Jack Macrae

[LostDoggy]

I agree. The most influential player on the ground is always nearly going to come from the winning team. They won by having more influential players on the ground. It goes to show how unbelievable Templeton's Brownlow win in 1980 was. He was a key forward (a KPF had never won it before) and his team won 5 games! He was a freak.

Back in the 70s and 80s a much more diverse range of players won the Brownlow. Key forwards (Templeton, Quinlan, Lockett), Defenders (Hardie, Murray, Glendinning), Wingers (Dipper, Greig twice), Rucks (Wynd, Dempsey, Moss, Thompson etc) and onballers (Libba, Platten, Williams, Wilson etc).

These days it's a lock that a mid will win. Ever since umpires votes were revealled on a match by match basis, and scrutiny has increased, their votes have become a lot more safe/stat based.

[Twodogs]

Back in the 70s and 80s a much more diverse range of players won the Brownlow. Key forwards (Templeton, Quinlan, Lockett), Defenders (Hardie, Murray, Glendinning), Wingers (Dipper, Greig twice), Rucks (Wynd, Dempsey, Moss, Thompson etc) and onballers (Libba, Platten, Williams, Wilson etc).

These days it's a lock that a mid will win. Ever since umpires votes were revealled on a match by match basis, and scrutiny has increased, their votes have become a lot more safe/stat based.

You know I could easily live without knowing who the umpires voted for. I couldn't care less who voted for what and strictly speaking it's none of my business. Then again if the umpires awarded all six votes to opposition players and we won by 100 points you'd want to have some of what they were on. I wonder what the maximum number of votes awarded to a team that lost is? Has a team that lost ever got all six votes?

Back in the day when they had those big boards on stage and the captains awkwardly shuffling around and putting the votes up on them it was a different way that they announced the votes wasn't it? They read out all the one votes first, then the twos and then the threes, did we have access to which umpire voted for whom back then? I guess they changed it in the '80s sometime. And you're right it's when the Brownlow went from being the best player to the best midfielder in the comp.

[Greystache]

Back in the 70s and 80s a much more diverse range of players won the Brownlow. Key forwards (Templeton, Quinlan, Lockett), Defenders (Hardie, Murray, Glendinning), Wingers (Dipper, Greig twice), Rucks (Wynd, Dempsey, Moss, Thompson etc) and onballers (Libba, Platten, Williams, Wilson etc).

These days it's a lock that a mid will win. Ever since umpires votes were revealled on a match by match basis, and scrutiny has increased, their votes have become a lot more safe/stat based.

The umpires also now give the 3 votes almost exclusively to the most high profile midfielder who played well on the day, knowing the impact it has on Brownlow night. If a Dangerfield/Fyfe/Martin plays well the get the 3, not the 2 or the 1, always the 3. Even when there was a player or two who were better on the day, the 3 now always goes to the high profile player. That's why to win now a player needs to poll 30-36 votes to win, where as 20-25 would often be enough.

Basically it's;

10-12 excellent games a year= 10-12 3 vote games= 30-36 votes. No twos or ones for good games.

[Ozza]

I'll be in the minority, and say that the umpires are not way off base in reflecting how the game is played now. It is a midfielders dominated game these days, with every player following the play from one end to the other, and the midfielders who can win clearances, gather big numbers and also hit the scoreboard - having the biggest impact on the result. It is how the game is played, and how it is coached.

Dusty had 11 3 vote games last season. And to be honest, are many or any, of these 3-vote performances in dispute.

Its possible that the premier players in the competition have never been more dominant than they are right now. And the best players usually play on ball - no matter what size they are.

[craigsahibee]

The Brownlow lost all credibility and relativity the year Shane Woewodin won it.

[Mofra]

The Brownlow lost all credibility and relativity the year Shane Woewodin won it.

I'm not so sure - he was very good that year (he was no Scott West though).
97 was a far bigger travesty, and Grant was desperately unlucky in 98 too.

[bornadog]

I'm not so sure - he was very good that year (he was no Scott West though).
97 was a far bigger travesty, and Grant was desperately unlucky in 98 too.

Grant could have won it, or drawn for first in 1996. The last game of the year he got 2 votes and Hird 3 only because they won.

[LostDoggy]

Grant could have won it, or drawn for first in 1996. The last game of the year he got 2 votes and Hird 3 only because they won.

What an awesome contest it was that night. I remember Hird and Grant slugging it out in contest after contest of highest quality. Just looked up the stats, Hird had 30 touches 13 marks, Grant had 24, 8 marks. I remember on the night thinking they totally matched each other, but hard to argue with Hird getting the nod.

Grant did miss the Brownlow by 1 vote, playing CHB in a team that won 5 games, amazing performance.

[jeemak]

Here's the stats sheet.

https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/...istics?mid=528

Grant with two could have been given the chocolates.

What really stands out is the hit outs and tackle count.........different game all together (cue Flying High response in unison).

[Twodogs]

Here's the stats sheet.

https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/...istics?mid=528

Grant with two could have been given the chocolates.

What really stands out is the hit outs and tackle count.........different game all together (cue Flying High response in unison).

I love that Chris kicks two from CHB and holds his opponent to none.

It was Steve Wallis's last match. Terry Wallace grabs him at 3/4 as the group is breaking up and asks them to win for him.

[Bulldog4life]

The Brownlow has turned into a bit of a farce, with players only getting three votes if their team wins. That is just bullshit. The brownlow is an individual award, and should be the best and fairest on the ground, not based on what his team mates did.

Agree. If that was the case in years gone by Bobby Skilton wouldn't have won 3 as South were mostly down the bottom end of the ladder.

[Twodogs]

Agree. If that was the case in years gone by Bobby Skilton wouldn't have won 3 as South were mostly down the bottom end of the ladder.

He played one final in his entire career in 1970 and Norm Smith wanted to drop him from that. Skilton was no sure thing to be selected.

I remember him going up to collect one of his Brownlows with two black eyes.

[bornadog]

It's 4 days from Round 1 and Jack Macrae's 100th game and I have not seen or heard of anything celebrating this all week, other than Bob's article on the club website.

It's Jack's career in a nutshell. He just goes about his job every week, unnoticed but hardly unappreciated by the Bulldog faithful. His last 40 games have been consistently good (some great) and his ability to work his team mates into the game is magical.

Congratulations Jack. Looking forward to many more games for the 'Dogs.

Has become an A Grader this year and starting to get noticed. He is a ball magnet:

Some stats

Players with 30 plus disposals in 2018

1x: 42 players
2x: 16 players
3x: 17 players
4x: 5 players
5x: 7 players
6x: 6 players
7x: 6 players
8x: 3 players
9x: 2 players
10x: 3 players
11x: L Neale C Oliver
12x: M Crouch A Gaff T Mitchell R Laird
13x: JACK MACRAE

[Rocket Science]

Jacko's one of those players that continually makes you feel grateful - and being a Dogs' supporter, oddly undeserving - we've got him.

It's curious, the lather over Tom Mitchell's exploits compared to the lack thereof with Macrae's.

[Twodogs]

Jacko's one of those players that continually makes you feel grateful - and being a Dogs' supporter, oddly undeserving - we've got him.

It's curious, the lather over Tom Mitchell's exploits compared to the lack thereof with Macrae's.

Jack doesn't elbow opponents to the head so obviously doesn't want to win as much. Probably isn't a good bloke like Mitchell either.