Historic Brownlow low makes West Coast Eagles a laughing stock

The Brownlow medal has given West Coast one final slap in the face as the club’s season of misery shows no end in sight.

It’s been a long year. Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Just when West Coast finally thought the year of misery was done, the Brownlow medal has given the football club one final kick in the guts.

The Eagles on Sunday night set a historic new low in the history of the league’s most prestigious award, amassing a combined vote tally of just 15 votes.

While Western Australian product Patrick Cripps won the medal in a thrilling count, there will be no celebrating in Perth.

The presentation turned into a bloodbath for one of the league’s biggest clubs as it polled the fewest votes in the AFL era of the competition, according to Fox Footy’s Max Laughton.

The club’s tally was one vote fewer than the shambolic Demons team of 2013 and two votes fewer than the Giants’ embarrassing 2013.

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Even North Melbourne, whose 2022 season was branded by some as the worst ever seen in the AFL era, polled a combined 31 votes.

The Eagles polled the same number of votes as Port Adelaide’s Karl Amon and Sydney’s Luke Parker.

Adam Simpson addresses his players. Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Josh Kennedy was the club’s top performer with six votes off the back of two best-on-ground performances in Rounds 15 and 21, foxsports.com.au reports.

Others polling were Tim Kelly (three votes in Round 16), Jack Darling (two in Round 20), Jeremy McGovern (two in Round 4), Andrew Gaff (one vote in Round 12) and Junior Rioli (one vote in Round 15).

Fewest #Brownlow votes for a team in the AFL era

WEST COAST 2022 - 15
Melbourne 2013 - 16
GWS 2013 - 17
Brisbane 2016, Fitzroy 1996 - 20
Gold Coast 2019, GWS 2012 - 22@FOXFOOTY

— Max Laughton (@maxlaughton) September 18, 2022

The club only managed two wins for the year to finish 17th, closing out the season with an eight-match losing streak.

The club dealt with an injury crisis, a nightclub scandal, pride jumper fiasco and an ongoing vaccination headache.

The hits have kept coming for the club even following the end of the home and away season with Junior Rioli officially requesting a trade.

The Eagles star was sighted in Adelaide meeting with Port Adelaide officials where he said he hoped to join the club, before he returned to Perth.

Despite Rioli claiming the move was motivated by family connections, the Eagles weren’t happy with the trade request and did little to hide their emotion with Rioli.

It doesn’t get lower than this.

Here’s how every club finished the 2022 Brownlow count.

