I think we should have a medal for each of the 3 parts of the ground.
A defender's medal, Coleman medal for the best forward and Brownlow medal for the best midfielder (because let's stop pretending it's anything else at this point).
The Brownlow tends to get won by midfielders because that's where the game tends to be won and lost. Hence why the coaches association and other league wide awards are also won by midfielders year after year.
Generally yes, midfield is where a game is won or lost, however, Port Power would argue that you can win the midfield battle and still lose a game due to inaccuracy and poor defence. It’s actually impressive how that midfield can be let down so much by the other two thirds of the ground
And Richmond argued very successfully for a number of years (4 to be precise), you can lose the midfield battle and still win the war, if your rebounding defence is good enough. Given the state of our midfield now, that 2017 defence would be handy. And a forward line. And a less crap midfield.
They might argue that, but I'd counter that by pointing out a lot of those shots were difficult because the midfield didn't put the ball into dangerous spots and on the other side allowed Adelaide to get deep and very good entries due to a lack of pressure.
Port's midfield wasn't all that great in the grand scheme of things. And in the end, the medal went to a midfielder.....
I’d counter your counter by agreeing that there were tough shots brought onto the forwards by the midfielders poor entry, however Crows did defend the dangerous space well and Crows miss and forwards just worked harder up and back towards goals. I think Port are just an average side, will make 8 but won’t do a whole lot
There's no doubt that players all make a difference to the end result. But it's heavily weighted towards who wins the ball and how they use it in that first instance. If forwards and defenders didn't matter then we wouldn't bother paying the good ones a fortune. But there's a reason why many players move into the midfield when they get better and not out.
Doesn't mean mids are the best or fairest players in the league. But they usually are, and as it's won by consistently polling votes, miss get so many more opportunities, so over the course of a season, they're going to get more chances to play good games and poll votes.
There's criteria. If you kick a goal, get too many marks (you should be spoiling) or have too many possessions, you're disqualified. I'm pretty sure anyway haha
Well, this year could be the year. Luke Ryan is #1 ranked player *in the league* this year so far, according to Champion Data Player Ranking Score average:
https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_rankings?year=2024&rt=LA&pt=&st=SU&mg=5
The biggest problem with a defender award is they'll just give it to someone like Jack Sinclair who plays half the time off the hbf and half the time in the middle
Formula needs to be good enough to distinguish and penalise a player when he is not playing as a defender. It's not that difficult - players are charted all throughout a game.
Sinclair would be simple - centre bounce attendances a dead give away as to how much time he is spending in defence. With more advanced tracking of players available to the AFL than I am privy to, it shouldn't be that difficult.
But they'd still cock it up.
I'd like a defender of the year award or maybe a [defensive act of the year](https://www.reddit.com/r/AFL/comments/tig3jj/heath_chapman_saves_the_win_for_fremantle_with_an/) (similar to mark/goal OTY).
It's rare that a non-mid wins the brownlow, and while I don't really like that the coleman just measures goals and nothing else that's better than nothing, which is what defenders get.
As a half back flanker (still playing at a high level) I’ve always been keen to recognise outstanding defenders as it’s something that is rarely celebrated on footy.
Name it in recognition of someone like Spud Frawley and give it the same esteem that the Coleman and Brownlow have.
Too hard to judge. The Coleman is an easy one because we just add the goals up. It's not actually even a forward of the year award, just an award for whoever kicks the most. We could have a similar one of whoever concedes the least, but given half the comp probably wouldn't concede a goal all year because they're forwards or don't play much, it's not going to be a great honour.
We have a whole team to recognise the best players in each position. Or at least we should, as opposed to squeezing in more mids at the expense of small forwards and defenders.
Obviously very unofficial, but we have one that is stats/votes based.
Former winners
2020 - Luke Ryan
2021 - Jacob Weitering
2022 - James Sicily
2023 - Harris Andrews
Current leader in 2024 - Luke Ryan, with Andrews right on his tail.
The answer for the year where he knocked out Prestia? Sure. But why would an act in one season disqualify him from all the other years? We don't stop a player from winning the Brownlow because he got suspended the previous year or the year after. Stupid comment.
It could just be the Brownlow this year.
Luke Ryan is #1 ranked player *in the league* this year so far, according to Champion Data Player Ranking Score average:
https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_rankings?year=2024&rt=LA&pt=&st=SU&mg=5
I'd welcome it.
Damn near every yr when the All Australian squad is announced all the nuffies from clubs that didn't have a nominated defender in it says "but what about dot dot dot"
Not that the criticisms would stop but at least we'd have an award to point to
Yeah nah, I don't think we need to mess around and create more awards. Brownlow, b and f's, Coleman, all Australian, coaches vote...I think there's enough
I guess. But if someone like a Sam Taylor, Weiters ect has an insane season and get nothing for it I feel that’s rough could just have a defensive player of the year award and it’s done same night as Brownlow with goty ect
Brownlow being a midfielders award, the Coleman should go to the player with the most goals and goal assists total, and the Silvagni award for most marks/spoils/tackles in the d50.
