Fashion pods and freezing rooms: the most curious Brownlow ideas

FROM revolving WAGs to velvet suits, some ideas for footy’s night of nights have out heads spinning.

THESE days it’s a glamorous night where the AFL’s elite gather to crown the best and fairest player of the season.

But over the years the Brownlow has seen it’s share of bad ideas and unwelcome innovations — from velour suits to a rotating ‘fashion pod’ to a chilly choice of venue.

Here’s some things about Brownlow night we hope we never see again.

Former Roos great Noel Teasdale after hearing news he finally got his Brownlow.

The countback system

When is an eligible Brownlow winner not a Bronwlow winner?

Under the ‘countback’ system abandoned in 1980, you could score the equal-highest number of votes and still not be declared a Brownlow medallist.

From 1930 a tie at the end of the count resulted in a review of how the votes were earned — if you had the most three-vote games, you won.

After the system was changed to allow joint winners, those who had lost on countbacks were finally awarded their Brownlows.

Rebecca Judd finds herself slowly rotating as part of the ill-fated 2011 ‘fashion pod’. Picture: Supplied

The WAG rotisserie

Fashion is a highlight of the modern Brownlow night, livening up what can be a dull evening for viewers not that into the count.

Broadcaster Channel 7 decided to trial a ‘fashion pod’ for the 2011 ‘blue carpet’ arrivals, asking the partners and wives of players to stand on a circular deck to give the audience a 360-degree look at their gowns.

But the WAG-on-Wheel was shunned on the night by some including Taylor Wilson, partner of Dane Swan, who said, “I said, ‘There is no way I am getting on there’. I don’t have a contract with the Brownlow to stand up and fall over.”

Sam Stynes, wife of late Demons legend Jim, was one of many to say the giant lazy Susan treated women as objects.

Teasdale suit

Sadly, black and white cannot do justice to the profoundly brown suit Graham Teasdale won the 1977 medal in.

Long before there was Tania Buckley’s diamond G-string or Bec Judd’s red dress, there was Graham Teasdale’s suit.

The South Melbourne big man’s brown velvet number has earned just about as many headlines over the years as the incredible 59 votes he was awarded to claim the medal in 1977.

Umpires arrive on the red carpet for last year’s count Picture: Tim Carrafa

Two umps voting

The reason Teasdale was able to score so many votes was due to the system used for vote counting for just two years, for the 1976 and 1977 seasons.

With the introduction of two field umpires both were required to award their 3-2-1 votes for each match.

The rules were changed the following year to allow the umpires to confer and agree on a single set of vote-getters in each match.

The fully-staffed powder room in action during the 2002 count. We hope it was heated.

A footy ground as the venue

Crown is usually the host for footy’s night of nights, but in 2002 the AFL experimented with Colonial Stadium (now Etihad Stadium).

But the specially-built ballroom set up in the middle of the arena had plenty of critics, not least the female guests in their gowns who complained of having to sit in bitterly cold winds despite their apparently being a ducted heating system set up beneath the elevated floor.

The Brownlow was awarded without a public count at all for many years, but former venues have included the Southern Cross Hotel and the Horden Pavillion in Sydney one year.

The promo gimmick dress

One year it was made out of Sherrins. Another time it was team logos sewn together at the top and autographs on the skirt.

Then there was the one made of footy records (and its matching suit worn by Blair from Big Brother).

Brodie Hollands’ partner Sarita Stella dons a red leather dress that paids tribute to TW Sherrin.

Originally published as Fashion pods and freezing rooms: the most curious Brownlow ideas