Sam Mitchell refuses to discuss possibility of being awarded Jobe Watson’s 2012 Brownlow Medal
SAM Mitchell has refused to weigh in on whether he should be awarded the 2012 Brownlow Medal after Jobe Watson officially handed it back to the AFL.
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SAM Mitchell has refused to weigh in on whether he should be awarded the 2012 Brownlow Medal after Jobe Watson officially handed it back to the AFL today.
The new West Coast midfielder was speaking to the media in Perth about his move to the club from Hawthorn during in a bombshell move during the trade period as the news of Watson’s decision broke.
COMMENT: WATSON DID THE HONOURABLE THING?
REACTION: ‘HE IS A MAN OF GREAT INTEGRITY’
But Mitchell, who finished second in the 2012 count in a tie with Trent Cotchin flatly shut down the discussion.
“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’’.
Watson was declared the Brownlow Medallist in 2012 with 30 votes, while Mitchell and Cotchin were tired for second with 26 votes each.
West Coast coach Adam Simpson was reluctant to buy into the issue, but said the Eagles had “potentially the next Brownlow medallist here’’.
JOBE WATSON: BOMBER HANDS BACK HIS 2012 BROWNLOW MEDAL
WATSON’S STATEMENT: READ IT IN FULL
ESSENDON: BOMBERS ‘UNRESERVEDLY APOLOGISE’ TO WATSON
“I’ve always made it pretty clear that I don’t really like to comment on things that’s outside this football club,’’ Simpson said.
“From an AFL point of view, it’s probably disappointing this whole thing’s happened, but it’s something I don’t think too much about.
“I’m sure it’s going to gain some legs now we’ve got potentially the next Brownlow medallist here.
“It’s something we’ll address in the next few days I would have thought.’’
The Eagles could now start next season with a midfield led by two Brownlow medallists, with Mitchell to join forces at West Coast with fellow stoppage star Matt Priddis who claimed the award in 2014.
The AFL must offer Sam Mitchell 🅠and Trent Cotchin 🅠retrospective Brownlow Medals. They were the fairest and best players in 2012. Simple.
— Sam Landsberger (@SamLandsberger) November 11, 2016
Debate has raged throughout the year whether the pair should be awarded Brownlow Medals should Watson either be stripped of or hand back his award.
The Herald Sun reported this week the AFL Comission has the power to strip Watson of his medal but not hand it on to joint runners-up Mitchell and Cotchin.
Sam Mitchell refuses to discuss whether he would accept Brownlow. "I'm not here to talk about that." @perthnow @superfooty
— Braden Quartermaine (@bquartermaine) November 11, 2016
Essendon released a statement taking full responsibility for Watson being in this position and apologised to Watson and his family.
“Jobe has remained unassailably dignified under the most extraordinary pressure over the past four years,” Bombers chairman Lindsay Tanner said.
“The club takes responsibility for placing Jobe in this position and unreservedly apologises to him and his family.
“Jobe is a person of the highest integrity and character and has the total support and admiration of our membership, staff, executive and board.
“The Essendon family has been, and will continue to be, incredibly proud of Jobe Watson.”
Dyson Heppell said he was unaware of his teammate’s decision to hand back the Brownlow as he left’s the club’s training base in Tullamarine.
“To be honest this is the first I’ve heard of it,” Heppell said.
“Jobe’s a very unselfish man.
“I have an enormous amount of respect for the guy and we continue to move forward from here.”
2012 BROWNLOW MEDAL TOP 10
30 votes - Jobe Watson
26 - Trent Cotchin, Sam Mitchell
25 - Dane Swan, Scott Thompson
24 - Gary Ablett
23 - Patrick Dangerfield
19 - Dayne Beams, Lenny Hayes, Josh P Kennedy
17 - Matthew Pavlich
16 - Kieren Jack
Originally published as Sam Mitchell refuses to discuss possibility of being awarded Jobe Watson’s 2012 Brownlow Medal
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