AFL Brownlow Medal: Lachie Neale wins for second time in Brownlow shock

Lachie Neale has won his second Brownlow Medal over Marcus Bontempelli and Nick Daicos despite not being picked in the All Australian team. Relive how the night played out here.

From not being invited to draft camp to a dual Brownlow medallist, Lachie Neale admitted he was “rattled” by his second nod as the game’s best player.

Neale pulled off what he will hope is the first of two grand final week heists, winning his second Brownlow Medal in four years as he eyes another medal – of the premiership variety – come Saturday.

The Lions ballwinner – who finished on 31 votes – delivered a perfect final round to surge away from late-charger Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli (29 votes) and hot medal favourites in Magpie Nick Daicos (28 votes) and Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters (27 votes).

“It doesn’t sit very well, at the moment,” Neale said of the title of two-time Brownlow Medal winner.

“I’m sure it will sink in at a later date. I’m pretty rattled to be honest.

“I did not expect this, and to be amongst some of those names that have won two is unbelievable.”

Lachie Neale has won a second brownlow. Picture: Getty Images

Sydney young gun Errol Gulden surged home with five three-vote performances between Rounds 15 and 21, polling in every one of those games, to finish equal fourth with Butters while Demons star Christian Petracca finished fifth on 26 votes after polling just one vote in the final six rounds.

Neale – who did not earn selection in this year’s All-Australian team – burst out of the blocks polling votes early and surprising with a three-vote performance in Round 8 where his 20-disposal showing was deemed best afield despite a seven-goal haul by teammate Charlie Cameron.

Brisbane – which is set to face Collingwood in Saturday’s premiership decider – held its own event at the Gabba meaning for the second time, Neale was presented with his medal in less-than-traditional circumstances after also saluting in 2020 when the large-scale event was derailed by Covid.

To not be in attendance didn’t worry him, saying “I’m not that sorry”, instead “pumped that I’m not there” given it meant he will play in the grand final.

Neale can add a premiership medal to his Brownlow on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

He had entered the count as fifth-favourite with TAB.

Neale is the 16th player in the game’s history to win a second Brownlow Medal and was lauded by AFL chairman Richard Goyder as “humble” and “a true champion of our game”.

Hailing from Kybybolite, about 300km south-east of Adelaide, Neale said it was a coach from Glenelg who once told him “control what you can control and don’t worry about those external things like draft camp, which I didn’t get invited to”.

Neale raced to 14 votes after Round 9 despite some varied early-season form. He narrowly missed out in 2022, finishing runner-up to Carlton skipper Patrick Cripps last year by one vote.

But as Saturday’s grand final beckons, the Lions co-captain said he had been picturing counterpart Harris Andrews “holding up the cup with Fages (coach Chris Fagan) at the end of it”.

“I’m going to savour every second of this week and every second that I’m on the hallowed turf of the MCG on Saturday afternoon, because who knows when we might get that opportunity again? It might not ever happen,” he said.

Marcus Bontempelli is runner up again. Picture: Michael Klein.

Bontempelli, who claimed a premiership in 2016, also finished runner-up in the Brownlow Medal count in 2021 before notching just 10 votes last year.

The star Bulldog averaged almost 28 disposals per game, with half of his total possession count for 2023 being contested.

Daicos, 20, missed the last three games of the season after suffering a hairline fracture in his knee but his swag of votes was not enough to get him over the line.

The Brownlow marked outgoing chief executive Gillon McLachlan’s final count at the helm.

Giant Harry Himmelberg took out the mark of the year while Brisbane’s Will Ashcroft’s stellar goal in Round 7 took top honours for goal of the year.

Originally published as AFL Brownlow Medal: Lachie Neale wins for second time in Brownlow shock