Brownlow Blog 2011

The buzz over Chris Judd threatens to dwarf the Dane Swan hype of last year.

The dream scenario for many is the two double Medalists sharing a 3rd.

But Brownlow history suggests you should never count your chickens.

If your invite to the big night is still in the mail, join us from 7.30 as our fashion correspondent Danni Eid appraises the ‘blue carpet’ offerings, followed by the usual mix of wishful theorising, cod philosophy and just-plain-making-it up that you’ve come to expect from the Knackery.

Comments

  1. Andrew Fithall says

    If Chris Judd wins tonight, as I expect him to, he will be a deserving dual Brownlow medallist

    Hi JB. Just thought I would get that one in early.

  2. Would have expected nothing less AF. :)

  3. Watson will get out of the blocks quickly.

    Swan and Goodes will charge home.

    Mitchell* will go close as will Pendlebury. Thomas should poll well.

    The vote tallies for Judd and Murphy will be interesting.

    Kelly or Stevie J will poll the most votes for Geelong.

    My prediction:

    Triple Bronlow medallist Chris Judd and triple Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes.

  4. Triple Brownlow medallist Chris Judd

  5. Make up your mind PF. I think you were right the first time. All the way from Watson out of the blocks early right down to the Double Triple call. You’ve got to learn to trust the Maths Pete.

  6. G’day Wrap,

    I was correcting a silly typo.

    My prediction is:

    Triple Brownlow medallist Chris Judd and triple Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes

  7. Hi all,

    I find myself a fan of the G Whateley “Judd correction” theory.

    Accordingly, I’m (financially and emotionally) into M Murphy and S Pendles tonight.

    Good luck to all having a couple of sheckles on the victor.

    CD

  8. I’ve been subscribing to the Judd-over-correction theory for some time now – my personal view is that during games, the umpires have not been nearly as Judd-friendly as they have in the past. We’ll get an early indicator in Round 1 where by all rights Judd should poll 2 or 3 votes.

  9. Litza, I suspect you’re right.

    Those who’ve been screaming about him being favoured by the umps this year can’t have watched too many Carlton games.

    All the Collingwood whining may have had an effect.

  10. Just plonked $50 on Swanny at 10/1. Fingers crossed. Go Pies!

  11. Okay JB you asked for it and I am on the ball already!
    So lovely ladies and gents, here’s the early fashion scoop!

    Bartel’s partner Nadia and Maxwell’s wife Erin will both be sporting Simonelli tonight. Keep an eye out for Nadia’s Gucci watch!

    Ablett’s lady Lauren has decided to stick with the same designer that dressed her last year, so shall be wearing Nicola Finetti again. But there’s a twist! Lauren flew up to Sydney to finalise her dress and promises that the dress “is very different to anything I’ve worn before” – hmmm…could this be the showstopper dress of the night?!

    Cotchin’s Girlfriend Brooke also flew to Sydney just to pick up her Bill Keato gown.

    Mundy’s fiancé Sally is said to be wearing a classic vintage dark-charcoal Lisa Ho gown…by the sounds of it this could be very beautiful or it could go very badly.

    Soho will be the most popular for the lads as tux choice, with Deledio, Cotchin and Swan all opting for Soho suits.

    I’m predicting that colour wise Black will be popular but I’m still hoping to see a few bright silks and lots of beading bling!
    I’m especially hoping Mrs Judd doesn’t play it safe. she’s pulled the corset bodice, fishtail gown two years in a row now so she needs to get more creative.

    One of my Blue Carpet Favourites is Alex the girlfriend of Scott Pendlebury, she never seems to disappoint so I’m hoping that will continue tonight.
    Another lady Magpie I was very pleased with last year was Taylor (Dane Swan) she looks to have gone lighter with the hair colour, more to the blonde side and it’s also been cut shorter so it will be interesting to see what she does with it. On before the game it was said Taylor is going to wear a ‘black and nude dress’ to which Dane Swan replied, “awesome” LOL here’s hoping the dress looks awesome.

    Oh and Also hoping Kane Cornes’ wife Lucy can make up for last years’ Josh Goot shocker.

  12. It doesn’t matter how well attired Erin is as it’s impossible to look good in anything when you’re accessorized by Nick Maxwell.

    And regardless of how well any Collingwood partner is dressed, they’ve still got a long way to go to make up for the disaster that was Tania Buckley’s sequin-encrusted g-string.

  13. Litza, are u serious!? Nick Maxwell is actually pretty cute!
    Tania has been far more conservative since that incident.

