Tom May Be The Fairest But Is He The Best?

Hawthorn midfielder Tom Mitchell is now a unbackable favourite to take home the 2018 Brownlow Medal after Andrew Gaff’s massive 8 game suspension on the weekend other favourites Carlton’s Patrick Cripps just has not won enough games for him to be taken as a serious threat and Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver and Max Gawn will steal to many votes away from each other but unlike Martin, Danger and Fyfe of the last few years Mitchell favouritism isn’t as well received by fans.

 

In a Herald Sun Poll Mitchell was voted 6th by the fans with Dustin Martin, Patrick Dangerfield and Nathan Fyfe voted ahead of him and in the AFL coaches votes Max Gawn was voted the MVP of the AFL with Mitchell not getting a vote. The Charlie Brownlow Medal is for the Best and Fairest in the league for that season but is Mitchell really the best.

 

Yes he got 54 and 50 touches this season but how many games has he won. Could Hawthorn be pushing for top 4 if he wasn’t in the team. I would say no. If you look at 2014 Garry Ablett went down with the Suns looking to play their first ever final series and after he went down Gold Coast went on to lose all but one game but if Ablett never got injured would be safe to say the Suns would of played in the 2014 final series. Now swap Ablett with Mitchell would the Suns play finals? No swap Mitchell with Martin from last year do Richmond win the flag? I say no again Richmond 2018 has proven they can play with Martin having an ok game but 2017 Richmond would not of won the flag? Tom Mitchell may have the ball on a string at some point but he isn’t a player that teams should fear that why he isn’t tagged. No game has been won because Tom Mitchell switched it up a gear in a matter of fact I don’t think he even has that gear.

 

I like Mitchell as a player I even think he will captain Hawthorn one day but in a age predictable Brownlow medals this one says more about how down the players have been and not how good Mitchell is.

 

Do I think Mitchell will win this year’s Brownlow? Yes, I do there is no threat to him Martin and Danger has had an off year Fyfe been suspended and injured and. Patrick Cripps wouldn’t of won enough games Gawn and Oliver would get in each other’s way to much. He is the likely winner but he is far away from being the best player in the AFL.