Matt Rowell’s haul, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera’s snubbing spark debate over umpire voting
The night was all about Matt Rowell’s unbelievable haul of three-vote games, but it was a two-voter that stunned the room at Crown the most, and left the footy world shaking its head.
In a night all about Matt Rowell’s three-vote efforts, it was the two-voter that made the least sense and the most noise.
The room at Crown keeping up with the Brownlow Medal count was in hysterics when Saint Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera missed out on the top votes for the best matchwinning performance in recent footy history, when he bagged four goals – including two in the final minute to clinch the win – and 34 disposals.
Melbourne’s Jack Viney pinched the three votes in that round 20 game.
It was Viney that got lost on the wing to allow St Kilda room to make the now-famous final play for Wanganeen-Milera to kick a goal after the siren that led to t-shirts being printed at Moorabbin within days.
Demon Christian Petracca laughed when the votes were read, and host Hamish McLachlan announced that N. Wanganeen-Milera deserved the three immediately afterwards.
Wangeneen-Milera polled a perfect 10 coaches votes for that game, and everyone in the room could only laugh upon hearing from the umpires.
The Saint was still smiling anyway – that performance was the one that secured him footy’s fattest contract, netting him $2m next year.
When the cheques roll in next year, there will probably be no love lost for the umpires for ‘Nas’.
The crowd in the room was so on edge they delivered a Bronx Cheer when Wanganeen-Milera polled three in round 21.
But the rest of the night was all about the Rowell ripples.
The Gold Coast star has been a big poller since netting three best-on-grounds from the umps in his first three games and he took off in 2025.
It was a moment where the umpires showed they were a step behind the play.
This season, Melbourne and Carlton were lampooned for being too focused on contested ball and winning clearances instead of ball movement, and the umpires were sucked in too.
Rowell had an excellent season but the umpires have always loved the in-and-under player and that was clearly the case for the Sun.
He picked up big votes when the numbers and the eye test suggested he shouldn’t have.
In Round 17, the Suns lost by 61 points, Rowell got two votes.
Round 9 he had 20 disposals and a goal, when 12 others on the ground touched the ball more often, but Rowell got the three.
In round 4 it was just 17 disposals – and eight clangers – with a three voter.
Nick Daicos remains the bridesmaid and perhaps if he wants to wear Charlie, the message is clear – he needs to get dirtier.
He polled a ridiculous 38 votes last year and 32 this year.
That’s 70 votes in two years and no medal – Robert Harvey polled brilliantly to collect 58 votes in 1997-98 and won both counts.
Greg Williams won twice – 1986 and 1994 – with 47 total votes.
Patrick Cripps, one of the biggest inside beasts the game has ever seen, broke the record for votes last year with 45.
Rowell’s 39 total votes now sits as the second best poll ever on a Brownlow night, behind last year’s Cripps tally and ahead of Daicos in the same count.
Plenty of people have bemoaned the defenders and the forwards can’t win the award, now it seems even the midfielders who do their best work just outside the contest are frozen out too.
And hey, even Viney had 16 tackles in round 19 to steal those votes from Wanganeen-Milera.
Inside is the place to be if you want the medal.
Originally published as Matt Rowell’s haul, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera’s snubbing spark debate over umpire voting
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