Midfielders dominate all the major AFL awards. They win the most ball and find themselves in the spotlight.
Whether it’s the AFLPA MVP, Coaches Award, media awards or the Brownlow, midfielders lead the way regardless of the person judging the awards.
We saw that again at the 2022 Brownlow Medal, with almost no key defenders to be seen in the voting.
Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has revealed an exercise he and his list management team attempted a few years ago, rating the importance of three positions: key defender, ruckman and goal kicking midfielder.
“We did this exercise once in list management where you take the names off the board and put these roles in order: Key defender, ruckman, goal kicking midfielder,” Buckley told SEN Breakfast.
“Put them in order of importance to the game.
“At the time, we went key defender number one. You’ve got to have an intercept defender that can turn the game around.
“Goal kicking midfielder at number two, ruckman at number three and there’s no key defenders in the Brownlow voting or intercept defenders.”
Carlton on-baller Patrick Cripps claimed the medal by one vote from Brisbane’s Lachie Neale.