Lachie Neale wins the Brownlow Medal as he takes out footy’s biggest award for the second time after thrilling count tinged with controversy
- Neale also won the 2020 best and fairest competition
- Took over the honor from Marcus Bontempelli by one vote
- Get to the front of the line in voting for the final round of the regular season
Brisbane’s Lachie Neale has won his second Brownlow Medal as the AFL’s best and fairest player in a thrilling count that saw him come home just two votes ahead of Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli.
The Lions midfielder secured victory immediately after his death when he collected the maximum three votes from his team’s victory over Collingwood in Round 24, taking him to a total of 31.
That just took him home over a tightly packed field where the Magpies’ Nick Daicos finished on 28 votes despite being out of action since breaking his leg against Hawthorn in Round 21.
Neale has scooped Footy’s top individual honor for a second time (pictured) after knocking out his first Brownlow in 2020
The Brisbane star (pictured with wife Julie) returned to the top of the leaderboard as he scored the maximum three votes from the very last round of the home-and-away season
Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters and Sydney surprise package Errol Gulden were next with 27 votes, while Demons star Christian Petracca – one of the favorites to take the honor – was one vote back on 26.
Neale, who plays Collingwood on Saturday, averaged 27.4 disposals, 8.1 clearances and 13.9 contested possessions to become the first two-time winner since former Fremantle teammate Nat Fyfe in 2015 and 2019.
Many fans will point to the controversial vote in the Lions’ sixth round win over GWS, which saw Neale receive three votes despite registering just seven kicks and thirteen handballs.
Josh Kelly had 41 disposals and Stephen Coniglio registered 38 in what, on paper, were much better efforts than Neale’s.
The Lions co-captain was stunned after his second Brownlow win in four seasons.
“Things aren’t going well at the moment,” he said after the vote was completed.
“I’m sure it will sink in at a later date. To be honest, I’m pretty confused, so apologies if this doesn’t go so well.
“I didn’t expect this, and to be among the names that won two is incredible.”
Neale told his fellow players and guests he was happy to be watching the voting from Brisbane as he and his teammates prepare for the grand final – and was ‘on the water’ as he looked forward to an early evening.
He was drafted in 2011 with pick 58, which now seems like an absolute steal, but at the time, even those closest to him had their doubts about how far he would go in the game.
‘(I was told) don’t worry about those external things like draft camp and stuff like that, which I didn’t get invited to, and I just tried to put my head down and play some good footy at the back from my draft year,” he said.
“But yeah, even as I was sitting on the couch watching the draft that year, Mom came up to me after about 40 or something and said, ‘There’s always the rookie draft.’
“She wasn’t very confident either.”
Neale’s second Brownlow places him alongside two-time medalists Gary Ablett Jr, Greg Williams, Adam Goodes, Robert Harvey and Chris Judd – with the Lions kingpin needing one more medal win to join the only players to have won the award three times: Ian Steward, Bob Skilton, Haydn Bunton Sr and Dick Reynolds.
More to come…