2020 Brownlow Medal Predictor

Western Bulldogs 67 v Sydney 39 – SCG

The Bont was the man for the big moment on Thursday night. In an inspired performance, and arguably his best as captain, the gun midfielder carried his side to victory with two crucial goals amongst 19 quality touches to be best afield in a big away win for his club.

GWS 66 v Collingwood 64 – Giants Stadium

A bit of a deja vu in this one with a similar result. Like the prelim, the Giants held on under immense pressure leaving the Pies with plenty of questions to answer. Pendles was the standout for us but we’re hesitant to give him the three votes in a losing game. With 19 touches and three goals, Toby Greene deserves to edge him out but will the Umpires see it that way?

Port Adelaide 89 v West Coast 41 – Metricon Stadium

Port Adelaide have never lost when Charlie Dixon kicks 4 goals or more. He kicked 6.2 and is a moral for the three votes.

St Kilda 93 v Richmond 67 – Marvel Stadium

If you get the 3/2/1 right in this one you’ve done well. In what looks an impossible game to allocate correctly we’re leaning towards Rowan Marshall’s two goal, 15 possession, (10 contested) and 25 hitout game. The acquisition of Paddy Ryder in the off-season surprised many but with his late withdrawal, Marshall relished the opportunity to play ruck one-out and looked the most influential.

Carlton 52 v Essendon 51 – MCG

Sam Docherty could well be the difference between Carlton having a 2-2 record compared to 0-4. Stood up when counted and with 29 of his 32 disposals considered effective, he was the standout in the nail-biting win.

Gold Coast 64 v Fremantle 51 – Metricon Stadium

He’s played just 4 games but Matt Rowell is currently the 4th favourite to win the Brownlow. Let that sink in.

Brisbane 83 v Adelaide 46 – Gabba

Lachie Neale anytime goalscorer backers in a coma. 0.6 is a bad beat. Lachie Neale Brownlow backers however are daring to dream. With another 31 disposal game he’s the leader after 4 rounds.

Geelong 47 v Fremantle 44 – MCG

If this one had a crowd, I wonder how many would have gone home at H/T? We’re getting some stinkers this year and the first half of this one surely takes the cake. To top it off it looks a lottery allocating the votes. With a goal each and 46 touches between them, Danger & Cam Guthrie look the most likely.

Hawthorn 58 v North Melbourne 54 – Marvel Stadium

Chad Wingard has kicked 3+ goals five times since 2017. Three of those have come in the first four rounds of this year. We’ve got him 3rd behind Neale & Rowell. Fair start to the season from the ex-Power star.

Hawthorn 71 v Richmond 39 – MCG

Ahhh to be a Hawks supporter. It’s been an arduous re-build for the once mighty club. One entire week to be precise, but they’ve come out of the slump looking like world-beaters. The unsociable Hawks are back and there’s none more unsociable than James Sicily. Racking up 23 disposals at 87% disposal efficiency with 6 intercepts, the much-maligned defender looked a class above all night and should find himself with a vote in what looks a difficult game to allocate.

Western Bulldogs 57 v GWS 33 – Marvel Stadium

With the obvious drop in revenue streams this year, you bet the AFL are hoping for a GWS v WBD final. The fines they receive from this matchup might just make it a profitable year. Fines aside though, it was a lopsided affair all night against an all too familiar injury-plagued Giants. Jack Macrae (25 disposals, seven tackles) racked them up at will and should poll well in what was a crucial win for the Dogs finals prospects.

Sydney 71 v North Melbourne 60 – Marvel Stadium

The so-called AFL pundits out there had the Kangas as genuine contenders last week. Hearing crickets now. 11 points was flattering to them; outclassed from qtr time onwards. Difficult one to allocate but hard to look past the Swans usual suspects. Josh Kennedy (22 disposals, six clearances), Luke Parker (19 disposals, five clearances) & Isaac Heeney (18 disposals, one goal) should poll the 3/2/1.