  14. btw it’ll be a goodes/pendlebury tie tonight! :)

  15. I’m just glad that I am not a gambling man. At the start of the season I picked Aaron Sandilands. I would have put money on the big bloke because he was the best and most noticable ruckman in the competition and would have had relatively few team mates pulling votes from him. However you don’t win anything if you spend half the season injured.

    I don’t expect any Magpie to win even though I consider Pendlebury to be close to the best midfielder in the AFL. Too many Collingwood players will take votes from each other. This will probably also be true for Geelong and Hawthorn. I hope the correction factor applies to Judd since he should not have won last year. I suspect that leaves Goodes as the player most likely to go home with Charlie and I would regard that as a fair outcome.

  16. Dead serious…

    Erin’s outfit will need to be spot on, as given her partner’s unlikely to poll a single vote, it’s fair to say the only shot we’ll see of Nick Maxwell is on the the way in (don’t start me on the ‘blue carpet’!).

  17. -.-

  18. I guess Maxwell is recognised as one of the best ‘spoilers’ in the game, but spoiling his wife’s ‘look’ is taking it to another level!

    By the way, there’s an issue with eligibility for the Brownlow nowadays because you can be reported and suspended now for ACCIDENTALLY causing injury through INCIDENTAL contact. How can a player be ineligible for the Best and Fairest award if he is suspended for something which has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO with how fair that player is?

  19. Pete has a good point.
    i think its wrong that Sam Mitchell is ineligible :(

  20. sneak peak at Lauren Phillips’ heels for tonight! GORGEOUS!! i want those!! :)
    A
    http://yfrog.com/mmamwyij

  21. Danni, so you reckon the go is “Deledio and co to be beaux in Soho looking swish-o?” No?

  22. gigs….um well that’s what the early word is! I’m sure the lads will look dashing <3

  23. Fresh news!
    Alex Davis and Pendlebury will we dressed by Versace tonight!! NOW THAT is EXCITING! :)

  24. J Kelly will win in a boil over.

    Litza – agree re Maxwell. He’d make Elephant Man look terrible.

    I hate the whole obsession with dresses thing. It cheapens the whole night. Makes it look like a tart-fest on the Gold Coast.

  25. ahhhhhhhhhhh that is, Maxwell would make Elephant man look good.

  26. BROWNLOW GIGA BITE: Bobby Skilton won his first Brownlow in 1959, his second four years later in ’63 and his third five years after that in 1968. Clearly, had he not retired at the end of 1971, he would have gone on to snare a 4th Brownlow in 1974.

  27. Sorry Dips but you will have to put up with my fashion yapping just for tonight! Plus these wags have spent months looking for dresses and all week at hairsalons and spas, they deserve a little bit of recognition :)

  28. Oh and stop bagin’ on my amazing captain! *fist shake* -.-

  29. Ooooh! Just seen a sneak peak at gowns. Mrs swallow is a lady in red, mrs maxwell has gone with beaded bling- nice shoulder detail on mrs judds dress didnt see much of it yet but shes gone for a safe bland colour :(

  30. GIGA BITE: Bad news for Danni and those who backed Scott Pendlebury. No player whose surname has B as the 7th letter has ever won a Brownlow.

  31. Well Gigs that is about to change!!! #wooooop

  32. COULD AN “AN” WIN IT?

    Better news for Paul Chapman and Jared Brennan (and even Dane Swan). There have been previous winners whose surname ended in “-an”.

    Superboot Bernie Quinlan won in 1981, the Pies’s Marcus Whelan took Charlie home in 1939 and Dinny Ryan of Fitzroy did the same three years earlier.

  33. Danni

    You’ve been doing your homework I see. As has Gigs.

    Dips, you say’tart fest on he GC’ like it’s a bad thing.

  34. SHOULD WE BACK “IN” IN?

    There’s hope for Richmond’s Cotchin and Martin too. Shane Woewodin won the medal in 2000. Not quite suure what he did after that, though…

  35. IS “EN” ENTICING?

    Jack Redden will be pleased to know that there have been several -EN winners. Gavin Wanganeen in 1993, Johnny Platten in 1986, Alan Ruthven in 1950 and Col Austen in 1949 have all had their names EN-graved on the back of a medal.

  36. All you Collingwood knockers (perish the thought).

    Just remember Nick Maxwellis a man of the UTMOST INTEGRITY.

    Show some respect.

  37. OR SHOULD WE GET ON “ON”?

    By all means get on Scott Thompson or Jobe Watson or Stevie J etc. The Brownlow winners’ club is littered with “ON”s.

    Len Thompson in ’72, Brian Wilson ten years later, Bobby Skilton a casual three Brownlows, they’re just a few of the ONs to have won the medal.

