West Coast ball magnet Matt Priddis has polled 26 votes to win the Brownlow Medal, well clear of mid-season favourite Gary Ablett.
Gold Coast’s Ablett led the count until round 16 when he injured his shoulder and missed the remainder of the season.
Priddis polled two votes in the final round of the AFL season to put the result beyond doubt with Ablett and Sydney’s Lance Franklin sharing second place on 22 votes.
Short-priced favourite Joel Selwood (Geelong) finished tied fourth on 21 votes alongside Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide), Travis Boak (Port Adelaide) and Josh Kennedy.
Priddis is the first Eagle to win the award since Ben Cousins in 2005.
More striking is the fact he is the first player to graduate from the rookie list and win a Brownlow medal.
“I was overlooked in four national drafts,” Priddis reflected in his acceptance speech.
“I was never going to give up. I just wanted to play at the highest possible level I could play at.
“If that was going to be Subiaco (in the WAFL), I was going to be happy with that.”
The rookie list, which offers overlooked talent the chance to further their development while earning a bare-bones salary at an AFL club, has thrown up plenty of success stories.
Nick Maxwell and Brett Kirk were premiership captains, Priddis’ teammate Dean Cox was an outstanding ruckman who changed the game.
But until 2014, a former rookie had never won a Brownlow medal.
“This is something that doesn’t sit too well with me. I’m a pretty shy sort of guy,” Priddis said.
“A little bit daunting, but something I’m obviously very proud of.”
The 29-year-old has never made an All-Australian side, a sign of just how underrated he had been.
“It makes you question the All-Australian selection panel,” Eagles coach Adam Simpson said of the first man to win the Brownlow medal and not be picked in the league’s representative team since Shane Woewodin in 2000.
“A just reward for not just this year, but the multiple years he has performed at a really high level.”
The most recent time a Brownlow winner polled fewer than 28 votes was Adam Cooney, who had 24 in 2008.
Most AFL fans could have told you the `Catch Me If You Can’ script for Monday night’s proceedings.
Ablett was going to be the clear leader after round 15.
He was.
At that stage of the night Sydney midfielder Kennedy was next best with 17 votes, while Priddis and ineligible Fremantle on-baller Nat Fyfe were tied seventh on 14 votes.
Fyfe finished with 25 votes, but two reports and missing four games due to suspension made his effort pointless in the “fairest and best” criteria of the Brownlow.
Ablett injured his shoulder in round 16 then missed the final seven games of the season.
Priddis moved ahead of Ablett on the leaderboard after being named best on ground in round 20.
PRIDDIS’ 2014 SEASON:
*Polled Brownlow votes in 13 games
*Ranked third in league for clearances with 147
*Ranked third in league for tackles with 160
*Ranked third in league for contested possessions with 330
*Selected in preliminary All-Australian squad, but not final 22-man team
HOW PRIDDIS FARED IN PREVIOUS FIVE BROWNLOW COUNTS:
*7 votes in 2009 (Gary Ablett won with 30 votes)
*13 votes in 2010 (Chrid Judd won with 30 votes)
*19 votes in 2011 (Dane Swan won with 34 votes)
*9 votes in 2012 (Jobe Watson won with 30 votes)
*13 votes in 2013 (Gary Ablett won with 28 votes)
WHAT ELSE?
*In 2006 won the Sandover Medal, the WAFL’s best and fairest award
*Worked as a tiler prior to starting his AFL career with West Coast as a mature-age recruit
*Third West Coast Eagle to win the Brownlow, after Chris Judd (2004) and Ben Cousins (2005)
*First player to win the Brownlow after starting his AFL career on the rookie list
*Age: 29
*Height: 185cm
*Weight: 86kg
*Games: 173
*Debut: 2006.