Collingwood 81 v St Kilda 37 – MCG

Another hype-team out of Rnd 2 were the mighty Saints. Now somewhere on the ocean floor after going down like a lead balloon. Outclassed all day by a Collingwood team that is rightfully premiership favourite. The Pies look slick and there’s no one slicker than the classy Steele Sidebottom. His 126 Fantasy points would equate to 157.5 under the regular format and is the obvious choice for 3 votes.

Carlton 79 v Geelong 77 – GMHBA

Maybe Clarko was right? The Cats aren’t that good. It’s been 4 years since the Blues kicked nine goals in the first half and they managed to do so at GMHBA with shortened quarters. Work that out! Was great seeing Eddie do his thing ( two goals/ seven score involvements from 12 disposals) but hard to go past Brownlow fav P.Cripps who kicked two crucial goals and collected a team high 24 touches to lead his team to their first win of the season.

Brisbane 74 v West Coast 44 – Gabba

Lachie Neale is on a tear and looks the obvious leader in the count after three rounds. With SC scores of 157, 171 & 164 there’s a chance his collected 9 votes after 3 games.

Gold Coast 82 v Adelaide 29 – Metricon Stadium

Fair play to the Crows. They’ve managed to create the blueprint on how to totally ruin a football club within the space of three years. They’re officially cooked while the Suns are just heating up. Hard not to be excited about their list and especially so, their #1 pick.

Money is coming in thick and fast for him to pull off the unthinkable….. winning the Brownlow. He laid more tackles than the Crouch brothers and Rory Sloane combined whilst kicking two goals and collecting 20 disposals in a 53-point thumping. He’s odds on to collect his 2nd three vote game in only his 3rd AFL game.

Port Adelaide 70 v Fremantle 41 – Metricon Stadium

Once again… where do you fit Nat Fyfe? 23 disposals (17 contested), 6 score involvements, 1 goal and a game high 166 SC points has him polling, it’s just a matter of where? We’ve landed on two.

Collingwood 36 v Richmond 36 – MCG

Footy…is…back! Not the greatest of spectacles to get us started but when the alternative is Escape to the Chateau, give us a lacklustre draw any day. In what seems a fitting result in this unique, COVID-impacted season, the Pies somehow held on for a draw despite not kicking a goal for 67 consecutive minutes. Without a lean to a winning side, it was Pendles’ game high 31 disposals and insanely smooth moving that was the standout game for us.

Geelong 108 v Hawthorn 34 – GMHBA

A 3 month hiatus rolling into shortened quarters may just be a blessing in disguise for the ageing Cats. With a combined 49 disposals and 3 goals, Joel Selwood and Gary Ablett looked sharp all day, relishing the 16 minute quarters under the new format. With home games to be played predominantly at GMHBA Stadium as well, the Cats become an interesting prospect for futures bets.

Brisbane 81 v Fremantle 69 – Gabba

Warning. Nat Fyfe once again put his team on his shoulders, kicking 3 goals and collecting 24 disposals in a losing game. Allocate votes with caution.

Carlton 53 v Melbourne 54 – Marvel Stadium

Titus O’Reily said it best, ‘Both these teams wanted to celebrate the return of football in their traditional way, torturing their fans.’ And that they did. The Dees hung on in not so convincing fashion with the ever-improving Petracca playing a pivotal role in what would have been a massive sweat for their long suffering fans.

Gold Coast 90 v West Coast 46 – Metricon Stadium

Has there been a better 2nd game of AFL football than Matt Rowell’s? 26 disposals, 14 contested possessions, 11 ground balls, 7 tackles, 2 goals and 171 SC points is a 3 vote game any day of the week.

Port Adelaide 110 v Adelaide 35 – Adelaide Oval

Early days but 2020 is already looking grim for Adelaide. For Port Adelaide however, we continue to see the form that’s had them sitting on top of the ladder for 3 months. An exciting brand of football with none more exciting than Connor Rozee. The young gun may just pip the Showdown medallist Travis Boak with his eye-catching 8 clearances/ 17 disposal game.

GWS 60 v North Melbourne 80 – Giants Stadium

Yeah, Kangaroos winning was impressive but has anyone ever seen a player shake a Matt De Boer tag like Shaun Higgins? The star midfielder amassed an impressive 28 disposals, six clearances against the games best tagger to be the most influential player in what was a stunning win for the Kangas.

