The AFL captains have installed Crows midfielder Patrick Dangerfield as second favourite for the 2014 Brownlow Medal.
In the annual Captain’s Survey, three club leaders backed Dangerfield to claim the Brownlow. Dangerfield, 23, finished fifth in the voting last season on 22 votes.
Scott Pendlebury (four votes) was the favourite with the captains, edging out Dangerfield and reigning Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett, who also received three nominations.
Nathan Fyfe (Fremantle, 2), Dustin Martin (Richmond, 1), Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn, 1), Jarryd Roughead (Hawthorn, 1), Joel Selwood (Geelong Cats, 1), Dane Swan (Collingwood, 1) and Jobe Watson (Essendon, 1) were the other players to receive votes. Last year, three captains successfully nominated Ablett to claim the League’s highest individual honour.
2013 John Coleman Medallist Jarryd Roughead received four votes as the choice to again lead the goalkicking this season, but West Coast’s Josh Kennedy and Collingwood’s Travis Cloke were each given five votes. No captain correctly selected Roughead to claim the Coleman last year.
The full voting for leading goalkicker was: Travis Cloke (Collingwood, 5 votes), Josh Kennedy (West Coast, 5), Jarryd Roughead (Hawthorn, 4), Lance Franklin (Sydney Swans, 3) and Jack Riewoldt (Richmond, 1).
The captains believe Gold Coast will produce a second-consecutive Rising Star winner.
Promising onballer Jack Martin was the overwhelming favourite, receiving seven votes. The captains were astute judges of this award last year – nine correctly nominated eventual winner Jaeger O’Meara.
James Aish (Brisbane Lions, 2), Jack Billings (St Kilda, 2), Joe Daniher (Essendon, 2), Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs, 1), Harry Cunningham (Sydney Swans, 1), Brodie Grundy (Collingwood, 1), Josh Kelly (GWS Giants, 1) and Luke McDonald (North Melbourne, 1) were the other players to receive votes.
Be there to watch ‘Danger’ in action this season. Get onboard as a Crows member. Find out more about 2014 membership
