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Brownlow Medal 2019: Nat Fyfe wins thrilling count on footy's night of nights
Nat Fyfe has become the 15th player to win multiple Brownlow Medals after running away with a huge lead late in the count. However, without some choice words from his former coach, it could have been very different.
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Nat Fyfe has credited a sledge from Ross Lyon that he was “cruising” and a chance meeting with a Pilates instructor at a Fremantle café for leading him to his second Brownlow Medal in five years.
Fyfe became just the 10th Brownlow Medal winner to poll 30 or more votes in a season under the current voting system, logging 33 votes – two more than he did in 2015.
The Fremantle captain labelled 2019 his “best year so far”, believing he was able to impact in all 20 games that he played after staying free of soft tissue injuries.
After missing six games with a serious hamstring injury last year, Fyfe was approached by a “spiritual” Pilates instructor by the name of Trudy last July and was offered free one-on-one Pilates lessons which he took up.
“My No.1 goal coming in was to play all season and I had an amazing pilates instructor, Trudy, who found me in the street a week after I tore my hamstring last year and said, ‘You need to come and see me’,” Fyfe said.
“She came up to me and was a bit of a spiritual person and said, ‘I had this inkling you were going to hurt yourself last week’ and I said, ‘Where were you then?’.”
“Two hours a week, every week since November last year (I worked with her) and I got through the year with no soft tissue. I played every game bar two, which I had concussion and my elbow. But that becomes the blueprint for me the next two or three years.
“I tried it for a month and 10 or 11 months later I sit here as a Brownlow medallist so I’m incredibly grateful for her.”
Fyfe said former Dockers coach Lyon had also been a key part of his development both as a player and captain and had challenged him again this year.
“As recently as last year, about December, I was just going through the motions with my training and preparation with the idea of playing more footy towards the back end of the season,” Fyfe said.
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“He challenged me to say, ‘You’re cruising, I don’t think how you’re performing and preparing at training is up to standard, I think you’ve got more in you’. That was a spark to really get going.”
Fyfe said an elbow injury he carried throughout much of the year – which led to him wearing a sleeve on his right arm – had also challenged him and would continue to.
“It bothered me on a couple of games,” Fyfe said.
SEE EVERY VOTE AND RECAP THE COUNT BELOW
“When I landed heavily on my elbow it would flare up, fill up with fluid, to the point where in the Hawthorn game (Round 17) I landed on it quite heavily and was getting some contact to it and I ended up getting an infection with it during the week. So I don’t think I’m completely out of the woods with it yet. The sleeve helped a fair bit, but it’s probably going to be something I’ll have to juggle for probably the next six months.”
Having turned 28 years old just last week, Fyfe could yet become a three-time Brownlow Medal winner.
However, the 2015 and 2019 winner said he was “jealous” of the two teams that were playing in this week’s Grand Final and was striving to be a premiership captain far more.
“The Brownlow’s a weird one because I don’t have a premiership medal,” Fyfe said.
“So I’d hate to be sitting here at the end of my career with two or maybe three Brownlow’s and no premiership. I’d trade these in in a heartbeat for the opportunity just to play in another Grand Final.”
In an exciting count, which was decided in Round 21, Geelong midfielder Patrick Dangerfield finished second on 27 votes, with Carlton co-captain Patrick Cripps and Brisbane midfielder Lachie Neale tying for third place on 26 votes. Cripps bolted out of the blocks, polling a record 13 votes in the first five rounds.
Fyfe, who has been Fremantle captain since 2017, polled a remarkable 20 votes to Round 11 and finished the night having earn votes in 12 of a possible 20 games after missing two matches through injury.
The second-ranked midfielder in the AFL this year, he averaged 120 SuperCoach points and was crowned All-Australian captain.
The Fremantle superstar couldn't be caught after Round 21, when he polled three votes against St Kilda to take his tally to 33 - seven votes clear of Carlton co-captain Patrick Cripps, who was in second position at the time.
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Dangerfield, who won the award in 2016 and had entered the night as favourite, finished in a flurry with eight votes from the final three rounds – but it was too little, too late.
Second-year Geelong sensation Tim Kelly recorded a top-five finish with 24 votes, including seven best on grounds.
Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy, the top-ranked player in the competition by Champion Data this year, placed sixth with 23 votes.
Recap the news and reaction in our live blog below.
Updates
Punter’s huge Fyfe win
One TAB punter is celebrating a $70,000 collect after their $10,000 bet at $7 today on Fremantle’s Nat Fyfe to win the 2019 Brownlow Medal paid dividends.
For the first time since Matt Priddis’ stunning triumph in 2014, the TAB favourite did not win the AFL’s highest individual honour as Geelong’s Patrick Dangerfield was $2.40 before the counting of votes commenced.
Fyfe opened $7 minutes after Hawthorn’s Tom Mitchell was awarded last season’s Brownlow Medal, was as much as $9 throughout the home-and-away season and eventually started tonight’s count as a $7 chance.
