AFL midfield stars Patrick Dangerfield and Dustin Martin wage two-man Brownlow Medal battle

MIDFIELD superstars Patrick Dangerfield and Dustin Martin are locked in a titanic two-way battle for this year’s Brownlow Medal. It looks like going down to the wire, says Andrew Capel.

BROWNLOW FIGHT: Geelong’s Patrick Dangerfield (left) and Richmond’s Dustin Martin are locked in a titanic two-way battle for this year’s Brownlow Medal. Picture: Wayne Ludbey.

IT is the Danger and Dusty Show.

And it has become one of the greatest two-man battles for the Brownlow Medal in VFL-AFL history.

Not since Haydn Bunton and Dick Reynolds back in the 1930s have a pair of midfielders dominated the competition as the explosive Patrick “Danger’’ Dangerfield and Dustin “Dusty’’ Martin have this year.

Fitzroy’s Bunton and Essendon’s Reynolds (three each) won six of eight Brownlows from 1931-38.

So far, Geelong’s Dangerfield and Richmond’s Martin have just one, with former Crow Dangerfield polling 35 votes in his first season at the Cattery last year to blow second-placed Luke Parker from Sydney (26 votes) out of the water.

Dangerfield’s total was the highest-ever recorded in the Brownlow, eclipsing Collingwood’s Dane Swan's 34 in 2011.

Martin finished third last season with 25.

Dustin Martin battles the Giants’ Tom Scully. Picture: Julian Smith (AAP)

This year, Champion Data, which has a strong record of picking the Brownlow winner, has Dangerfield and Martin streeting the rest of the field with five home-and-away rounds remaining.

According to Champion, the pair could miss every match for the rest of the minor round and probably still finish one-two.

The leading AFL analyst, which uses statistical data including individual performance, team result and a player’s voting history to assign votes after every game, has Dangerfield holding a slender 1.4 vote lead over Martin after Round 18.

Awarding a percentage chance of votes for its Brownlow predictor, Champion has Dangerfield on 26.4 and Martin on 25 — 8.4 votes ahead of nearest rival Clayton Oliver from Melbourne.

Hawthorn ball magnet Tom Mitchell (15.8), Essendon playmaker Zach Merrett (15.4) and Adelaide vice-captain Rory Sloane (15.3), who started the season in a blaze of glory, sit next in the pecking order.

Patrick Dangerfiel is tackled by Crow Rory Sloane. Picture: James Elsby (AFL Media/Getty Images)

Dangerfield, 27, and Martin, 26, are neck-and-neck in Brownlow betting, with the Cat a slight favourite at $2 ahead of Martin’s $2.15.

Former Swan Mitchell ($7) is the only other player given a realistic chance of catching the runaway pair.

Remarkably, Champion rates Dangerfield a chance of polling in 15 of his 17 games and Martin 14.

Their numbers are strikingly similar.

Raging bull Dangerfield, who produced one of the great individual games against Hawthorn two weeks ago when he overcame a first-quarter foot injury to move forward, kick 5.6 and almost certainly secure the three Brownlow votes, is averaging 30.5 disposals, including 18 contested, 7.5 clearances, eight score involvements, 1.9 goals, 471m gained and a league-best 136 SuperCoach points.

Strong-as-an-ox Martin is right on his tail with an average of 29.9 disposals, including 14.3 contested, 6.9 clearances, 8.4 score involvements, 1.4 goals, 551m gained and 116 SuperCoach points.

Dangerfield and Martin, who will go head-to-head for the first time this season at Simonds Stadium in Round 21, already have broken clear of the chasing pack in the AFL Coaches Association player of the year award.

Martin leads Dangerfield by one vote, 92-91, with Mitchell way back in third spot on 69.

Star Port Adelaide midfielder Brad Ebert, who is averaging 26 disposals in a career-best season, has played on both men this year and refuses to separate them.

“They’ve been in ripping form, the best of their careers, and can just about do it all as midfielders,’’ Ebert said.

“Clearly their explosiveness is their speciality, their main weapon, because they are power athletes who can push off their opponents and break away into space.

“But apart from their pure power, their ability to go forward and kick goals makes them pretty rare commodities.’’

A RACE IN TWO

Midfield superstars Patrick Dangerfield and Dustin Martin are waging a two-man battle for the ages for the Brownlow Medal. With five home-and-away rounds remaining, Champion Data’s medal predictor has the pair streeting the field but less than two votes separating them, setting up a make-or-break end to the minor round.

Champion Data’s Brownlow tracker

(After round 18)

Champion Data rates Dangerfield a chance to earn votes in 15 games and Martin 14 matches.

Rare air

Dangerfield and Martin are ranked as elite for midfielders in nine key categories, with the Cat outpointing the Tiger in five, drawing one and losing three.

The Odds

(UBett)

Clubhouse Leaders

Champion Data’s leading Brownlow votegetters at each club

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