Australian Football Association of North America

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Geelong's Jimmy Bartel has become the first Cat since Paul Couch in 1989 to win the prestigious Brownlow Medal. His win came as the result of eight best on ground performances netting three votes each. All up, Bartel polled 29 votes to take out the honor. Prior to this season, Bartel had polled a total of 27 votes since his debut in 2002.

Gary Ablett, another hot favorite for the Brownlow, polled 20 votes. Joel Corey had one vote. The Bartel and Ablett votes were the most by two players from one club. With one vote to Joel Corey, the tally came to 61 votes for three Geelong players, a record for combined votes by three players from the same club.

Bartel got his first three votes in Round Three, then surged between Rounds 7-11 where he polled in every game, including three best-on-ground honors. A heavy knock suffered in Round 13 slowed him down a bit for several weeks. He then stormed home in Rounds 18-20 with three consecutive best-on-grounds before missing the final two games due to appendicitis surgery. The Round 20 voting put him seven votes clear.

The Brownlow Voting:
 
29 - Jimmy Bartel (GEEL)

22 - Simon Black (BRIS), Brent Harvey (KANG), Daniel Kerr (WCE)

21 - Sam Mitchell (HAW)

20 - Gary Ablett (GEEL), Dane Swan (COL), Adam Goodes (SYD)

18 - Scott Thompson (ADE)

17 - Jonathan Brown (BRIS)

16 - Nick Dal Santo (STK), Luke Hodge (HAW), Chris Judd (WCE), Shaun Burgoyne (PA)

15 - Andrew McLeod (ADE), Matthew Pavlich (FRE), Brett Kirk (SYD)

14 - Brad Johnson (WB), Nick Riewoldt (STK)

13 - Kane Cornes (PA), Adam Simpson (KANG)

12 - Joel Corey (GEEL), Chad Cornes (PA), Simon Goodwin (ADE), Heath Scotland (CARL)

11 - Andrew Carrazzo (CARL), Scott Lucas (ESS)

10 - Steven Johnson (GEEL)

Source: Melbourne Age & Herald Sun