Patrick Cripps is emerging as the early Brownlow favourite, despite essentially missing two of the first eight games.
The Blues skipper is comfortably leading the AFLCA votes and back in his best form after two years of struggles.
Aside from his injury-impacted Round 4 performance, Cripps has not dipped below 30 disposals this season and has also kicked 13 goals, something he has added to his repertoire.
David King believes he may already have 18 Brownlow votes.
“Look at Patrick Cripps’ season and the numbers are just ridiculous,” King told SEN’s Whateley.
“Ollie Wines last year at the bye was on 15 (Brownlow) votes and he’d had a lot of 30-plus disposal games, but he’d only had three games where he’d kicked a goal.
“Patrick Cripps, can I just read you his season so far. It is just ridiculous.
“Round 1 he had 30 disposals and three goals in a win. Then he went 35 and two goals in a win. Then he went 31 disposals and 1.1 in a win. Then he got injured. Then he came back and went 32 and three goals against the Dockers. 35 and 1.2 against North Melbourne. 35 and two goals against Adelaide.
“They are all three-voters. He’s on 18 after his six games. That sort of form – how do you tag him?
“I’ve seen 100 people try and tag Patrick Cripps and the best one was probably Scott Pendlebury. There’s better opposition to come and there’s games where they may not be as successful as a team, so you don’t get the three-voters, or do you say, they’re going to win those games now, they’re a top four team now, and they’ll win those games because of Patrick Cripps.”
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