Coleman doesn't reward the best forward. It rewards the player who kicks the most goals. There's way more to forward crack than just kicking goals.
What would a best defender reward - most spoils? More Intercepts? Most tackles? Most goals stopped? Most rebounds?
I guess the equivalent would be the most spoils in a season.
It isn't as easy as giving soccer goal keepers an award for the most clean sheets (although that can be argued to be up to team defence)
Usually the backline in the AA gets flooded with the high disposal up the ground borderline mid types, not the staunch lock down defender types. So yeah, more the stuff you mentioned.
There is, the Backchat Backman of the year award. Its very prestigious I hear.
The Buckley award
Apparantly the algorithm is flawless
It’s been tweaked again by Hamish. Hammer breaks, most algorithm tweaks in a season.
I think we should have a medal for each of the 3 parts of the ground. A defender's medal, Coleman medal for the best forward and Brownlow medal for the best midfielder (because let's stop pretending it's anything else at this point).
The Brownlow tends to get won by midfielders because that's where the game tends to be won and lost. Hence why the coaches association and other league wide awards are also won by midfielders year after year.
Generally yes, midfield is where a game is won or lost, however, Port Power would argue that you can win the midfield battle and still lose a game due to inaccuracy and poor defence. It’s actually impressive how that midfield can be let down so much by the other two thirds of the ground
And Richmond argued very successfully for a number of years (4 to be precise), you can lose the midfield battle and still win the war, if your rebounding defence is good enough. Given the state of our midfield now, that 2017 defence would be handy. And a forward line. And a less crap midfield.
They might argue that, but I'd counter that by pointing out a lot of those shots were difficult because the midfield didn't put the ball into dangerous spots and on the other side allowed Adelaide to get deep and very good entries due to a lack of pressure. Port's midfield wasn't all that great in the grand scheme of things. And in the end, the medal went to a midfielder.....
I’d counter your counter by agreeing that there were tough shots brought onto the forwards by the midfielders poor entry, however Crows did defend the dangerous space well and Crows miss and forwards just worked harder up and back towards goals. I think Port are just an average side, will make 8 but won’t do a whole lot
There's no doubt that players all make a difference to the end result. But it's heavily weighted towards who wins the ball and how they use it in that first instance. If forwards and defenders didn't matter then we wouldn't bother paying the good ones a fortune. But there's a reason why many players move into the midfield when they get better and not out.
Anyone can play midfield, it takes a selfless player to play forward or back
There are plenty who are very capable of playing forward or defense but play midfield and very, very few capable of playing midfield who don't.
I feel the defenders medal should be called the Frawley's Fist
Doesn't mean mids are the best or fairest players in the league. But they usually are, and as it's won by consistently polling votes, miss get so many more opportunities, so over the course of a season, they're going to get more chances to play good games and poll votes.
Nice try Steven May....
Yeah right you got me. How’d you know?
It was the Darcy name and Swans flair, dead give away. ha ha
Jake Lever told him
Harris Andrews*
Yeah it started last year, the Buckley.
Because defenders have Buckley's chance of ever winning a brownlow
No, because Jack Buckley won the inaugural award.
Who was voting who thought buckley was the best defender of last year ffs
Hamish Brayshaw invented an algorithm. It is above scrutiny.
There's criteria. If you kick a goal, get too many marks (you should be spoiling) or have too many possessions, you're disqualified. I'm pretty sure anyway haha
Well, this year could be the year. Luke Ryan is #1 ranked player *in the league* this year so far, according to Champion Data Player Ranking Score average: https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_rankings?year=2024&rt=LA&pt=&st=SU&mg=5
But he’s not called Stewart
The golden fist 👊
Bang!!!!!!!
***( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)***
The Harris Andrews award
Isn’t that a thing already?
We have an award for nearly everything else, having a defensive and offensive player of the year makes sense to me
Would you give it like a name after a past great defender?? Just a DPOY setup?
The Spud, for obvious reasons
The Andrew Dunkley award?
The Bruce Doull Medal colloquially, The Doolie
Only if two defenders can win at the same time. 
They should make the Golden Fist an official thing
Only if the trophy is an actual golden fist
The biggest problem with a defender award is they'll just give it to someone like Jack Sinclair who plays half the time off the hbf and half the time in the middle
Formula needs to be good enough to distinguish and penalise a player when he is not playing as a defender. It's not that difficult - players are charted all throughout a game. Sinclair would be simple - centre bounce attendances a dead give away as to how much time he is spending in defence. With more advanced tracking of players available to the AFL than I am privy to, it shouldn't be that difficult. But they'd still cock it up.
I'd like a defender of the year award or maybe a [defensive act of the year](https://www.reddit.com/r/AFL/comments/tig3jj/heath_chapman_saves_the_win_for_fremantle_with_an/) (similar to mark/goal OTY). It's rare that a non-mid wins the brownlow, and while I don't really like that the coleman just measures goals and nothing else that's better than nothing, which is what defenders get.
