This was published 3 years ago

Wines equals Martin’s record to claim Port’s first Brownlow

By Daniel Cherny

September 19, 2021 — 10.17pm

Port Adelaide star Ollie Wines equalled the Brownlow Medal votes record as he charged home to secure the 2021 prize in the final round of the season after a thrilling count on Sunday night.

Having led for much of the second half of the count, Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli was pipped at the death, let down by his side’s poor finish to the home-and-away season.

Ollie Wines finished strongly to win the Brownlow Medal on Sunday night.Credit: AFL Photos

Wines and Bontempelli had been level on 33 votes heading into the final two rounds of the season, with Wines edging into the lead with a one-vote showing against Carlton in round 22.

Wines’ 34-disposal match against the Bulldogs in round 23 secured him two votes, meaning he finished on 36, equalling Dustin Martin’s 2017 count for the most votes under the 3-2-1 system. Wines, from Echuca, became Port’s first Brownlow medallist. He polled in a record 16 matches, including 11 of the last 12.

Port Adelaide’s Ollie Wines toasts his victory.Credit: Getty Images

“I’m a little bit rattled to be honest, still,” said Wines, 26, who was in Perth for the count.

“There are so many great players that I still look up to at my age, who have had tremendous seasons and a lot of them are playing on Saturday in the biggest game of the year, and I’m extremely envious of them.”

Bontempelli, who unlike Wines will feature in the grand final on Saturday night, had just 15 disposals in that final home-and-away game, finishing as runner-up with 33 votes.

Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver polled three votes against Geelong in the last round of the season to claim third place with 31 votes.

Carlton’s Sam Walsh finished fourth with 30 votes. It was the first time under the 3-2-1 system that more than two players had polled 30 or more votes.

What shaped as the most open Brownlow count in years began with Melbourne players polling heavily early, unsurprising given the Demons started the season with nine straight wins.

Ollie Wines is congratulated by partner Olivia May.Credit: Getty Images

However, while Oliver sat second after 10 rounds, he’d had to contend with plenty of competition from teammates Christian Petracca and Max Gawn.

The season’s other fast-starters, the Bulldogs, had the leader through 10 rounds in Bontempelli, who was one vote clear of Oliver at that stage on 18.

Walsh (16) and Essendon’s Darcy Parish (14) took the lion’s share of their respective clubs’ votes to fill third and fourth spots after 10 rounds.

Wines shot to the lead after round six but then had a quiet patch as veteran teammate Travis Boak mopped up a heap of votes, edging clear of Wines and into the top five by round 10.

Oliver’s 33-disposal showing in the Dees’ win over the Dogs in round 11 earnt the Demon the maximum three votes, meaning he took the lead from Bontempelli.

Petracca and Gawn shared five votes between them the following round against Brisbane, with Bontempelli’s three votes against Fremantle putting the Bulldog back into the lead. Parish’s best afield showing in a losing side against Richmond meant he was just one vote shy of Bontempelli through 12 rounds.

Wines had a purple patch in mid-season, racing to 20 votes after 14 rounds. But he was four shy of Bontempelli, who moved to 24 on the back of a 39-disposal showing in his side’s after-the-siren loss to Geelong.

Oliver’s three-vote game against Essendon in round 15 moved him into outright second, but Bontempelli’s seventh three-vote game of the season – this time against West Coast – meant he restored a four-vote buffer.

Bontempelli missed out in his team’s round-16 win against North Melbourne as Wines and Parish closed in.

Walsh kept coming too, with three votes in his side’s round-17 loss to Geelong, leaving him in equal-second with six rounds remaining.

Marcus Bontempelli at the Brownlow Medal count.Credit: AFL Photos

Wines, Walsh and Bontempelli all polled three votes in round 18, meaning Bontempelli had a three-vote lead.

Bontempelli polled three more against Melbourne in round 19, gaining important breathing space from Oliver. Wines wouldn’t go away though, picking up the maximum three in the same round against Collingwood.

Wines picked up two votes against Greater Western Sydney in round 20, leaving him just one adrift of Bontempelli with three rounds to go.

Wines then picked up one vote in his side’s narrow win over Adelaide, drawing level with Bontempelli who didn’t poll in his team’s round-21 loss to Essendon.

Richmond’s Shai Bolton won mark of the year for his round-eight launch against Geelong, edging teammate Jack Riewoldt and Hawthorn’s Tim O’Brien.

Fremantle young gun Caleb Serong won the prize for goal of the year for his effort from the pocket in heavy traffic during the Dockers’ thrilling round-22 win over West Coast.

“Yeah, I don’t think much was going through my head in that situation, I just got up as quick as I could and smacked it on the boot. I’m pretty glad I went for it,” Serong said of his goal.

Boak won the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award for his work with child cancer patients.

At the commencement of the count at the main event room in Perth, AFL chief Gillon McLachlan issued a call to arms. “And for those who play or love our game at every level, right across our football community, I have a simple message – please go and get vaccinated. So we can once more unite as families, as friends, as work colleagues, as footy fans, as neighbours – as communities. As one,” McLachlan said.

BROWNLOW TOP 10

Ollie Wines (Port Adelaide) 36
Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs) 33
Clayton Oliver (Melbourne) 31
Sam Walsh (Carlton) 30
Jack Steele (St Kilda) 26
Darcy Parish (Essendon) 26
Travis Boak (Port Adelaide) 25
Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn) 25
Christian Petracca (Melbourne) 23
Jarryd Lyons (Brisbane Lions) 23