Sydney 73 v Essendon 79 – SCG

How many beers were had with the Kangas on the flight back? The Dons hung on to record their first win at the SCG for 11 years thanks to another Zach Merrett masterclass that proved the difference. With 29 disposals and a goal, the classy midfielder should land the 3 votes whenever that vote count may be.

St Kilda 88 v Western Bulldogs 49 – Marvel Stadium

Too early for panic stations? One of the pre-season hype teams sits dead last with a combined losing deficit of 91 points. The Dogs are without a bite in a season where you’re allowed little margin for error.

They need a win bad, while the Saints should be extending the contract’s of their recruitment department if Sunday’s game is anything to go by. All of a sudden they had speed to burn and there was no quicker than ex-Swan Zac Jones. The speedster impressed with 29 disposals and a goal and looked best on ground all day.

Richmond 105 v Carlton 81 – MCG

For the traditionalists out there, the season opened as it should have. Carlton were sacrificed and supporters were seen walking away at halftime; albeit out of their own loungerooms. Cripps and Dusty will poll votes and the Tigers made it look easy. Standard season opener.

Collingwood 86 v Western Bulldogs 34 – Marvel Stadium

One week in and the Bulldogs hype-train has lost most of its passengers. Brodie Grundy manhandled Tim English the entire night to be best on ground with 37 hitouts, one goal, and 19 disposals, reminding us that the Pies will be a force once again.

Essendon 63 v Fremantle 57 – Marvel Stadium

Essendon fans rejoice! September football beckons. Every club, of course, is in the same boat, but regardless, the lid’s off. Dylan Shiel amassed an impressive 35 disposals in the new shortened format in what was a clear best on ground display.

Gold Coast 29 v Port Adelaide 76 – Metricon Stadium

One for the purists. Without Travis Boak and a few support acts there wasn’t a lot of content we could use from this one. 25 Disposals (76% Disposal efficiency), 7 Clearances, 6 Score Involvements and 425 Metres Gained looks enough for the ex-Port skipper to poll the 3.

Adelaide 71 v Sydney 74 – Adelaide Oval

New coach, same problems. Despite a last-minute shot to win it, the Crows looked flat and without any run. Outplayed from quarter time onwards, the Isaac Heeney-led Swans were a class above with the smooth moving forward kicking four goals and amassing a massive 152 SC points from just 16 touches.

GWS 105 v Geelong 73 – Spotless Stadium

Always depleted, GWS continue to prove they have the depth to plug the holes. If any team is going to benefit from this brief hiatus from matchplay, it’s the team from NSW. Harry Perryman and Toby Greene kicked 8 between them in what was a comfortable round 1 win, but add a Taranto and Callan Ward to this side and the future looks bright.

North Melbourne 56 v St Kilda 54 – Marvel Stadium

Even in these bizarre times, some things will never change. St Kilda blowing a match-winning lead is one of them. A 31 point lead against an injury-depleted Kangaroos wasn’t enough against the courageous shinboners; and there was no more courageous than Ben Cunnington. Carrying the midfield on his back, the underrated Cunnington collected 25 Disposals, 4 Marks, 7 Tackles & 2 Goals in a match-winning performance.

Hawthorn 90 v Brisbane 62 – MCG

Chad Wingard carried his late 2019 season form into the new campaign. Picking up from where he left off last year, the classy forward looked fit and ready for a season with more midfield time. Hawks fans will be hoping that his 20 disposals and 3 goals is just a small snapshot of what he’ll deliver on a consistent basis when play resumes.

West Coast 78 v Melbourne 51 – Optus Stadium

The noise of affirmation wasn’t required. West Coast are just a better side than the Dees who looked no different to their 17th-placed 2019 team. Despite a gallant display by Jack Viney (34 disposals/ 1 goal), the game was won in the midfield for the Eagles. Andrew Gaff (30 possessions), and Luke Shuey (27 and five clearances) looked standouts in what was the last game we’ll see for quite some time. Dark days.