ADELAIDE CROWS

Taylor Walker – 14

Ben Keays – 11

Rory Laird – 10

Jordan Dawson – 8

Sam Berry – 2

Darcy Fogarty – 2

Reilly O‘Brien – 2

Josh Rachele – 1

Brodie Smith – 1

BRISBANE LIONS

Lachie Neale – 28

Hugh McCluggage – 14

Jarryd Lyons – 7

Zac Bailey – 5

Dayne Zorko – 5

Cam Rayner – 4

Charlie Cameron – 3

Jarrod Berry – 2

Rhys Mathieson – 2

Daniel McStay – 2

Keidean Coleman -1

Lincoln McCarthy – 1

CARLTON

Patrick Cripps – 29

Sam Walsh – 14

Charlie Curnow – 11

Sam Docherty – 9

Harry McKay – 7

Adam Cerra – 5

George Hewett – 4

Matthew Kennedy – 4

Adam Saad – 3

Nic Newman – 2

Zac Williams – 1

COLLINGWOOD

Jack Crisp – 11

Nick Daicos – 11

Jordan De Goey – 10

Darcy Cameron – 4

Josh Daicos – 4

Patrick Lipinski – 4

Jamie Elliott – 3

Jack Ginnivan – 3

Brody Mihocek – 3

Steele Sidebottom – 3

Taylor Adams – 2

Scott Pendlebury – 2

Mason Cox – 1

Brodie Grundy – 1

Oliver Henry – 1

ESSENDON

Zach Merrett – 17

Peter Wright – 8

Darcy Parish – 6

Mason Redman – 5

Dylan Shiel – 4

Nic Martin – 2

Jake Stringer – 2

Sam Draper – 1

Nick Hind – 1

Jordan Ridley – 1

FREMANTLE

Andrew Brayshaw – 25

Will Brodie – 11

Rory Lobb – 7

Sean Darcy – 6

Lachie Schultz – 6

Caleb Serong – 5

Hayden Young – 5

David Mundy – 4

Blake Acres – 3

James Aish – 3

Luke Ryan – 3

Matt Taberner – 3

Jordan Clark – 1

Alex Pearce – 1

GEELONG CATS

Jeremy Cameron – 19

Cameron Guthrie – 13

Mark Blicavs – 9

Tom Stewart – 9

Tom Hawkins – 8

Patrick Dangerfield – 6

Tyson Stengle – 6

Isaac Smith – 5

Zach Tuohy – 5

Mitch Duncan – 4

Joel Selwood – 4

Max Holmes – 2

Sam Menegola – 2

GOLD COAST SUNS

Touk Miller – 27

Noah Anderson – 14

Brandon Ellis – 5

David Swallow – 5

Matt Rowell – 4

Lachie Weller – 4

Jarrod Witts – 4

Mabior Chol – 3

Brayden Fiorini – 3

Connor Budarick – 2

Izak Rankine – 2

Ben Ainsworth – 1

Alex Sexton – 1

GWS GIANTS

Josh Kelly – 13

Tim Taranto – 6

Harry Himmelberg – 5

Jesse Hogan – 5

Stephen Coniglio – 4

Tom Green – 4

Callum M. Brown – 3

Toby Greene – 3

Lachie Whitfield – 2

Tanner Bruhn – 1

Isaac Cumming – 1

James Peatling – 1

Sam Taylor – 1

Callan Ward – 1

HAWTHORN

Jai Newcombe – 11

Tom Mitchell – 9

James Sicily – 7

Changkuoth Jiath – 6

Luke Breust – 3

Jack Gunston – 3

Mitch Lewis – 3

Jaeger O‘Meara – 2

Dylan Moore – 1

MELBOURNE

Clayton Oliver – 25

Christian Petracca – 24

Max Gawn – 12

Angus Brayshaw – 7

Ed Langdon – 7

Jack Viney – 7

Kysaiah Pickett – 4

James Harmes – 2

Luke Jackson – 2

Tom McDonald – 2

Jake Lever – 1

Jake Melksham – 1

NORTH MELBOURNE

Luke Davies-Uniacke – 8

Jy Simpkin – 6

Nick Larkey – 5

Jack Ziebell – 4

Cameron Zurhaar – 3

Hugh Greenwood – 2

Luke McDonald – 2

Bailey Scott – 1

PORT ADELAIDE

Karl Amon – 15

Connor Rozee – 14

Ollie Wines – 13

Sam Powell-Pepper – 11

Travis Boak – 10

Zak Butters – 3

Dan Houston – 3

Todd Marshall – 3

Charlie Dixon – 1

Jeremy Finlayson – 1

RICHMOND

Dion Prestia – 19

Tom J. Lynch – 14

Shai Bolton – 12

Liam Baker – 6

Jayden Short – 6

Trent Cotchin – 5

Toby Nankervis – 3

Noah Balta – 2

Jack Graham – 2

Dustin Martin – 2

Marlion Pickett – 2

Nathan Broad – 1

Jack Riewoldt – 1

ST KILDA

Jack Steele – 13

Brad Crouch – 10

Jack Sinclair – 9

Jack Higgins – 7

Max King – 6

Jade Gresham – 5

Bradley Hill – 4

Paddy Ryder – 4

Dan Hannebery – 3

Rowan Marshall – 3

Ben Long – 2

Mason Wood – 2

Dan Butler -1

Jack Hayes – 1

Tim Membrey – 1

Sebastian Ross – 1

SYDNEY SWANS

Callum Mills – 21

Luke Parker – 16

Chad Warner – 12

Lance Franklin – 8

Isaac Heeney – 7

Tom Papley – 5

Peter Ladhams – 4

Errol Gulden – 3

Tom McCartin – 2

Justin McInerney – 2

Sam Reid – 2

Jake Lloyd – 1

WEST COAST EAGLES

Josh J. Kennedy – 6

Tim Kelly – 3

Jack Darling – 2

Jeremy McGovern – 2

Andrew Gaff – 1

Willie Rioli – 1

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Josh Dunkley – 14

Jack Macrae – 11

Marcus Bontempelli – 10

Bailey Smith – 10

Tom Liberatore – 7

Tim English – 6

Aaron Naughton – 6

Adam Treloar – 6

Bailey Dale – 3

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan – 2