I hope it's NOT Ablett

Quote:Can Gary Ablett win the 2008 Brownlow medal?
Article from: The Sunday Times

Kim Hagdorn
September 20, 2008 06:00pm

GARY Ablett faces a tense last hour in Monday night's Brownlow Medal count.
The Geelong sensation should lead the counting at the halfway stage before being swamped, but a quinella between Ablett and reigning Brownlow medallist Jimmy Bartel is still on the cards.

Champion Data's Glenn Luff says Ablett's claims are the strongest of the past decade.

``Statistically, he's had the best season from a player since we started doing stats 10 years ago,'' he says.

``That proves just what an amazing season Ablett has had. On our statistics there is a big gap between Ablett and second (Luke Hodge) on our rankings.''

It is not inconceivable that Ablett and Bartel could share this year's medal.

But to win in his own right, Ablett must defy history.

Not since the great Haydn Bunton (Sr) took his second medal in 1932, has a player won after missing four games or more in a season.

Ablett missed matches in Round 7, as well as 16 to 18 after twisting his right ankle against Fremantle at Skilled Stadium moments into the second term in Round 15. He won't poll votes in that game against the Dockers either.

In fact, Ablett may only poll votes in one game after his flying start up to Round 13, for his 32-possession, three goals and five tackle demolition of Sydney at Homebush Stadium in Round 20.

Hopes for Ablett to win the game's highest individual award could well hinge on how votes are cast for the last match of the season at Geelong against West Coast.

The Cats mauled the Eagles by 99 points with clever forward Steve Johnson booting six goals from 28 possessions and Joel Selwood with 29 touches vying for three and two votes.

Ablett, with 30 disposals and five tackles, as well as five free kicks from the umpires that day and Bartel with his 28 possessions and five frees and nine tackles, could battle it out for the remaining vote.

Champion Data predicts Ablett and Bartel to end up with 26 votes each.

Their medal claims are remarkably similar.

In his 18 outings Ablett amassed 508 possessions at an average of 28.2 a game, while Bartel collected 617 touches from his 22 matches at an average of 28 a day.

Ablett finished his mid-field supremacy with 24 goals and Bartel 21 and they slap on about six tackles a game each.

Ablett racked up 25 possessions or more in 14 games, while Bartel managed over 25 disposals 15 times.

Teammate Joel Corey managed to overshadow the medal favourites with his accumulation of disposals, racking up 640 from 22 outings at an amazing average of 29.

But Corey is not as productive with his finishing, managing only six goals.

History shows that over the past two decades winners have managed an average of more than 22 possessions a game but also finished with more than 20 goals.

After 13 rounds the brilliant Ablett is expected to have polled in the region of 23 votes from as many as five best afield efforts.

At the same stage, teammate and reigning medallist Bartel is expected to have a dozen votes and make a powerful surge for a second successive medal with stunning late season form.

St Kilda superstar and All-Australian centre-half-forward Nick Riewoldt is expected to also close in on Ablett's early dominance.

Only Western Bulldogs on-baller Adam Cooney could rival Ablett at the midway stage.

Cooney was at his explosive best from Rounds 9-14 when he is expected to make his charge at Ablett. But the Bulldogs star is not expected to be prominent as his form subsides just as his team lost five of their last seven games.

Outstanding mid-season revivals and anticipated closing stage surges from Carlton superstar Chris Judd, Riewoldt and North Melbourne favourite Brent Harvey are all expected close on Ablett's barnstorming start.

Judd, 25, is a proven vote winner who cannot be ignored.

The least votes the mercurial midfielder has collected in his past five seasons were 12 in 2003, when he polled his first votes.

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,...01,00.html

Not Ablett...

Cooney's shock Brownlow win

ADAM Cooney has suprised everyone by beating hot favourites Gary Ablett and Jimmy Bartel to win the Brownlow Medal with 24 votes, one ahead of Brisbane's Simon Black.

In one of the most exciting finishes in Brownlow history Adam Cooney picked up three votes in round 22 and two in round 21 to surge to the front having not polled a single one for the seven preceeding rounds.

In the final round ahead by one vote he missed out on any votes but so did all his major rivals, Gary Ablett, Matthew Richardson and Simon Black.

Cooney then hit the stage and gave one of the most laid-back but funny and genuine acceptance speeches seen at the Brownlow.

Brownlow Medal Count

24: Adam Cooney (Western Bulldogs)
23: Simon Black (Brisbane Lions)
22: Gary Ablett (Geelong), Matthew Richardson (Richmond)
21: *Adam Goodes (Sydney)
20: *Lance Franklin (Hawthorn)
19: Joel Selwood (Geelong)
17: Brent Harvey (North Melbourne), Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle)
16: Chris Judd (Carlton), Brad Sewell (Hawthorn)

(*) Denotes ineligibility

(09-27-2008 03:33 PM)Coffee Break Wrote:  Not Ablett...

Yes a great result Ablett not wining....The Geelong-Ablett double was never gonna happen and I bet accordingly........Blew my winnings when Geelong chocked yesterday

Footage of Ablett in tears after the game.....priceless

Quote:Gary Ablett weeps as Cats miss cream
Article from: Sunday Herald Sun
Peter Rolfe and Evonne Barry

September 28, 2008 12:00am

THERE were tears on the field - then again in the rooms - for inconsolable Geelong hero Gary Ablett.

The midfielder played out of his skin in an effort to lift the Cats to back-to-back premierships, but while he was crying tears of joy last year, yesterday Ablett wept in misery.

And there were tears again - this time in the Geelong rooms with girlfriend Lauren Phillips as she tried to console the young star.