  38. Omg oh my god alex davis in the navy blue versace- stunning, classy beautiful! I love it.

  39. Ohhh nooo!
    Mrs judd, the “dont know if im yellow or green” colour. I dont like it and the ruffle flowing down?? Sorry rebecca, me no likey.

  40. UN-BELIEVABLE

    And yes, even an “UN” has won. Although we have to cheat a bit and go to first names. Verdun Howell of St Kilda shared the Brownlow with Bobby in 1959.

    That’s great news for those who backed Shaun Hampson to win the medal. Enjoy it, ‘cos it’s probably the last good news you’ll get.

  41. See, the night’s turning on the Judds already.

  42. Hey Gigs, an “M” as in McKernan has won it but been ineligible. Could Mitchell join the club?

  43. @Dips, I thought you got it wrong with the Elephant Man remark, but after thinking about it, realised that you actually got it right. But then I saw you correct yourself, so either way, you are right, though I think your first observation was more correct.

  44. Ratts could have at least pinned his ears back for the evening.

  45. If anyone saw Daff’s piece on AFL.com today, you’ll be barracking for these gents to break their Brownlow duck.

    Josh Kennedy (SYD)
    Ben Hudson
    Will Minson
    Callan Ward
    Jack Watts
    Ben Reid
    Zac Dawson
    Jason Blake
    Chris Yarran
    Mitch Duncan

  46. What’s with the rotisserie they’re spinning on?

  47. Top layer of fabric ruined it for me on missus dalsanto.
    The cloke couple looking very cute tonight, would have liked to see bethany in a pink.
    Cotchin brooke very pretty in the powder blue.

  48. Jason Blake – 199 games and not one vote.

  49. Most games played without a vote?

  50. Ohhhhhmygoddd taylor wilson!!! (missus dane swan) STUNNING

  51. Danni

    I’m awaiting your description of Brynne. :)

  52. And Geoffrey for that matter.

  53. I like bynne’s dress! Its flowy i like the gold trimming, id just have the bodice a bit more conservative if i was to wear it. Swanny and pendles and bartel’s ladies have stolen the night.

  54. I was taken by the Dr’s bejewelled collar.

  55. Very Liberace.

    Doc used to have pianos in his clinics too.

  56. I dont think i was the only one who let out a “ahhh.. nooooooooo!” :( at ablett’s lauren phillips.
    Lmfao travis cloke on the platform with the sequined footy!!!

  57. Has Swan’s partner got matching tats?

  58. CHANCES ARE LOW

    And speaking of (apparently) gorgeous blokes in suits, it would appear that Andrew SwalLOW has no chance of winning a BrownLOW tonight because

    (a) No player ending with a suname in W ever has and
    (b) I’m tipping him to win it.

  59. Andrew Fithall says

    Phantom. Does that last comment need another “T” or a change of vowell?

  60. I have seen the Brownlow Medal winner….

    and her name is Alex Davis.

  61. Lol phantom!
    Alex, Nadia, Taylor, Lauren (gibbs) are my top 4. Gorgeous!!

  62. Andrew Fithall says

    When Alex Davis came on screen, a few in my family (but not me) said” I’ve seen her in tracky dacks.” And Bill commented that he had served both Pendles and Alex in Safeway several times.

  63. I must have missed something.

    What has Newk got to do with footy?

    Is it a subtle Channel 7 cross promotion?

  64. Andrew Fithall says

    Pendles – 3 votes unexpected in Rd 1

  65. Murphy off to a flier.

    How Walker didn’t win mark of the year is beyond me.

  66. How did Walker not win Mark of the Year?

    Even on the weight of the number of replays in that montage, he was a clear winner.

    I order an independent inquiry.

  67. JB
    I agree…..a travesty.
    It was almost the mark of ANY year.

  68. “C Judd – GAWN.”

  69. Andrew she has what is called natural beauty, even in trackies she’ll look stunning!

  70. Andrew Fithall says

    Thought I would share some Twitter humour. The carousel for the blue carpet was dubbed the WAG on wheel.

  71. Could be Pendlebury’s night.

    No way was he a 2 voter in rd 3.

  72. AF
    Love it….
    The wagon wheel goes round and round…doo dah, doo dah..

  73. This is why betting on this is a mug’s game. I’ve been burnt before (a few times).

    Who will poll the most votes for Port Adelaide?

  74. Pendlebury will win this.

  75. So that is R.Finch?

    F.Harley gets votes ahead of her.

  76. G’day Smoke,

    He’ll be right up there.

    Swan or Goodes at 8:41pm.

