The AFL’s night of nights is upon us, and for many punters it’s their grand final — some in particularly weird ways.
While many of us are simply Brownlow purists who watch for the fun and excitement of the votes being read, others like to be financially invested on the night.
Here’s a look at some of the more bizarre bets placed on the 2022 Brownlow Medal.
Watch every match prior to the AFL grand final Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
MORE BROWNLOW MEDAL COVERAGE
ULTIMATE GUIDE: How to follow live, history, stats and everything else
CLUB-BY-CLUB: Who’ll poll the most votes on your team?
ROUND-BY-ROUND: When the favourites will make their moves
SIX BIG CHANCES: Why and how each of the main contenders can win it
COMPUTER’S PICK: 10,000 simulations to tip the Brownlow as wild scenario looms
WHO SAID IT’S A MIDFIELDER’S AWARD?
The Brownlow historically goes to a midfielder, with Sydney’s Adam Goodes in 2006 the last non-midfielder to claim ‘Charlie’ (although he did play in the ruck).
Before that you have to go back to 1993 when Essendon’s Gavin Wanganeen won it as a back pocket, and prior to that St Kilda’s Tony Lockett tied with John Platten in 1987 in a season where the key forward booted 117 goals.
But that hasn’t stopped punters from having a crack at a non-on-baller taking out this year’s gong.
It includes a Pointsbet stake of $10 on Melbourne’s Steven May to win at $10,000 odds.
Much more realistically, Geelong’s Jeremy Cameron is the best backed forward, where Pointsbet stands to lose $150,000 if he gets up.
Cameron’s teammate and young gun defender Sam De Koning got his own rare tip to be the outright winner, with a Sportsbet tipster putting $2 on him at $1001 odds.
AMPLE LOVE FOR PIES
Collingwood has enjoyed a fairytale run this season, going from 17th all the way to a preliminary final appearance. And tipsters have clearly liked what they’ve seen from the black and white.
Lots of punters believe Nick Daicos can be the first Rising Star/Brownlow winner in the same year after his remarkable rookie campaign, averaging 25.9 disposals per contest. There’s every chance the 19-year old could be the club’s highest vote-getter on the night.
One Pointsbet punter has $750 on Daicos at $150 odds, and there’s plenty of other small nibbles on the father-son star at $500 odds.
A Sportsbet fan has backed in Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury to finish in the top 20, laying down $1000 at $81 odds.
Elsewhere the Magpies have been backed to have the highest team total votes with a $50 stake at $501 odds on Sportsbet.
CHIPS IN FOR FIVE-GAMER
St Kilda rookie Jack Hayes played just five games this season before his year was brutally short by an ACL injury.
However one Sportsbet user has gone chips in on him polling just one singular vote, laying down $3730 at $1.67 odds.
They likely won’t have to wait long to find out the outcome, with Hayes’ big debut against Collingwood in Round 1 where that vote is expected to come from.
He racked up 18 disposals, 10 marks and three goals, although it was in a losing effort. If the Saints big man doesn’t poll there, you sense that punter may tune out of the count early.
OTHER HIGH STAKES
There’s several other big bets that have been laid down that’ll surely have punters feeling nervous.
Among Sportsbet users, one tipster has put down $800 on Dylan Moore receiving the most votes for Hawthorn at $260 odds, while another laid down $3000 on James Sicily in the same bet at $6 odds.
Another punter has lodged $1000 on Tom Lynch polling the most Richmond votes at $7 odds.
Then there’s a couple of bets that’ll have those who placed them potentially regretting their decisions.
A user laid down $500 on Ben Keays to poll the most votes for Adelaide at $2 odds before Rory Laird’s late-season run. Keays odds have since drifted out to $8 odds.
Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli received a $500 bet at $7 odds, which has since blown out to $251 odds.
FIRST EVER FOUR-WAY … NO, FIVE-WAY TIE!?
There’s never even been a four-way tie, but some punters have raised the stakes even further and are predicting a totally unprecedented five-way tie.
A whole 12 individual Sportsbet users are backing the five-way tie at $151 odds.
To be fair, if there was any year to have a crack at such a bet, it’s probably 2022, with no standout favourite but a clear top six ahead of the rest of the pack (Lachie Neale, Clayton Oliver, Patrick Cripps, Andy Brayshaw, Touk Miller and Christian Petracca).
There’s also been 98 per cent of turnover backing the tie against no tie ($4,50 odds v $1.14).
As they say, stranger things have happened.
PARISH ROBBED OF ANZAC MEDAL?
Jack Ginnivan really announced himself in Collingwood’s Anzac Day win over Essendon, booting five goals to receive the game’s best-on-ground award.
Although the majority of punters are backing in Darcy Parish to get the three votes.
Among Sportsbet tipsters, 75 per cent of the turnover in the Round 6 clash predict Parish to collect the maximum votes over Ginnivan.
Parish did collect a career-high 44 possessions on the day, but he did receive some criticism for being ineffective with his disposal.
