It isn't all black and white when it comes to Brownlow voting

IT isn't all black and white when it comes to Brownlow votes, as Dane Swan will attest.

Eddie McGuire was caught with an unimpressed look on his face, as Chris Judd took an unbeatable lead in the Brownlow count. This picture went viral on Twitter at twitter.com/bradjc

IT isn't all black and white when it comes to Brownlow votes, as Dane Swan will attest.

Demetriou fast tempo

AFL chief Andrew Demetriou played mainly on a wing in his 103 games for North Melbourne and wasn't too shabby on speed.

Perhaps that explains his lightning-quick delivery initially reading out the votes last night. Or had Mick Malthouse told him Dane Swan's bedtime was 11pm?

As the night wore on, Demetriou went back to his more theatrical calling, pausing after the "D" on Collingwood before revealing D. Beams' votes.

Never leave a hot seat

FREMANTLE'S Aaron Sandilands got off to a flyer, polling votes in each of the first five rounds to lead with 12. He then left his seat at the count, perhaps to start preparing his speech.

But by the time he returned Chris Judd had polled five successive threes to lead with 15 votes.

Long wait for Tigers

RICHMOND had to wait the longest of any club to get a vote. The first came in Round 8, with Daniel Jackson polling one and Trent Cotchin two against Hawthorn.

Strangely, Jackson was reported by the match review panel in that game and rubbed out for headbutting Campbell Brown.

Umps don't drop Ricky

RICKY Petterd had a day out against the Pies in Round 2, kicking four goals, but he dropped a mark on the goalline with one second to go that would have secured victory.

But the umpires still gave him a vote. Aaron Davey ended up claiming the three and got another three in the return bout draw in Round 12.

Umps, Mick disagree

MICK Malthouse did not give any Pie a vote in the AFL Coaches' Champion Player of the Year Award after his side's Round 2 display against Melbourne.

"We actually had five Melbourne players in front of our first player," he said. But the umps viewed it differently to Mick, giving Scott Pendlebury two votes.

We love you, Lenny

MOST media awards had Lenny Hayes in the top 10 this season, even though the All-Australian selectors had a different view. But as far as the umps are concerned, he is top shelf.

Hayes finished third last year with 20 votes and he polled 19 this year. Bulldog Matthew Boyd can also feel stiff. He missed out on the team of the year and polled 20 votes.

But not you, Dane

IT BECAME clear by halfway that Dane Swan was going to have a tougher job winning the Charlie than he does shrugging off taggers.

The $1.77 favourite trailed Judd by eight at the halfway mark after missing votes in Round 11 when he had 35 touches against the Dogs.

He also missed a certain three against Port Adelaide when his 18-touch second term earnt him two behind David Rodan. He also became the first player to poll votes in 12 games and miss winning the Brownlow, although Gary Ablett eclipsed him. He polled in 13 games last night.

Belting doesn't hurt

CHRIS Judd was polling votes at will and had 22 after Round 14. He even got two votes in his side's Round 13 loss to Fremantle, which included his errant elbow in frustration that collected Matthew Pavlich.

They got these right

THERE are some games when three votes is non-negotiable and thankfully the umps got these right last night.

Mark LeCras' 12-goal effort in Round 16, Jack Riewoldt's breakout 10-goal game in Round 12 and Lindsay Thomas' seven-goal Friday night special against the Blues were all rewarded with three.

Champion idea

CHAMPION Data's predictions, based on its statistical rankings, are usually a great guide. Three years ago the IT geeks came up with Jimmy Bartel and then had Adam Cooney in their top three in 2008.

Last night they only had Judd down in ninth place on 16 votes. Swan was their tip with 32.

Defenders snubbed again

COREY Enright has been an All-Australian for the past three years, yet did not poll a vote last year and added just three last night to take his career tally to 10.

Three other All-Australians only polled three votes last night - James Frawley, Harry Taylor and Harry O'Brien.

Gary v Bomber

GARY Ablett had 33 disposals in Round 5 against Carlton, 18 of which were contested. He also kicked two goals and laid seven tackles and was given five votes in the Herald Sun by Jon Ralph.

But it didn't impress Mark Thompson, who seemed fed up with the Gold Coast talk and didn't give him a vote in the coach's award. The umpires gave him one.

First-year revelation

FREMANTLE'S Michael Barlow had an opening-game cracker against Adelaide with 33 disposals and two goals, but failed to poll. He backed that up with 34 touches against Essendon.

By then the umpires had figured out who he was, giving him two votes. He ended his 13-game season with nine votes.