  77. Ahhh nathan brown <3 sittin next to trav cloke :)
    comeeee on pendles!!!!!!! :D

  78. Pendles looking good.

    He and Swan can raffle it between them.

    Hopefully for JTH and other Cats fans, it will disrupt their preparations and they will both have stinkers on Saturday.

  79. Dear shaken, -.- sincerly danni eid

  80. Neck tattoos don’t really match a tuxedo.

    Probably needed a cravatte.

  81. Chris Yarran breaks his duck.

  82. Chris Scott looks tense.

  83. How to ruin ur wedding photos- get a neck tatt

  84. Shaken, does Matt Preston have neck tatts?

  85. @Shaken – Maybe a tattsedo?

  86. Sewell is the winner tonight! Did any Hawks besides Hodgey bring a date? Are they starting Mad Monday at the Brownlow?

    Cheers

  87. Will Minson breaks his duck.

  88. Andrew swallow eeeeeepppp!!!! :)

  89. Mr Franklin you star, 4 BOGs and counting!

  90. Early count:

    Gambling ads 2 leading Ant-Gambling ads 1

  91. I love jonathan brown! :) haha

  92. @John Butler, I like your theory.

    Matt Preston has some fully sick neck stickers.

    I’m running with it!

  93. McCartney was watching the VFL grand final yesterday, red pen and Bulldogs list in hand.
    B Stack…gawn…N Djekerra…gawn…J Roughhead…gawn…plenty of others…gawn…
    Minson played well, but may be trade bait…

  94. Up in the country we’re stuck with Prime TV.

    Tony Shaw and Nathan Thompson adds ‘talking talent’.

    And adds for fertiliser and sheds.

  95. Shaken, I hope they show the ad for Foxtel where Magda gets excited about ad free footy. An ad praising an ad free world!

  96. @Rick Kane, don’t get me started on that one!

  97. Franklin’s year doesn’t go downhill from here …

  98. Pendles hits front from buddy

  99. I agree Shaken, talk about a snake eating it’s own tail.

  100. Whats with all these wag-less footy players?!!! Me and susie were free tonight ya know! :(

  101. Dream the dream Danni. :)

  102. Dipper has a head like a jack-o-lantern

  103. Lol jb i dont think i could behave myself! Andy d- “J. Blair one vote” me- “ONE VOTE?! Well fudge you sire!!” :D

  104. Will goodesy get home with a wet sail rnd 12 starting

  105. Callum Ward breaks his duck with a 3

    Not that Gigs cares. :(

  106. Hey bulmans on tv!!! :p

  107. RK

    It’s a shame the Hawks are such a bunch of thugs. :)

  108. JB our lads didn’t have any cheap shots thats what thugs do

  109. Jokes aside, Sam Mitchell picked a bad year to get rubbed out.

  110. Sure JB, there’s a fine line between tough and thug. Ask Selwood. But it’s pretty hard to be tough in light blue jumpers:)

  111. Can’t argue with that RK.

    M&M’s just aren’t scary/

  112. Goal of the year was wrong too.

    Bartel and Dangerfield were both better than Ballantyne.

  113. matthew boyd into top 5

  114. Travis cloke be prepared to dodge an oncoming breadroll comming from the prez’s table if u steal any more votes!

  115. I wuld almost like to dream that a Pie Brownlow is possible but I still think that Swan, Pendles, Daisy and Trav are taking votes from each – winner may turn out to be Priddis -and no-one this side of the Nullarbor saw that coming.

  116. wuld is spelt would and they are taking votes from each other – apparantly I can’t type and watch TV at the same time.

  117. Omfg!!! Carlton vs collingwood cjudd 3votes..,. Arghhhhh!!!!!!!!!

  118. A grand-stand finish is in the offing….

  119. Pendles still in the frame.

  120. Karmichael…yet to poll ????

  121. I have no idea who is going to win now, but all set up for a pretty intense finish.

    Pity, it will mean we will all have to endure AndyD’s attempt at reality TV with his suspense-building pauses.

  122. As is Swan – do I dare to dream?

  123. I still reckon Swan.

    How does Dal Santo finish? With R Lyon in charge, I didn’t watch St Kilda play.

  124. Q&A is pretty interesting tonight. Watching a lot of it during the ads and filler.

  125. I’m tipping no Melbourne votes in rd 19.

  126. Go Sammy!

  127. Everytime the camera goes to Swan and partner I can’t concentrate.

  128. Swan for mine.

    Which is probably the kiss of death.

  129. D Swan is a most deserving winner.

    Great player.

  130. Almost there Swannie. I feel sorry for Sam Mitchell. In a lot of ways it would be better if they didn’t announce the votes of inelligible players.