Fyfe was the fourth-most popular player at TAB in terms of money placed to win the 2019 Brownlow Medal with Dangerfield receiving the most support followed by Lachie Neale and Patrick Cripps.
Dangerfield finished on 27 votes – six behind Fyfe – with Neale ($5) and Cripps ($11) tied for third on 26 votes.
One TAB customer is counting the cost after they ‘Cashed Out’ a Multi that could have resulted in a $13,750 payday.
On March 27, the customer in question placed $50 at $275 on Greater Western Sydney’s Jeremy Cameron to win the 2019 Coleman Medal, GWS to reach the 2019 Grand Final and Fyfe to win this season’s Brownlow Medal.
Instead of collecting $13,750, the punter ‘Cashed Out’ for $316.62.
TAB has already opened betting on the winner of the 2020 Brownlow Medal with Patrick Cripps the $6 favourite.
#BROWNLOW LADDER
— Sam Landsberger 🗯 (@SamLandsberger) September 23, 2019
BRISBANE LIONS 90
GEELONG 90
GWS 84
WESTERN BULLDOGS 81
COLLINGWOOD 81
WEST COAST 74
RICHMOND 72
FREMANTLE 69
NORTH MELBOURNE 68
HAWTHORN 67
PORT ADELAIDE 66
CARLTON 60
ESSENDON 58
ADELAIDE 53
ST KILDA 53
SYDNEY 53
MELBOURNE 47
GOLD COAST 22
Huge congratulations to Nat Fyfe @freodockers on winning his 2nd Brownlow medal. Such a grounded, considered and articulate leader that now only needs a premiership to add to his illustrious CV. 👏👏👏👏
— Michael McGuane (@MickMCG34) September 23, 2019
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsHuge congratulations to Nat Fyfe @freodockers on winning his 2nd Brownlow medal. Such a grounded, considered and articulate leader that now only needs a premiership to add to his illustrious CV. 👏👏👏👏
— Michael McGuane (@MickMCG34) September 23, 2019
Fyfe thanks those who helped him
“Two players I will point out, Darcy Tucker and Reece Conca who have the task of being accountable for my man quite often when I go hunt the footy.
“Thanks very much. The selfless roles have you played, the texts I get from Concs before games saying, you get after the pill I will cover your man, I can't tell you how important it is as a player to – a leader to be able to have that sort of confidence in your teammates you will have your back.”
Greats pay tribute to Fyfe!
Congratulations to Nat Fyfe on winning his second Brownlow medal. For those who criticised his selection as All Australian captain , overlooked he is a modern day great who deserved such an honour. Kb
— Kevin Bartlett (@KevinBartlett29) September 23, 2019
Congratulations Nat Fyfe. Over two years of injuries to become the star of the AFL again. Two medals, very well deserved.
— Terry Wallace (@thelistmanager) September 23, 2019
Fremantle N.Fyfe 3 votes 👏🏽 💪🏽
— Matthew Pavlich (@matt_pavlich) September 23, 2019
On winning:
A bit surreal. Incredibly humble
On his polling:
Not as well as that. So thanks very much to the umpiring department.
On his season:
I really pride myself on my preparation. I know if I prepare as well as I can that's going to put me in a position to be able to impact most games.
I knew if I dialled down on my preparation and worked at my role as captain with our out leaders that I could get back to being the best player I possibly could be. And this is incredibly rewarding for the effort that I have put in.
On his role models:
A number of players across the journey. Matty Pavlich is the main player and person I sort of modelled my leadership off. After I won the Brownlow in 2015 we lost a preliminary final.
As joyous as winning a Brownlow was, it is all about winning a premiership. And I have now got two Brownlows, no premierships.
On Ross Lyon:
I wish he was here tonight. He's played a major part in my career. Eight years he was my coach. He took us to preliminaries and a grand final. I won a Brownlow while playing for him and a second now. I caught up with him last weekend. We had a couple of beers. He is not lost to the footy world.
Fyfe speaks on ‘surreal’ moment
On winning:
A bit surreal. Incredibly humble
On his polling:
Not as well as that. So thanks very much to the umpiring department.
On his season:
I really pride myself on my preparation. I know if I prepare as well as I can that's going to put me in a position to be able to impact most games.
I knew if I dialled down on my preparation and worked at my role as captain with our out leaders that I could get back to being the best player I possibly could be. And this is incredibly rewarding for the effort that I have put in.
On his role models:
A number of players across the journey. Matty Pavlich is the main player and person I sort of modelled my leadership off. After I won the Brownlow in 2015 we lost a preliminary final.
As joyous as winning a Brownlow was, it is all about winning a premiership. And I have now got two Brownlows, no premierships.
On Ross Lyon:
I wish he was here tonight. He's played a major part in my career. Eight years he was my coach. He took us to preliminaries and a grand final. I won a Brownlow while playing for him and a second now. I caught up with him last weekend. We had a couple of beers. He is not lost to the footy world.
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