Dusty’s Brownlow only a question of by how far
THE AFL’s Brownlow Medal is done-and-Dusty.
The question is no longer whether Richmond star Dustin Martin can win his first Brownlow tonight.
Now it’s whether he can make AFL history this week, twice over.
First, Martin is a big chance to break Patrick Dangerfield’s record of 35 Brownlow votes, set last season.
Then, on Saturday, Martin will be one of the favourites to be voted best afield in the grand final.
No player has won the Brownlow and the Norm Smith Medal in the same season. Asked if there is any chance of an upset result on Monday night, 1978 Brownlow Medallist Malcolm Blight flatly replied “no”.
Blight, now a Gold Coast board member, said he still watched most games.
“I suppose I’ve watched him play 15 or 16 times – I reckon he (Martin) would get votes in 12,” Blight said.
“I get a feeling he might break the (votes) record.”
Fellow AFL legend Leigh Matthews suspects no player has had as good a season as Martin.
Setting aside months of speculation about his future, Martin has run rampant with his famous “don’t argues” and ball-gathering brilliance for a career-best year.
He convincingly won the AFL players association most valuable player award – the Leigh Matthews trophy – and the AFL Coaches Association award.
The players vote on the Matthews trophy and they demonstrated why Martin is the short-priced favourite.
UBET has Martin at $1.05, while Hawthorn onballer Tom Mitchell is next in the betting at a distant $12.