TAB to hand out bonus bets to those who backed Trent Cotchin or Sam Mitchell for 2012 Brownlow

BETTING agency TAB will hand out $95,000 in bonus bets to punters who backed Trent Cotchin or Sam Mitchell for the 2012 Brownlow following Jobe Watson’s decision to hand back his medal.

Bets placed on Trent Cotchin with TAB to win the Brownlow Medal in 2012 will be refunded as bonus bets. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

BETTING acengies have been quick to react to the news of Jobe Watson handing back his 2012 Brownlow Medal with TAB announcing it will refund bets placed on equal runners-up Trent Cotchin and Sam Mitchell.

Watson announced on Friday he would officially hand back his medal after the Essendon’s 34’s appeal to the Federal Court of Switzerland was rejected and ahead of the AFL Commission meeting to decide the fate of his medal on Tuesday.

Jobe Watson has handed back his 2012 Brownlow Medal.

Bets placed on Trent Cotchin with TAB to win the Brownlow Medal in 2012 will be refunded as bonus bets. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

TAB announced in the aftermath of the news it will give a ‘Fair Go Refund’ to punters who backed Cotchin and Mitchell to win the Medal in 2012.

The agency will hand out $95,000 in bonus bets.

Punters will be given up to $100 in bonus bets, equal to their stake

“Trent Cotchin was one of the most popular players with punters for that count while Mitchell was a $6.00 chance, so we felt it was only right given what has occurred today to give our punters a fair go with this refund,” TAB Head of Media Adam Hamilton said.

Watson was declared the winner on Brownlow night in 2012 with 30 votes, while Cotchin and Mitchell finished equal second with 26 votes.

COMMENT: WATSON DID THE HONOURABLE THING?

REACTION: ‘HE IS A MAN OF GREAT INTEGRITY’

JOBE WATSON: BOMBER HANDS BACK HIS 2012 BROWNLOW MEDAL

WATSON’S STATEMENT: READ IT IN FULL

ESSENDON: BOMBERS ‘UNRESERVEDLY APOLOGISE’ TO WATSON

It is unclear whether Mitchell and Cotchin will be awarded retrospective medals.

Watson was a $4.50 favourite to win the medal in 2012

Mitchell, who was traded to West Coast during this year’s player exchange period, was speaking to media in Perth when the Watson news broke.

He refused to answer questions about the Brownlow.

“Is that true is it?,’’ Mitchell said.

“I don’t know. I don’t want to go ... I’m not here to talk about that. I’m not going to go into details about that.

“I’m here to announce being at West Coast Eagles. I’m not going to talk about the Brownlow.’’

Mitchell has previously described the ongoing 2012 Brownlow dilemma as a “pretty awkward situation’’.

Originally published as TAB to hand out bonus bets to those who backed Trent Cotchin or Sam Mitchell for 2012 Brownlow