Betting plunge on Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell to win Brownlow Medal

HAWTHORN star Sam Mitchell is now third favourite for the Brownlow Medal after a preliminary final betting plunge.

HAWTHORN star Sam Mitchell is now third favourite for the Brownlow Medal after a preliminary final betting plunge.

Mitchell, who finished equal second behind Jobe Watson in last year's count, has been shortened from $21 to $7 with tab.com.au.

The Hawks onballer is also $7 with sportsbet.com.au today, behind favourite Gary Ablett ($1.75) and Geelong skipper Joel Selwood ($4.50).

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Mitchell will be on centre stage tonight when the Hawks face Geelong in the preliminary final.

"Mitchell’s a proven votegetter and often attracts big support with us, but this is biggest move we’ve ever seen for him,” TAB’s Adam Hamilton said.

"He was $21 on Monday, into $17 by Tuesday and then the big crunch came last night and this morning where his odds have tumbled into $7."

Gary Ablett remains a clear favourite at TAB at $1.60.

"Ablett will start favourite for the fourth time. It’s the first time a player has done that since official betting started on the Brownlow," Hamilton said.

"He opened $9, firmed to $1.40 in Round 14, drifted to $2.40 after Round 22 and firmed again to $1.75 after his booming Round 23 match against GWS.

"The money has kept coming since so he’s tightened again to $1.60."

TAB BROWNLOW MARKET

$1.60 Gary Ablett
$3.50 Joel Selwood
$7 Sam Mitchell
$9 Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan
$26 Kieren Jack
$34 Patrick Dangerfield, Daniel Hannebery, Ryan Griffen

SPORTSBET.COM.AU MARKET

$1.75 Gary Ablett
$4.50 Joel Selwood
$7 Sam Mitchell
$10 Scott Pendlebury
$14 Dane Swan
$31 Michael Barlow
$34 Jarryd Roughead
$41 Patrick Dangerfield, Kieren Jack