  131. This year I finally got over the tatts and his team and embraced Swan as the classy player he is.

    Putting him in my Supercoach team helped.

    Looking forward to his speech (or more like an interview). Guaranteed to be entertaining!

  132. Why can’t they say that Swan is the winner ?

  133. They just did Smokie.

    Hard to argue with any of the top vote getters. All had great seasons.

  134. Just like the Grammys?

    If they miss you when you should win, they catch you up later.

    AF, happy now? :)

  135. Fantastic player…wish he was at North….

  136. Swannnnnnnnnnnyyyyy!!!!! :) ;) ;)

  137. Swan, on last Friday night’s game: “We didn’t deserve to win but somehow we found a way”. Very humble and sincere. Seems like a nice guy. And a well deserved winner.

    Cheers

  138. There was a wardrobe malfunction, but not on the person everyone hoped for. Look at his jacket. Hasn’t buttoned it up straight.

  139. Well done Mr Swan. Good speech.

    Danni, Gigs, loved your work.

    Cheers all.

  140. Swanny, How we love you, How We Love You Our Dear Old Swannie (with sincer apologies to George Gershwin and Irving Ceaser.

    Glad I was wrong about shared votes.

  141. Andrew Fithall says

    JB – Look very closely again at the medal presentation. I think I just saw Judd put the 2010 Brownlow around Swan’s neck and keep the 2011 one.

    A surprise win. But I think Swan just surprised many more people with his acceptance interview and speech. I think his sister will punch him.

  142. Looks like Dane’s won.

  143. forwardpocket says

    Congratulations Swanny. One more thing left to win this year Pies.

  144. No worries JB, it was a pleasure :)
    Anything for the Almanac family!

    woooooooooooo swanny baby!!! :)
    #justalittlereallyhappy

  145. Andrew Swallow looked damn fine.

  146. ^ i agree

  147. watt price tully says

    Thank you for making me smile. Now for the last leg of the quinella:

    1. NAB Cup;
    2. Minor premiers – Jim McLelland trophy;
    3. Brownlow; and,
    4. Will the good Lord smile upon us at Collingwood & deliver us a premiership from the heathen Western district hordes, the sons of Graziers to a rightful place at the Wespac on Yarra?

    As the Lord, indeed the god of your choice says:

    Go Pies!

  148. Sounds a bit like the Cats in their 150th celebration year relic of a grand final failure (WPT)

    With the Battle of Brittain in mind;

    Never in the field of Australian football has so much been owed by so many to so few (old geriatrics).

    Go Cats

  149. watt price tully says

    oops I wrote quinella intending of course the quadrella!!

    We can hope , we can dream. Phantom.

    Geelong have to be overwhelming favourites but in a two horse race you never know!

    In the words of William Shaksepeare:

    Out out, damn cat!

  150. Cheers,

    have a relaxed week. I have already broken out in a rash.

  151. Well done to those who’ve picked up on the lag/over-correction effect.

    There’s mounting evidence to say that it exists.

    The joke of the 2011 season is the lazy voting seen in the AFL Player’s Award voting. Judd wins by nearly a thousand votes!

    I think the lag/over-correction factor will be seen in this award in 2012.

  152. Well, a trivia Q for the curious. Who were the last father son combination to claim the Liston-Brownlow double. Great seeing Dane Swan win the Brownlow the day after the Burras claimed the flag !

  153. Glen – Quick browse at past Liston Trophy/Recorder Cup winners suggests it’s the first time.

    MCR

  154. Andrew Fithall says

    On the subject of father-son combinations, there is the potential for an interesting situation at the end of next year. There is a player in Year 11 at St Kevin’s who played all season in the firsts, who is the son of a Brownlow medallist. The player doesn’t share his father’s surname given he was the result of an extra-marital liaison. He wasn’t a stand-out player this year but certainly held his place in the premier team. I am not sure if he will be AFL level, but I am sure he will get some consideration by his father’s former club. I assume the rules would allow.

    This information is in the public domain and is not rumour. I just don’t feel comfortable naming names on-line.

  155. There is already an AFL precedent for this. Melbourne claimed Brent Crosswell’s son Tom Kavanaugh as a father/son. I’m s.ure that Brent was never married to Tom’s Mum

  156. Congratulations Swanny!!! And those 34 votes – Andrew must have found the envelopes he missed counting last year.

    And good early call Phil. Your shout.

  157. In the week that REM turned off the lights, we can sing:
    “SWAN, SWAN, HUMMINGBIRD
    Hurrah, we are all free now”.

    Now for the big one.

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