Brownlow Medal update: Lachie Neale the favourite, AFL players and partners gather for different ceremony
Brisbane’s season ends in heartbreak, but there could be a silver lining tonight with gun midfielder Lachie Neale the hot favourite to claim tonight’s Brownlow Medal.A Lions player hasn’t won the AFL most prestigious honour since 2002, but Neale - who was excellent in Saturday night’s preliminary final loss to Geelong - is a short-priced favourite to end the drought.
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After missing out in Round 1, Neale collected three votes against the Dockers in Round 2, to start a surprise run, polling four consecutive best to get 12 votes by Round 5.By round 8, he had a four-vote lead after ground performance."I loved watching him win Brownlow," Brisbane coach Chris Fagan said last night.
“I hope he does, he deserves it, he’s had a fantastic season.
“But there will be other boys that have had great years as well that could equally deserve it. I’m sure that whoever wins it, they all deserve to win it.”
Port star Travis Boak was hot early, polling five votes in the first two games, while young Sun Matt Rowell collected nine votes in four games.
As of 3pm, Neale was a $1.22 favourite with Pointsbet, with Melbourne’s Christian Petracca heavily backed to be the big mover at $7.
Petracca got off to a slower start,m with teammate Max Gawn polling 11 votes from the first seven rounds.
Petracca and Neale will both be at the Gabba for tonight’s virtual count, with AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan to read the votes from Metricon Stadium.
Port Adelaide’s Travis Boak ($11) and St Kilda’s Jack Steele ($17) are on the next lines of betting.
