Find out why this footy star is still eligible for the AFL’s prestigious Brownlow Medal – despite copping a massive seven-game suspension earlier this year
- St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster could technically win the Brownlow Medal
- Despite a seven-match suspension, he suffered a brutal bump in a practice match
- AFL rules state that suspended players are eligible if Brownlow’s votes are not counted
St Kilda defender Jimmy Webster is still in the running to win this year’s Brownlow Medal despite being handed the longest suspension in 2024, the AFL has confirmed.
Webster, 31, was handed a seven-game suspension for the pre-season injury that left North Melbourne captain Jy Simpkin with a serious concussion.
But thanks to the long-standing rules of the code, Webster is still eligible to win the Brownlow.
That’s because the incident occurred in a situation where Brownlow’s votes were not counted.
This week, Swans star Isaac Heeney was knocked out of contention for the coveted individual award after his one-match suspension for a breach was not overturned by the AFL’s Court of Appeal and Appeals Board.
The AFL admitted that Webster could technically still win the award, but that is unlikely given he has never been assessed for votes in the 150 games he has played before this season.
‘The effect of these provisions (and in addition the definition of ‘home and away games’ in AFL Regulation 1.1, which is a game for which championship points are awarded and which specifically excludes a pre-season game) is that a player who is suspended for conduct in [a] “A pre-season competition still qualifies for the Brownlow Medal,” a statement from the umbrella organisation said.
Article 21 of the AFL Rules and Regulations contains ‘those provisions’, which state what offence must be committed in an AFL home and away match in which Brownlow votes are cast, The age reported.
St Kilda defender Jimmy Webster (pictured right) remains in the running to win this year’s Brownlow Medal – despite serving the longest suspension in 2024, the AFL has confirmed
Webster, 31, was handed a seven-game ban for a pre-season bump that left North Melbourne captain Jy Simpkin concussed, but he is still eligible to win the Brownlow (pictured) under the code’s long-standing rules.
The leak exists because the incident with Webster occurred in a competition in which Brownlow’s votes were not counted (pictured is 2023 winner Lachie Neale of the Brisbane Lions).
Webster’s suitability underscores why the rules need to change.
Players such as Gerard Healy and Patrick Cripps, former Brownlow Medallists, and coaches Simon Goodwin and Brad Scott have all this week indicated that the entry criteria should be reviewed in the off-season.
Healy added: ‘There has to be change, and the only discussion is what that change should be.’
Port Adelaide’s Sam Powell-Pepper is also still in contention for the AFL’s most prestigious award.
This is despite a four-game pre-season suspension after a collision with Adelaide’s Mark Keane.
Carlton Blues star Cripps is seen by bookmakers as the top contender to win the trophy this season, ahead of Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos and Western Bulldogs general Marcus Bontempelli.