If Jobe Watson is stripped of his Brownlow Medal, it may not be given to runners-up Sam Mitchell and Trent Cotchin
THE AFL Commission has the power to strip Jobe Watson of his Brownlow Medal but not hand it on to 2012 joint runners-up Sam Mitchell and Trent Cotchin.
Essendon
Don't miss out on the headlines from Essendon. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE AFL Commission has the power to strip Jobe Watson of his Brownlow Medal but not hand it on to 2012 joint runners-up Sam Mitchell and Trent Cotchin.
As Tuesday’s historic decision nears Watson continues to give no indication of whether he will hand back the medal or fight to keep it.
He is yet to make a submission to the AFL on any legal or emotional arguments about why he should keep the award.
BROWNLOW WATCH: JOBE CONSIDERS HANDING MEDAL BACK
WHAT NEXT: THE AFL COMMISSION SETS A DATE FOR WATSON
But if he does eventually lose the Brownlow Medal, it could yet become the asterisk Brownlow — a year in which no one wins the award.
The Herald Sun understands there is flexibility in the AFL’s rules that will allow the Commission to hand it on to Mitchell and Cotchin or declare no winner from 2012.
The Melbourne Storm was stripped of two premierships that were never handed to the teams they beat, but Olympic medals stripped from drug cheats go to the runner-up.
The AFL Commission has absolute power to make decisions on behalf of the game, but also the discretion in its own rules governing the Brownlow Medal to make either decision.
Watson polled 30 Brownlow Medal votes in 2012 to win the award ahead of Richmond’s Cotchin and Hawthorn’s Mitchell, who polled 26 votes.
The Essendon midfielder has five times led Essendon’s Brownlow polling but never again topped 20 votes, with 16 in 2010, 15 in 2011 and 17 in 2013.
The Herald Sun revealed last month that both Mitchell and Cotchin knocked back the chance to make a submission about Watson’s Brownlow Medal early this year.
If the Commission makes the emotional decision to strip Watson’s Brownlow it must then turn its mind to whether to hand it to that pair.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan and general counsel Andrew Dillon are preparing a submission detailing the AFL rules on Watson’s Brownlow to hand to the AFL Commission ahead of their judgement.
That dossier of information confronts issues including the Court of Arbitration for Sport and Swiss Court appeal findings, the burden of proof attached to them and the AFL’s initial anti-doping tribunal finding.
McLachlan’s role in preparing that information for the Commission is one of the reasons why the AFL CEO, also an AFL Commissioner, is recusing himself from ruling on Watson.
AFL Commissioner Andrew Newbold was the Hawthorn president in 2012 when Mitchell finished runner-up but will sit in judgment of Watson next week.
Those eight commissioners are chair Mike Fitzpatrick, Richard Goyder, Paul Bassat, Kim Williams, Simone Wilkie, Jason Ball, Newbold and Gabrielle Trainor.
Mitchell said this year the thought of inheriting Watson’s Brownlow is a “pretty awkward situation”.
Cotchin said in March he would accept the Brownlow Medal if Watson had it stripped from him.
“I think you would have to,” Cotchin said.
“I think it’d be a challenging position to be in, because we all know the great person Jobe is.”
Essendon coach John Worsfold said on Tuesday he had not discussed with Watson his strategy on next week’s Commission meeting.
“In terms of the Brownlow I spoke with Jobe about it prior to coming back a few weeks ago and we spoke generally about what these things mean and what it means to him. It wasn’t me saying what is right or wrong,’’ he told SEN Radio.
“It was just me saying either way a big part of the decision is out of your control. We are on the same page with how we are going to deal with whatever the outcome is.”
Originally published as If Jobe Watson is stripped of his Brownlow Medal, it may not be given to runners-up Sam Mitchell and Trent Cotchin
Best 23s: How trade period changed every club
Trade period is behind us and the clear winners and losers have emerged. How will every club’s best 23 look for 2025 after the exchange period? FIND OUT HERE
‘Let her footy do the talking’: Cats’ star hits back at sister’s trolls
Geelong star Georgie Prespakis has come to the defence of her sister Maddy after she was the victim of body-shaming from online trolls. See why she believes it could have a much bigger impact.