Swan tipped for Brownlow-premier double
Collingwood midfielder Dane Swan is favoured to become the fifth AFL player in a decade to complete the Brownlow Medal-premiership double.
With the player and club short-priced favourites this week, it highlights the increased link between team success and individual glory.
In the 1990s, only two winners of the AFL's highest individual honour - Essendon's Gavin Wanganeen in 1993 and St Kilda's Robert Harvey in 1997 - played in grand finals five days later.
But of the 12 winners since, including a three-way tie in 2003, eight have played in the premiership decider.
Reigning Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett and Geelong teammate Jimmy Bartel followed their wins with flags in 2009 and 2007 respectively, following a trend set by Brisbane's Jason Akermanis (2001) and Simon Black (2002).
For his part, Swan said he was only focussed on the second part of that double.
"I don't care if I don't get a vote, as long as we win next week," the Magpies ball-magnet said of Saturday's grand final against St Kilda.
His coach Mick Malthouse said he had little clue as to how Swan's season would be judged by the umpires.
"It's an umpires award, it should always stay an umpires award, they see things differently on the ground," Malthouse said.
"There hasn't been a bad, not in my book anyway, there hasn't been a bad Brownlow Medallist ever won one.
"There's probably a lot of players that should win one that haven't won one, that's just the way it is.
"Of course we at Collingwood all hope that Swanny's numbers are higher than anyone else's and he wins it, he's had a terrific year.
"But there's been other players in the club that have played some important games for us as well."
Collingwood's success is a huge factor in Swan's favour, given only two of the past 12 winners have come from clubs outside the top four.
He is helped by having played every game this year, rarely stooping below 30 disposals, and the fact that the Brownlow has become almost exclusively a midfielder's award.
One factor against him is the potential for fellow star teammates, such as Scott Pendlebury, Alan Didak and Dale Thomas, to deprive Swan of votes, but that did not stop Ablett and Bartel from big victories.
Hawthorn's Luke Hodge and Carlton's Chris Judd are two who might benefit in that regard, but they would have to defy recent history, as no club with fewer than 13 home and away wins has provided a medallist since Hawk Shane Crawford in 1999.
Post a comment about this article
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Becoming a member is free and easy, sign up here.