2019 AFL Brownlow Medal odds, tips and betting predictions

The Chas Brownlow Trophy, more commonly known as the Brownlow Medal, is awarded to the player deemed the fairest and best throughout the AFL season.

Votes are awarded by the umpires at the end of each match and formally read aloud by the current CEO of the AFL at an end-of-season count that has become one of the highlight events on the Australian sports calendar.

Over the years since 1924 the ‘Charlie’ has been honoured as the highest individual accolade a player can be given, and the list of past winners makes for a who’s who of VFL/AFL legends.

Last year’s Brownlow Medal was one of the easiest to predict, with Tom Mitchell winning by a four-vote margin on the back of a record-breaking year in the Hawthorn midfield.

This year is a completely different ball game, with as many as nine players in realistic contention in the 2019 Brownlow Medal betting markets.

Patrick Dangerfield

$2.85 at Sportsbet

The 2016 Brownlow Medal winner has enjoyed yet another brilliant season for the Geelong Cats, finding over 30 disposals in eight matches and kicking 25 goals.

The explosive midfielder has been under the nose of the umpires for the entire season and makes a noticeable impact when he pushes forward.

As a previous winner, Dangerfield is well-known to the voters and is a rightful favourite.

Lachie Neale

$5 at Bet365

Moving to the Brisbane Lions has been a very beneficial move for Neale.

The prolific midfielder previously played in the shadow of Nat Fyfe at Fremantle, but he flourished immediately at Brissy and jumped out to early favouritism.

Neale did not miss a match all season and had over 30 disposals 11 times, including four matches over 40 and one massive 51 in round 23.

Marcus Bontempelli

$6 at Sportsbet

Bontempelli has improved yet again upon his last season and now ranks among the league’s best midfielders.

While he does not rack up massive numbers week to week, the classy on-baller is a step ahead of the competition and makes his disposals count.

He’s one of the most damaging players in the game and will poll very well this year.

Nat Fyfe

$6.50 at Sportsbet

Fyfe is our pick to win his second Brownlow Medal after another brilliant season.

Previous winners have had certain aesthetics that get them noticed, and the Fremantle hero’s black elbow guard due to a preseason elbow injury gave him a distinct look.

Fyfe would be a worthy winner on merit alone, having collected more disposals in a season than ever before.

Patrick Cripps

$12 at Bet365

For Carlton supporters, there hasn’t been a player as good as Cripps in years.

A massive midfielder who stands taller than many key position players, he is a contested-ball machine and has a rare ability to lift for big occasions.

Cripps won over his peers to claim the AFL Players’ Association Player of the Year award, but whether he did enough to win over the umpires is another question.

Brodie Grundy

$21 at Ladbrokes

The Brownlow Medal was known as a ruckman’s award for many years, but midfielders have dominated the count in recent times.

Grundy may flip the script this season after another impressive year in which he has filled the stats sheet with midfielder-like numbers while also dominating the hitouts.

The Collingwood Magpies star polled 17 votes last season and the umpires still copped flak for ignoring him, so we can expect a bigger tally this time around.

Adam Treloar

$26 at Sportsbet

With 18 matches surpassing 30 disposals, Treloar is the dark horse for this year’s Brownlow.

The former GWS midfielder has played well in all the Collingwood wins this year and will be fighting for votes amongst a sea of brilliant Magpies players.

If there were fewer stars in the Collingwood midfield (and a less dominant ruckman), you may have seen Treloar poll enough votes to win.

Tim Kelly

$34 at Ladbrokes

For a second-year player to be in contention for the Brownlow Medal is a huge achievement.

But after leading the betting for the first half of the season, Kelly has fallen away from the debate in recent months.

The West Australian’s poise and class makes him a standout with the ball in hand, but he has to fight Patrick Dangerfield and several other Geelong stars who lifted in the back half of the year.

Jack Macrae

$34 at Sportsbet

If not for Marcus Bontempelli and Josh Dunkley, you could lock in Macrae to be among the top-five vote getters.

The Bulldogs star is now one of the AFL’s premier ball-winners and was the club’s leading vote-getter in 2018, polling 14 in an injury-interrupted year.

But while there is a strong correlation between disposals and Brownlow votes, Macrae can get lost in the mix when his more eye-catching teammates are on song.