Coleman Medalists on Brownlow Night

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Has the Brownlow been a midfielder’s medal for longer than we think?

Tony Lockett is famous for his 1987 season, when he became the first player to win the Brownlow and Coleman Medals in the same season (117 goals, 20 votes). There was also the infamous porcine-related incident in 1993, but we will discuss that another day.

However, this is not the record for the most votes received by a Coleman Medalist.

Most Brownlow Votes for Coleman Medal Winners Since 1960

  • 22: Lance Franklin (2014, 2017)
  • 20: Lance Franklin (2011) and Tony Lockett (1987)
  • 18: Peter Hudson (1971) and Jason Dunstall (1992)
  • 17: Jonathan Brown (2007) and Josh Kennedy (2016)
  • 16: Peter Hudson (1968, 1977), Jason Dunstall (1988, 1989), and Tony Lockett (1991)

Franklin’s 20 votes in 2011 was only good enough for eighth in the Brownlow count that year, while his 22 votes had him tied for third in 2014 and fifth in 2017.

On the other end of the spectrum, there have been two occasions where the Coleman Medalist failed to register a vote:

Fewest Brownlow Votes for Coleman Medal Winners Since 1960

  • 0: Tom Carroll (1961) and Doug Wade (1974)
  • 1: John Peck (1965) Tony Modra (1997)
  • 2: Kelvin Templeton (1979)
  • 3: John Peck (1964), Doug Wade (1973), and Peter McKenna (1973)

I would be remiss not to mention that although Kelvin Templeton only polled two votes in 1979 (despite winning the Coleman with 91 goals), he won the 1980 Brownlow Medal with 23 votes and 75 goals (behind Michael Roach, who topped the goalkicking that year with 107).

The timeframe of this stat is limited based on what data are freely/easily available and/or accessible. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you spot any errors in what I have presented. As always, apologies to anyone who has already looked at this stat.