The 2025 Brownlow Medal has been claimed by Gold Coast’s Matt Rowell – and similar to another yr, the AFL’s most prestigious award has led to controversy aplenty.
Rowell received footy’s prime gong with a staggering 39 votes – the second-most each recorded in a season with just one set of votes per match, simply behind Patrick Cripps’ mega 45-vote tally in 2024.
The 24-year outdated broke a VFL/AFL file by polling a most three votes in every of the Suns’ first 4 video games and by no means seemed again.
Nevertheless, it’s the third of these video games which sparked heavy criticism, with Rowell adjudged greatest afield for the Suns’ thrilling Spherical 4 win over Adelaide regardless of simply 17 disposals – and crucially, not awarded a single vote within the AFL Coaches Affiliation Award, which sees each taking part coaches award votes on a 5-4-3-2-1 foundation after each match.
Crow Riley Thilthorpe, who acquired the utmost ten coaches votes, didn’t ballot, and nor did star Adelaide midfielder Jordan Dawson, whereas Suns teammate Noah Anderson acquired only one Brownlow vote for his 24 disposals.
Remarkably, it was certainly one of three video games within the first 9 rounds the place Rowell claimed three Brownlow votes with no single coaches vote, whereas he would end the night time with 11 votes from matches the place he acquired no love from the coaches.
Debate rapidly erupted on social media, with footy followers questioning Rowell’s extraordinary polling efficiency – with consideration and criticism rapidly directed, as it’s yearly, in direction of the umpires and the much-maligned system which sees them resolve the sport’s most prestigious award.
The Solar’s shock efficiency was maybe summed up by Channel 7 presenter Hamish McLachlan, throughout a mid-count interview with pre-Brownlow favorite Nick Daicos, immediately asking how Rowell had change into an umpires’ pet.
“Do you reckon Matt brings items to the umpires pre-game?” McLachlan requested.
“I’m not going to remark,” Daicos laughed.
Nevertheless, Rowell’s win was simply the second-biggest shock of the night time, with the best shock by far coming within the voting for Spherical 20’s thrilling St Kilda-Melbourne match, regarded by many as the most effective recreation of the yr.
It’s a match that has change into often known as the Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera recreation, after the Saints famous person dazzled with 34 disposals and 4 targets – two of them coming within the remaining 30 seconds, together with one after the siren, to finish a historic comeback after the Saints overcame a 46-point deficit at three-quarter time to win by six factors.
It was maybe essentially the most iconic efficiency of the season – and the Crown Palladium room erupted when AFL CEO Andrew Dillon learn out the votes.
“Melbourne: C. Petracca, one vote. St Kilda: N. Wanganeen-Milera, two votes. Melbourne: J. Viney, three votes,” Dillon learn, as chaos ensued.
Saints captain Jack Steele, sitting subsequent to Wanganeen-Milera, stared open-mouthed earlier than masking his face in shock, whereas Demons gamers had been, if something, much more stunned.
Dees captain Max Gawn started laughing on the Melbourne desk, whereas Christian Petracca had each palms behind his head.
Three-vote-winner Jack Viney’s 23-disposal, one-goal match wasn’t a patch on Wanganeen-Milera’s statistically, although he did end second to the Saints famous person for AFL Fantasy factors for the match courtesy of a whopping 16 tackles.
Naturally, social media erupted within the wake of the beautiful reveal, with GWS’ social media group describing it as ‘loopy work’, whereas St Kilda’s personal X account merely posted: “Excuse me”.
Nevertheless, the funniest response of the night time got here from Melbourne’s social media group, who amusingly poked enjoyable on the heartbreaking consequence whereas celebrating Viney’s three votes.
“Nice recollections of that point we beat the Saints and undoubtedly nothing unhealthy occurred and all of us went dwelling blissful,” they wrote.
