Brownlow Medal in 2018: Fox Footy experts tip $51 shot Dylan Shiel from GWS to win

HE is described as “classy, polished, kicks goals” and is being tipped by two Fox Footy experts to win this year’s Brownlow Medal but we are not talking about Dustin Martin.

2017 AFL Brownlow Medal Count at Crown Palladium. Richmonds Dustin Martin with the Brownlow medal. Pic: Michael Klein

GREATER Western Sydney midfielder Dylan Shiel has been identified as a Brownlow Medal smoky by some of the game’s greats who are also expecting Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe to rise once again this year.

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Shiel — who is rated a $51 chance with TAB to win the game’s highest individual honour — polled just 11 Brownlow Medal votes last season but recorded 21 or more disposals in every home-and-away game.

The Herald Sun quizzed 10 Fox Footy experts with a combined 3010 games of AFL experience about who they thought would win this year’s Brownlow Medal, with two nominating Shiel.

Former Hawthorn sharpshooter Jason Dunstall said Shiel was “beautifully balanced both sides of the body” while three-time Brisbane premiership player Jonathon Brown said the 25-year-old was his left-field pick outside of the obvious answers of Dustin Martin, Patrick Dangerfield and Fyfe.

“He does everything well, he’s classy, polished, kicks goals and he’s a high possession winner which is normally the main ingredient for umpires votes,” Brown said of Shiel.

GWS midfielder Dylan Shiel breaks free during last year’s preliminary final against Richmond. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Fyfe, the 2015 Brownlow Medal winner, also received two nominations after polling 15 votes in his return from a broken leg last year.

“He’s had a really tremendous off-season, he played really well in the International Rules Series,” former Dockers teammate Matthew Pavlich said.

“I think he’ll get back to his best.”

Western Bulldogs midfielder Marcus Bontempelli, who finished seventh in last year’s count with 19 votes, is also being tipped for a big season, drawing high praise from his former captain Bob Murphy who labelled him the “complete player”.

“He’s so devastating with the ball, he makes other people around him better, he defends better than probably what he’s given credit for,” Murphy said.

“(He) is the kind of player that will eventually win one so why not this year.”

Fellow former Bulldogs great Brad Johnson said he would love to see Lance Franklin win the award while premiership coach Paul Roos and two-time North Melbourne premiership player David King both tipped Richmond star Martin to go back-to-back.

FOX FOOTY EXPERTS PICK THIS YEAR’S BROWNLOW MEDAL WINNER

Jason Dunstall — Dylan Shiel (GWS)

Mark Ricciuto — Rory Sloane (Ade)

Brad Johnson — Lance Franklin (Syd)

Matthew Pavlich — Nat Fyfe (Fre)

Bob Murphy — Marcus Bontempelli (WB)

Jonathon Brown — Dylan Shiel (GWS)

Nick Riewoldt — Nat Fyfe (Fre)

Paul Roos — Dustin Martin (Rich)

David King — Dustin Martin (Rich)

Dermott Brereton — Marcus Bontempelli (WB)