playing well in a lot of games, in a very strong team too. He was judged in March to August be a large and rotating panel of umpires. Probably Daicos would have won without missing the final games. And then no one would be complaining. And yet it's the same umpires casting the same votes. What we have is a player who already won the medal, who played four to five more games than Daicos & Bont. He played about the same number of games as Petracca, but he was 5 votes clear, that's not an one game aberration. The penalty for missing games in the Brownlow is higher then All Australian, so while that's an approximate comparison, it is far from conclusive. Perhaps if we awarded the Brownlow on the best 20 rounds per player ... but that's a different award, and having an advantage by playing more games is not the fault of the umpires.
Kevo
Roar Rookie
We could just award it to the player who accumulates the most stats. The thought of that is bound to get some ultra excited. Think there’d be plenty at the Lions not surprised Neil has won it. He’s a worthy winner and does the hard work, smart and skilful and not flashy. Even though modern umps often don’t know the rules, or make them up on the fly, or just don’t use the rules at all, they did well with most of their calls and in the Brownlow and the favourite Daicos was leading until injured, and all the other guns were right up there. It’s good to have an upset, it’s what makes it interesting.
BillyW
Roar Rookie
There's plenty of awards with votes from different parties.....let the umps keep their brownlow just reduce the hype a touch, never found it any more than just a medal the umps vote on....