AFL Brownlow Medal tracker: How are Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Jordan Dawson travelling?

Zak Butters is third in the betting market – but the Brownlow Medal tracker has him way off the pace. Crows skipper Jordan Dawson is even further back. See the predicted votes.

Zak Butters sits second in the AFL coaches votes and third in Brownlow betting.

But the young Port Adelaide star is not ranked in the top 20 vote getters to this point of the season according to Champion Data’s Brownlow tracker.

Butters sits behind only Brownlow Medal favourite Nick Daicos in the AFL Coaches Association leaderboard, and is behind Daicos and Melbourne superstar Christian Petracca in betting.

While Butters is on 14 votes behind Daicos in the eyes of the coaches, the AFL’s official statistician only has him on 9.9 votes after 17 rounds of the season.

Champion Data’s predictor is done using nine years of past history, feeding player match stats into a neural network.

Player involvements measured by stats such as ranking points, disposals, hitouts, clearances, inside 50s, tackles, and contested possessions are considered by the model, as well as the result and final margin for the player’s team.

Adjustments are also made for each player’s polling history.

Butter has received the maximum 10 votes from the coaches in five games this season.

Butters has gotten plenty of love from coaches this year. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images

This should mean he takes at least two or gets the three votes in games against the Western Bulldogs in Round 5 and Round 13, Essendon in Round 8, North Melbourne in Round 9, Melbourne in Round 10.

Butters also has eight votes from the coaches from Round 11 against Richmond, which could give him a vote or two, while he also played well against Sydney in Round 4 which could have him in line for a vote.

This could have him with as many as 18 votes.

Port has only lost two games and is on a 13-match winning run and this should also work in Butters’ favour.

But star teammate Connor Rozee could take some votes off Butters.

The Power star is the highest ranked player from an SA club in Champion Data’s Brownlow tracker.

Rozee sits ninth after Round 17 with 13.5 predicted votes.

He is coming off a game in which he received 10 coaches votes against Gold Coast.

Rozee should also be getting his fair share of votes. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Rozee’s top 10 placing in the Brownlow tracker comes despite him being 14 votes off Butters in the coaches votes.

He is also five votes ahead of Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson, who is on 9.9 predicted votes in Champion Data’s Brownlow tracker and one spot ahead of Butters.

Dawson has impressed for the Crows this year after being shifted to the midfield.

In Rounds 4 and 5 against Fremantle and Carlton he would be a good shout of getting the three votes in each while there have been several others in which he could end up with two votes from them.

Will Jordan Dawson poll strongly in the backend of the season? Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

PREDICTED VOTES

Rozee could have 18

Butters could have 21

Dawson could have 17

Originally published as AFL Brownlow Medal tracker: How are Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Jordan Dawson travelling?