AFL BROWNLOW MEDAL 2021
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* Brisbane's Lachie Neale was a runaway winner last year, but this time there is no standout favourite.
* It is the most even betting since West Coast's Matt Priddis was the surprise winner in 2014.
* The last shock winner was Fremantle's Nat Fyfe in 2019 ($7), who beat Geelong's Patrick Dangerfield (the $2.40 favourite)
* Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli and grand final opponents Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca are among the top contenders. Richmond's Dustin Martin is the only player to win the Brownlow, the Norm Smith Medal as best afield in the grand final and the premiership in the same year - 2017.
FAVOURITES
OLLIE WINES (Port Adelaide) - Ticks all the boxes: his team's top midfielder, a prolific ball winner, 30-plus possessions in 14 games. But historically the Power ball magnet doesn't poll well - his last top-10 finish was ninth in 2017. And teammate Travis Boak might take some votes off him. TAB odds: $3.25
CLAYTON OLIVER (Melbourne) - Finished 10th last year and surely will improve on that. The AFL Coaches Association's player of the year and, like Wines, a contested-ball master. But there are several Demons who would have caught the umpires' eye and this could well cost him. $3.50
MARCUS BONTEMPELLI (Western Bulldogs) - Given The Bont's lofty status in the game, surely it is only a matter of time before the Bulldogs' top player wins the Brownlow. Still, he has never finished in the top five and the depth of their midfield means there will be plenty of competition for votes. $4
JACK STEELE (St Kilda) - Fresh off his second-straight club best and fairest award, Steele is a value bet. While the Saints did not make the finals, neither did Fremantle two years ago when Fyfe snared his second Brownlow. Steele won't bleed votes to teammates, either. The question is whether he's caught the umpires' attention enough. $7
CHRISTIAN PETRACCA (Melbourne) - A proven vote winner, finishing third last year, and certain to feature again. But the winner hasn't had a teammate in the top five since 2011, when Collingwood's Dane Swan won and Scott Pendlebury was equal-fourth. That's bad news for Petracca and Oliver. $14.
Australian Associated Press
