Concealed On Monday night, after the AFL CEO Andrew Dillon’s wife made an astounding slip of the tongue while walking the red carpet at the Brownlow Medal ceremony, footy fans responded in shock.
Interviewed by former Collingwood and Carlton player Dale ‘Daisy’ Thomas, Amanda Dillon was asked who she thought should win the greatest individual footy award. ‘I would like to watch [Western Bulldogs player] Marcus Bontempelli, but I’ve been told he’s maybe not in the mix,’ she said in an odd declaration. However, we’ll see.
Fans quickly began to wonder if Mrs. Dillon had been given any insider information before to the event at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium. “What apologise?” This medal is a farce,’ a vengeful admirer tweeted in reaction to the alleged gaffe. Another person questioned, “How does Andrew Dillon’s wife know the Bont isn’t going to be winning?”
“Is Andrew Dillon’s wife’s comment going to be investigated or are we sweeping that under the rug?” enquired a third person. The votes, which came only from AFL umpires, were withheld until the opulent ceremony, when they were finally released round by round, in keeping with Brownlow Medal tradition.
In the end, Bontempelli tied Port Adelaide’s Jason Horne-Francis for equal 14th place in the tally with 19 points. Meanwhile, Patrick Cripps, the captain of Carlton, secured his second AFL Brownlow Medal, garnering an unprecedented 45 votes to win the title with great confidence. Additionally, in 2022, the 29-year-old took home the most coveted individual award in the game. With four rounds remaining, Cripps remarkably held an insurmountable advantage. Nick Daicos of Collingwood came in second place with 38 points, followed by Zak Butters of Port Adelaide in third place with 29 points.
Renowned Melbourne Demons 2021 premiership player Angus Brayshaw made a moving toast on behalf of his teammates who have also hung up their boots during the preseason after having to retire due to recurrent concussions. Among them were Tom Hawkins, a crucial forward for Geelong, and superstar Dustin Martin of Richmond. In his first season as a West Coast midfielder, Harley Reid earned goal of the year, and Collingwood’s Bobby Hill won mark of the year. A ruckman from Adelaide named Reilly O’Brien won the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award.