Elite honours lifts grand finale

FOR the eighth time in the past 10 years, the Grand Final will boast the Brownlow Medallist.

FOR the eighth time in the past 10 years, the Grand Final will boast the Brownlow Medallist.

It was once almost a novelty to have the Brownlow winner attempt to win a premiership five days later, yet these days, and particularly since Shane Woewodin's win in 2000, it is almost the norm.

Ablett's eight-vote win in the Brownlow count at Palladium at Crown will be many things to many people, certainly a source of great pride to the man himself who showed rare signs of frustration and disappointment in the the previous two counts when he started as a favourite only to fall short.

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But, even last night when he finally secured the victory with two rounds to spare, and in a press conference just minutes after AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick formally announced him as the Brownlow winner, it was clear Ablett's main plan for the season was yet to be achieved.

The most recent Brownlow Medallists to play in the following Saturday's Grand Final were Ablett's Geelong teammate and mate Jimmy Bartel in 2007, Sydney's Adam Goodes (2006), West Coast's Ben Cousins (2005), Collingwood's Nathan Buckley (2003), Brisbane pair Simon Black and Jason Akermanis (2002 and 2001) and Melbourne's Shane Woewodin (2000).

Those to add a premiership to the Brownlow in the same year were Bartel, Black and Akermanis.

The only two Brownlow Medallists of the 2000s not to be playing in the Grand Final were West Coast's Chris Judd in 2004 and Western Bulldogs' Adam Cooney in 2008.

Geelong captain Tom Harley spoke glowingly of Ablett's approach to football in the minutes after the conclusion of the count.

``The boys are really rapt for Gary, he really deserves this award and now it is all about Saturday for him,'' Harley said.

''He just never ceases to amaze me how he handles it all. He is a really private, introverted guy who does everything with aplomb.''

Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams must have had a feel for the umpires thoughts in the final nine rounds, as he was spotted asking Ablett to sign a place card while the two were waiting permission to re-enter the Palladium after a toilet stop.

The stress of being a Brownlow Medal favourite in the previous two seasons had shown on Ablett during the 2008 and 2007 counts.

In 2007, he was nine votes short of Bartel's 29 and equal sixth overall, but had the consolation five days later of winning a premiership.

Last year, he finished equal third with 22 votes, two shy of Western Bulldog Adam Cooney, and then was part of the Cats' losing Grand Final team to Hawthorn.

This year, Ablett played 19 matches, and polled in 13 of them.He scored votes in each of the first five rounds, then in four of the five games in Rounds 9 to 13.

In Round 16 he polled again, and then capped off his year, and night, with the 3, 3 and 1 votes in the final three games.

Ablett rarely says anything of note when television cameras are rolling, and he certainly didn't change that situation when interviewed by Channel 7's master of ceremonies Sandy Roberts after Round 19, again after Round 20 when it was confirmed he could not lose, and again on accepting the medal.

Saturday is Geelong's third Grand Final in succession, with St Kilda awaiting it.Saturday is also the 20th anniversary of arguably the greatest performance by an individual in a Grand Final.

In 1989, Gary Ablett senior booted nine goals in Geelong's losing tally against Hawthorn.

Gary Ablett senior, in the eyes of some the most brilliant player ever, never won a Brownlow. Or a premiership, despite four Grand Final appearances.

What odds Gary Ablett junior trumps him again with a Norm Smith medal winning performance in a winning side