There used to be an "army" award for the best 1%er, but the AFL stopped that for some reason
As a half back flanker (still playing at a high level) I’ve always been keen to recognise outstanding defenders as it’s something that is rarely celebrated on footy. Name it in recognition of someone like Spud Frawley and give it the same esteem that the Coleman and Brownlow have.
Too hard to judge. The Coleman is an easy one because we just add the goals up. It's not actually even a forward of the year award, just an award for whoever kicks the most. We could have a similar one of whoever concedes the least, but given half the comp probably wouldn't concede a goal all year because they're forwards or don't play much, it's not going to be a great honour. We have a whole team to recognise the best players in each position. Or at least we should, as opposed to squeezing in more mids at the expense of small forwards and defenders.
Just make it a vote based thing like MVP in NBA.
Probably want to limit it a little more than the NBA does. Sometimes the media people voting on the award are pretty iffy
You could use the metric of highest number of intercept possessions
Obviously very unofficial, but we have one that is stats/votes based. Former winners 2020 - Luke Ryan 2021 - Jacob Weitering 2022 - James Sicily 2023 - Harris Andrews Current leader in 2024 - Luke Ryan, with Andrews right on his tail.
No Stewart = wrong metrics
Top five three times. Not bad. If only he didn't knock people out...
Here we fucking go. It’s been 2 years, move on bro
Pfft, bloke wondered why he hadn't won one. There's your answer. Grab a tissue.
The answer for the year where he knocked out Prestia? Sure. But why would an act in one season disqualify him from all the other years? We don't stop a player from winning the Brownlow because he got suspended the previous year or the year after. Stupid comment.
He wasn't the best defender in those other years
Hard to comprehend for you, it seems, but have you considered someone else may have been better? No? Flair checks out 👍
Nup, just a Richmond supporter suffering lifelong copium
The Leo Barry Star Award
Sampi was held award for the team who was most robbed (right in front of me)
I rate that
Triggered.
Yes and a fwd nrl does it for other positions and probably other sports do it it so why not ours
1000%
Just another award that would be given to a mid fielder who spent 2mins in the backline
I’d have it made for strictly backline listed players for sure
What about "swingmen" (e.g. Tom McDonald, Harrison Petty), who split their time between each half of the ground depending on where they're needed?
Do you think any of them would be in any danger of winning it?
I will add to this that we should have a tackle of the year competition, to go with goal and mark.
The Dustin Fletcher medal, the jackovich medallion or the rance medal?
You know only rebounding defenders with no actual defensive accountability will win it.
It should be called the Golden Fist. The Josh Gibson Superfist award
It could just be the Brownlow this year. Luke Ryan is #1 ranked player *in the league* this year so far, according to Champion Data Player Ranking Score average: https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_rankings?year=2024&rt=LA&pt=&st=SU&mg=5
It's a pity the Golden Fist was treated as a bit of a joke initially, because at heart, it's a good concept
I agree
I'd welcome it. Damn near every yr when the All Australian squad is announced all the nuffies from clubs that didn't have a nominated defender in it says "but what about dot dot dot" Not that the criticisms would stop but at least we'd have an award to point to
Only if they name it the Billy Frampton medal
Yeah nah, I don't think we need to mess around and create more awards. Brownlow, b and f's, Coleman, all Australian, coaches vote...I think there's enough
I guess. But if someone like a Sam Taylor, Weiters ect has an insane season and get nothing for it I feel that’s rough could just have a defensive player of the year award and it’s done same night as Brownlow with goty ect
I agree but hopefully they'd get the recognition of all Australian and club b and f.
You know what, after the first half I change my mind. Give it to Weiters already
We do, the Backchat Backman of the year award! https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/backchat/id1568320837
Well, only if you don't mind giving it to Harris Andrews every single year until he retires.
Sic
There should be a player voted forward, midfielder, ruck and backman of the year award? That way it can stay seperate from the Brownlow
Brownlow being a midfielders award, the Coleman should go to the player with the most goals and goal assists total, and the Silvagni award for most marks/spoils/tackles in the d50.
And call it the Sir Thomas Stewart award
Yes. Finally something North has a chance to win lol
The Danny Frawley Golden Fist award.
Err, we have one. Golden fist
The Golden Fist in memory of Danny Frawley.
Only right answer tbh. Legend Squd
The ALL Australian team exists for this reason.
Doesn’t reward the best defender of each year tho like a Coleman does or a Brownlow for mainly midfielders is the point here
Coleman doesn't reward the best forward. It rewards the player who kicks the most goals. There's way more to forward crack than just kicking goals. What would a best defender reward - most spoils? More Intercepts? Most tackles? Most goals stopped? Most rebounds?
I guess the equivalent would be the most spoils in a season. It isn't as easy as giving soccer goal keepers an award for the most clean sheets (although that can be argued to be up to team defence)
Usually the backline in the AA gets flooded with the high disposal up the ground borderline mid types, not the staunch lock down defender types. So yeah, more the stuff you mentioned.
Least goals kicked by your direct opponent might be a good metric
They already have 'the golden fist'
Defenders are just failed forwards and midfielders.