One of the most remarkable AFL seasons in memory got the Brownlow count it deserved.
With the final vote read on the night, Patrick Cripps finally claimed the medal he’s been linked to for years – but it’s a surprise he was in that position.
Plus West Coast’s AFL-worst, St Kilda’s remarkable losing feat and the free agent the umpires seem to love in our wrap of the quirky stats from the 2022 Brownlow Medal count.
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THE ODD VOTES THAT WON CRIPPS THE MEDAL
Any Brownlow winner needs the cards to fall in their favour – an extra vote here or there – but in a count as close as this one, Patrick Cripps has a few umpires to thank.
The Carlton superstar was a deserving winner but the crucial votes that kept him in the mix came in Round 20 against Adelaide.
It was a loss that ended up ruining the Blues’ season – the win that went missing, and when they lost their last three games, they missed the eight entirely.
Yet Cripps polled three votes in the 29-point defeat, off the back of 41 disposals and 12 clearances, as he tried valiantly to keep them in the game. Stats Insider gave him a 16% chance of polling three votes.
Ben Keays (21 disposals and three goals, 47% chance of 3 votes) polled two votes while Brodie Smith (37 disposals, 28% chance of 3 votes) polled the one. If either had been ranked above Cripps, the Blue would’ve either tied for or lost the medal.
Cripps can also thank the umpires from Round 14, when he polled two votes in a 15-point loss to Richmond (34 disposals, 10 clangers, 4 clearances).
He was not even in the top five contenders for the three votes – Dion Prestia was best on ground and got the three, but any of Sam Docherty, Sam Walsh, Liam Baker and Jayden Short were expected to poll ahead of Cripps.
Round 8 was also critical as Cripps polled three votes for his 35 disposals and two goals against Adelaide. A great game for sure, but Charlie Curnow had 21 touches and kicked six.
Of course it’s worth pointing out Cripps was arguably robbed of the three votes in Round 1, when he had 30 disposals and kicked three goals, yet only polled one vote.
Swings and roundabouts, we suppose.
CRIPPS’ OTHER IMPRESSIVE FEATS
For years we’ve talked up Patrick Cripps as a Brownlow contender, with one qualifier – “once Carlton is actually good”.
Well, Carlton is kinda good now. They won 12 games and missed the finals on percentage, the best season since Cripps arrived at Princes Park.
And in the end the Blues were good enough to help Cripps win the medal. In the process, he became the eighth man in the AFL era to win a Brownlow without playing finals.
Winning a Brownlow in a team that didn’t play finals (AFL era)
Tony Liberatore, Footscray 1990
Paul Kelly, Sydney 1995
Shane Crawford, Hawthorn 1999
Trent Cotchin, Richmond 2012
Gary Ablett, Gold Coast 2013
Matt Priddis, West Coast 2014
Nat Fyfe, Fremantle 2019
Patrick Cripps, Carlton 2022
WEST COAST THE WORST OF THE AFL ERA?
We’ve seen teams win fewer games, or record a worse percentage, but when it comes to the Brownlow this year’s West Coast was the worst-performing team we’ve seen.
The Eagles collectively polled just 15 votes – equal-12th with Karl Amon – breaking the record for the fewest in the AFL era.
Josh Kennedy won their count with six votes, off the back of two best-on-ground performances in Rounds 15 and 21.
Others polling were Tim Kelly (three votes in Round 16), Jack Darling (two in Round 20), Jeremy McGovern (two in Round 4), Andrew Gaff (one vote in Round 12) and Junior Rioli (one vote in Round 15).
Two teams from 2013, Melbourne (16 votes) and GWS (17 votes) were the previous worst, ahead of two Lions sides on 20 votes – Fitzroy in the year of the merger and Brisbane in 2016.
SAINTS THE BIG WINNERS IN A LOSS?
St Kilda managed to record a 16-year first in the final game of the home and away season.
They were better than expected against Sydney, the eventual Grand Finalist, losing by 14 points.
But they were apparently so much better than expected that they had the best three players on the ground, two of them in their likely last games for the club – Dan Hannebery (3 votes), Ben Long (2) and Jack Steele (1).
It was the first time since 2006, and just the second time since 1995, that a team polled all six votes in a game without winning the game.
Teams polling all 6 votes in a loss (AFL era)
Richmond (vs Essendon, Rd 2 1991)
Hawthorn (vs Adelaide, Rd 12 1992)
North Melb (vs Essendon, Rd 15 1994)
Collingwood (vs West Coast, Rd 2 1995)
Fitzroy (vs Collingwood, Rd 10 1995)
Essendon (vs St Kilda, Rd 15 2006)
St Kilda (vs Sydney, Rd 23 2022)
ARE THE UMPS PLANNING HIS NEXT CONTRACT?
As mentioned above, perhaps the weirdest stat of the night is the fact West Coast collectively polled as many votes as Port Adelaide wingman Karl Amon.
Don’t get us wrong, Amon can be a very good player, and the free agent who’s set to join Hawthorn had some strong performances in the 2022 season.
But Amon finished on 15 votes, primarily off the back of three consecutive best-on-grounds across Rounds 13 to 15, and won Port Adelaide’s count.
He finished ahead of dark horse Connor Rozee (14 votes) and last year’s winner Ollie Wines (13 votes). According to TAB, Amon was $251 to lead the Power count.
Amon received all three Brownlow votes in Rounds 14, 15 and 19 without receiving any coaches votes in any of those games.
In Round 13 (29 disposals, one goal) he polled the three in a loss to Richmond, when Liam Baker was the 66% favourite to poll three per Stats Insider.
In Round 14 (31 disposals) he polled three in a win over Sydney when he wasn’t even in the best five chances for three per Stats Insider (Ollie Wines was 61% likely to poll it with 34 disposals, Connor Rozee the next best chance with 29 disposals and a goal, or there was Todd Marshall who kicked four goals).
In Round 15 (26 disposals) he polled three in a win over Gold Coast when Rozee had 24 disposals and two goals (62% chance of three) and Amon was rated a 4% chance for the three.
