Brownlow Medal crowning glory for Dangerfield

When Geelong lured Patrick Dangerfield out of Adelaide, it was hoped he would elevate them to AFL’S promised land.

Dangerfield is congratulated by his wife Mardi and teammate Joel Selwood. Picture: Wayne Ludbey.

When Geelong lured Patrick Dangerfield out of Adelaide, it was hoped he would elevate them to the AFL’s promised land in 2016.

But while the Cats’ premiership dream was savaged by Sydney on Friday night, Dangerfield’s individual brilliance was rightly recognised when he claimed the Brownlow Medal last night, polling a record 35 votes. Dangerfield surpassed the previous record of retired Collingwood star Dane Swan under the 3-2-1 system who polled 34 votes in 2011.

His win resulted in the TAB paying out over $1.5 million — the largest liability of all time to eclipse the $1.31m handed out after Swan’s victory.

It was Geelong’s third Brownlow Medal winner of the past 10 years after Gary Ablett Jr in 2009 and Jimmy Bartel in 2007, and seventh in history. “It has been a great year. I have been so lucky to be part of what is an incredible football club in Geelong,” Dangerfield said. “The guy to my right (Joel Selwood) has been an inspiration to me this season ... but there are so many stories about this football club, about why it is great, and I feel so privileged to (represent them).”

Sydney midfielder Luke Parker enjoyed a terrific season to finish second, a whopping nine votes behind, while Richmond’s Dustin Martin was third on 25 votes.

But it was Dangerfield’s night as widely expected, with the Cat starting the shortest-priced favourite in the award’s history at $1.16.

Midway through an astonishing season, Dangerfield filmed a promotion in which he surfed a wave along the Great Ocean Road dressed in a suit.

The 26-year-old may not quite walk on water, though one suspects he would give it a fair shake. But he glides over the ground like few before him and in the eyes of the umpires, he proved a miracle worker.

For a period, it was tight, with Parker outpacing him at different stages in the first half of the count.

Gallery

After 15 rounds the pair shared top billing with 20 votes, but Dangerfield was able to edge ahead when he polled a vote against Sydney in round 16 despite the Swans winning the match by 38 points.

An eighth best afield for the season against the Western Bulldogs in round 19 moved him to 28 votes, seven clear of the ineligible Rory Sloane, a former teammate who made a late charge along with Martin.

The disappointment of last Friday aside, which was scarcely his fault as he gathered 39 possessions alongside captain Selwood, Dangerfield compiled one of the great AFL seasons.

He made a clean sweep of all the major awards, winning the AFL Players Association MVP, the coaches’ association player of the year and all major media awards, while earning All Australian status for the fourth time.

Clearly the return home worked for him, with the lure of his family and the hamlet of Moggs Creek, along the Bellarine Peninsula, persuading him to leave Adelaide in one of the biggest recruiting coups this century.

Dangerfield started brilliantly with his new club, gathering 43 touches against Hawthorn on Easter Monday to earn his first three votes for the night.

The Oberon High graduate hit the front for the first time after polling three votes against West Coast in round 7.

Bartel was also honoured when the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award for revealing the domestic abuse he and his family suffered at the hands of his father in a bid to raise awareness about the problem.

Eddie Betts claimed the goal of the year award, while Kangaroo Majak Daw was awarded the mark of the year.

The 1989 Brownlow Medallist Paul Couch, who died earlier this year after collapsing on a bike ride, was honoured last night by several of his former Geelong teammates.