All Hail The Team Players (Reprise)
February 2nd 2009 05:01
Midway through season 2008, I ran an review of the top 10 handballers in the league [CLICK HERE]. These were the players who may not get the media attention or fan adoration of the flashier marquee players, but whose contribution to the team is almost immesurable.
I wagered that, with the exception of Black and Mitchell, it is highly unlikely that any would finish very high up in the Brownlow count, but would in their teams' Best and Fairest awards.
Here was the top 10 list:
Daniel Cross (WB) - B & F winner
Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn) - 2nd in B & F count
Brad Sewell (Hawthorn) - 8th in B & F count
Joel Corey (Geelong) - B & F winner
Lenny Hayes (St Kilda) - 3rd in B & F count
Brett Deledio (Richmond) - B & F winner
Nathan Foley (Richmond) - 7th in B & F count
Simon Black (BL) - 2nd in B & F count
Kane Cornes (Port) - B & F winner
Scott Thompson (Adelaide) - 3rd in B & F count
None of Cross, Mitchell, Sewell, Corey, Deledio, Foley, or Cornes were their team's highest vote getter in the 2008 Brownlow. Only Black (2nd) and Sewell (Equal 10th) finished in the Brownlow's top ten.
Yet four of this list won their team's Club Champion award. Two Club Champions - Cornes and Deledio - didn't even finish in the Brownlow's top 20.
My point in all this is that Best and Fairest counts give a much fairer account of a player's worth to their team that the Brownlow. Umpires, who give the Brownlow votes, do not and can not see the worth of these selfless players who do not have a direct impact on the game, but fulfil their duties week in, week out, to give their side a chance of victory.
Let it be noted that Adam Cooney polled votes in only nine games last year. The contributions of the players above are far more consistent.
I'm not surprised to see that four of the players on the list won their club's Best and Fairest award, and eight finished in the placings. I'm sure that had Sewell not spent over a month injured, he would have placed better in Hawthorn's internal vote count. He won it in 2007, after all.
I'll keep an eye on the correlation between the top handballers and Best and Fairest winners in 2009.
I wagered that, with the exception of Black and Mitchell, it is highly unlikely that any would finish very high up in the Brownlow count, but would in their teams' Best and Fairest awards.
Here was the top 10 list:
Daniel Cross (WB) - B & F winner
Brad Sewell (Hawthorn) - 8th in B & F count
Joel Corey (Geelong) - B & F winner
Lenny Hayes (St Kilda) - 3rd in B & F count
Brett Deledio (Richmond) - B & F winner
Nathan Foley (Richmond) - 7th in B & F count
Simon Black (BL) - 2nd in B & F count
Kane Cornes (Port) - B & F winner
Scott Thompson (Adelaide) - 3rd in B & F count
None of Cross, Mitchell, Sewell, Corey, Deledio, Foley, or Cornes were their team's highest vote getter in the 2008 Brownlow. Only Black (2nd) and Sewell (Equal 10th) finished in the Brownlow's top ten.
Yet four of this list won their team's Club Champion award. Two Club Champions - Cornes and Deledio - didn't even finish in the Brownlow's top 20.
My point in all this is that Best and Fairest counts give a much fairer account of a player's worth to their team that the Brownlow. Umpires, who give the Brownlow votes, do not and can not see the worth of these selfless players who do not have a direct impact on the game, but fulfil their duties week in, week out, to give their side a chance of victory.
Let it be noted that Adam Cooney polled votes in only nine games last year. The contributions of the players above are far more consistent.
I'm not surprised to see that four of the players on the list won their club's Best and Fairest award, and eight finished in the placings. I'm sure that had Sewell not spent over a month injured, he would have placed better in Hawthorn's internal vote count. He won it in 2007, after all.
I'll keep an eye on the correlation between the top handballers and Best and Fairest winners in 2009.
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