AFL 2009 GRAND FINAL WEEK - THE BROWNLOW MEDAL
by The Stinger on Sep.22, 2009, under Australian, Football
One of the traditions of Grand Final week is the presentation night for the Brownlow Medal, given to the player adjudged the best player for the year by the umpires. After every match the umpires for that game give votes on a 3-2-1 basis for the best 3 players on the ground that day.
The count itself is boring no matter what channel seven or whoever is broadcasting it tries to do, but at least we get to find out who wins the medal. This year was supposed to be Geelong superstar Gary Ablett’s year, but then again so were the last two.
Third times a charm though as Ablett was able to hold on after racing to the top of the leaderboard after the first 10 rounds and then gaining enough votes along the rest of the way to hold off the fast finishing Chris Judd and the early contender, St Kilda’s Lenny Hayes.
Ablett finished on 30 votes, 8 votes ahead of his nearest rival, former winner Chris Judd. Lenny Hayes finished on 20 votes. This is the start to a great week that builds up to the last saturday in September that will decide the premiers of the AFL for 2009, St Kilda or Geelong.