Gary Ablett Brownlow Medal winner

GEELONG superstar Gary Ablett has won his first Brownlow Medal in what he hopes will be a week of triumph for the Cats.

GEELONG superstar Gary Ablett has won his first Brownlow Medal in what he hopes will be a week of triumph for the Cats.

Ablett finished the count in a blaze of glory, picking up seven votes in the final three rounds to finish on 30, eight clear of the runner-up, Carlton captain Chris Judd. 

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Ablett had the award won by Round 20, when he led by seven votes with only two rounds to go. 

Ablett's vote tally equals the 30 votes Judd polled to win in 2004, as the most since St Kilda's Robert Harvey tallied 32 in 1998.

Ablett's win gives Geelong a buoyant start to a week that will end with their third straight grand final appearance, against St Kilda on Saturday.

The 25-year-old will aim to emulate teammate Jimmy Bartel, who two years ago won the Brownlow before playing alongside Ablett in the Cats' premiership.

It is the fourth time in five seasons a medallist has been a member of one of the grand final sides.

Ben Cousins was part of West Coast's losing team in 2005, while Sydney's Adam Goodes followed suit in 2006.

The Brownlow is fitting reward for Ablett, the hot pre-count favourite.

He last week took out the AFL players' association's most valuable player award for a third straight season, and is favoured to also claim a third consecutive AFL coaches' association's champion player award on Tuesday night.

Ablett had been highly fancied heading into Brownlow nights in the past two seasons.

He was upstaged by Bartel in 2007, coming equal sixth, despite winning the Cats' best and fairest.

Last year he shared third place with Richmond's Matthew Richardson, behind the Western Bulldogs' Adam Cooney and runner-up, Brisbane's Simon Black.

Ablett's win will feed the debate about whether his status has overtaken that of his legendary father Gary Ablett Sr.

Unlike his father, he now has the game's highest individual and team honours.

Ablett's win continues the trend of midfielders dominating the award and also of winners coming from high-performing teams.

Not since Hawthorn's Shane Crawford in 1999 has a medallist come from a side missing the finals.

Ablett won despite missing three games through injury, the most missed by any Brownlow winner since the 22-round season was introduced in 1994.

He averaged 34.5 disposals in his 19 matches, booted 24 goals and made 84 tackles.

While Brownlow voting covers only the regular season, Ablett's hot form has continued into the finals, with a best afield performance in Geelong's preliminary final thrashing of Collingwood on Saturday night.