Who will top the Swans vote in the 2021 Brownlow Medal? Who will join AFL Brownlow royalty? Which Swans are to set to poll for the first time in the game’s highest individual honour? And could a young Swan poll on debut?
All will be unveiled on Sunday night, September 19 (5:30pm AWST / 7:30pm AEST) when the votes will be counted remotely for the second year in a row amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ahead of Sunday night, we take a look at the 'Coachlow Medal' which points to Luke Parker, Isaac Heeney, Callum Mills and Lance Franklin who are set to feature.
The Coachlow? It is what you get if you convert the 5-4-3-2-1 votes of each coach after each game into notional 3-2-1 Brownlow votes, with split votes in the event of ties.
For example, in Round 23 when the Swans beat the Gold Coast Suns the coaches collectively voted Franklin (9), Lloyd (7), Dawson (5), Heeney (4), Parker (3), Papley (1) with one vote to the Suns’ Touk Miller.
So the ‘Coachlow’ votes would be Franklin 3, Lloyd 2, Dawson 1.
In Round 22 against North, when Hayward (8), Parker (8) and Harry Cunningham (5) headed the coaches votes the ‘Coachlow’ votes would be Hayward (2.5), Parker (2.5), Cunningham (1).
On the fictitious ‘Coachlow’ leaderboard the Swans vote would be headed by Parker (11.33), Heeney (10.0), Mills (8.83), Franklin (7.83), Papley (7), Hickey (5) and Dawson (4.5).
View the opening round-by-round guide to the opening half of the season to the Brownlow Medal vote count and see the second half of the season guide below.
Round 15 v Port Adelaide – Adelaide Oval – lost 10 points
Yet another thriller. The Power led by 15 points at three-quarter time before Lance Franklin kicked the first three goals of the final term to put the Swans in front. Sadly, medical sub Sam Mayes replied for the home side before Scott Lycett kicked the winner.
Coachlow Votes: Charlie Dixon (PA) 3, Luke Parker (S) 2, Lance Franklin (S) 0.33, Callum Mills (S) 0.33, Travis Boak (PA) 0.33
Leading AFLCA Votes
10 – Charlie Dixon (PA) – 19 possessions (13 contested), 2 goals, 6 hit-outs, 3 contested marks
8 – Luke Parker (S) – game-high 34 possessions (17 contested), 8 clearances
3 – Lance Franklin (S) – 16 possessions, 4 goals
3 – Callum Mills (S) – 30 possessions(14 clearances), 10 clearances
3 – Travis Boak (PA) – 29 possessions (game-high 15 contested), 8 tackles, 6 clearances
Round 16 v West Coast – Kardinia Park – won by 92 points
It could only happen in a Covid season …. Sydney hosting West Coast in Geelong. But they did exactly that in sensational fashion on a Sunday afternoon, kicking 10 unanswered goals in a 63-minute blitz from midway through the first term on their way to the biggest win of the season 18-10 (118) to 3-8 (26). The coaches votes went 30-0 to the Swans split between eight players. The perfect celebration for John Longmire’s 250th game as coach.
Coachlow Votes: Callum Mills (S) 3, Ollie Florent (S) 2, Isaac Heeney (S) 1.
Leading AFLCA Votes
10 – Callum Mills (S) – career-best 35 possessions, 7 clearances,
7 – Ollie Florent (S) – 28 possessions
4 – Isaac Heeney (S) – 18 possessions, 3 goals
3 – Tom Hickey (S) – 22 possessions (13 contested), 21 hit-outs, 6 clearances
Round 17 v Western Bulldogs - Kardinia Park – won by 19 points
The Swans, sitting 6th on the ladder, enjoyed another visit to their Melbourne ‘home’ at Geelong to post a comprehensive win over the ladder-leading Western Bulldogs. Most pleasing for the brainstrust was the fact that supposed lesser lights Jordan Dawson and Tom McCartin led the way in what could be career-first votes for each.
Coachlow Votes: Jordan Dawson (S) 3, Tom McCartin (S) 2, Luke Parker (S) 0.33, Alex Keath (WB) 0.33, Bailey Smith (WB) 0.33.
Leading AFLCA Votes
10 - Jordan Dawson (S) – 26 possessions (11 contested), career-best 3 goals, 7 score involvements
8 – Tom McCartin (S) – 16 possessions (9 contested), 11 intercepts
3 – Luke Parker (S) – 27 possessions, 7 clearances, 8 score involvements
3 – Alex Keath (WB) – 11 possessions, 6 marks
3 – Bailey Smith (WB) – 27 possessions, 6 clearances, 6 score involvements
Round 18 v GWS – Metricon Stadium – won by 26 points
If you play a local derby against GWS in Perth in 2020 then why not play one on the Gold Coast in 2021? And so they did on a Sunday night in Round 18. It was the game’s third-choice venue. Originally scheduled for Giants Stadium, it was first moved to Ballarat before further Covid dramas saw it sent north at short notice. And as if it needed any extra spice, it got it when the Sydney trio of Callum Mills, Cunningham and Colin O’Riordan and Giants Toby Greene and Matt DeBoer were ruled out less than hour from the start and forced into 14 days’ quarantine. They had attended a rugby Test in Melbourne at the MCG which was subsequently listed as an upgraded Covid exposure site. The Swans handled the chaos expertly, effecting a 10-goal turnaround to come from 34 points down late in the second quarter and win by 26 points after four goals apiece from Tom Papley and Lance Franklin.
Coachlow Votes: Tom Papley (S) 2.5, Luke Parker (S) 2.5, George Hewett (S) 1.
Leading AFLCA Votes
8 – Tom Papley (S) – 13 possessions, 4 goals
8 – Luke Parker (S) – 31 possessions (13 clearances), 1 goal, 9 clearances, 11 score involvements
5 – George Hewett (S) – 30 possessions (15 contested), 9 clearances
Round 19 v Fremantle – Metricon Stadium – won by 40 points
Down by 14 points late in the first quarter, the Swans won comfortably on the back of a decisive 5-3 to 0-1 third quarter. Isaac Heeney was the match-winner up forward but interest, too, will be on whether this might be the game that gets Josh Kennedy in the votes.
Coachlow Votes: Isaac Heeney (S) 3, Josh Kennedy (S) 2, Luke Parker (S) 1.
Leading AFLCA Votes
10 – Isaac Heeney (S) – 22 possessions, 11 marks, career-best 5 goals
8 – Josh Kennedy (S) – 34 possessions (16 contested), 7 tackles, 7 clearances
6 – Luke Parker (S) – 30 possessions, 2 goals
Round 20 v Essendon – MCG – won by 7 points
The Swans, slow starters yet again, climbed to 5th on the ladder when they bounced back from a 12-point halftime deficit to post their fifth win in a row by seven points. It was more comfortable than the final margin suggests, with the Bombers kicking two inconsequential goals in ‘junk time’.
Coachlow Votes: Tom Papley (S) 2.5, Zach Merrett (E) 2.5, Callum Mills (S) 0.5, Jake Stringer (E) 0.5.
Leading AFLCA Votes
9 – Tom Papley (S) – 17 possessions, 4 goals
9 – Zach Merrett (E) – 35 possessions, 2 goals, 13 score involvements
5 – Callum Mills (S) - 33 possessions, 6 tackles
5 – Jake Stringer (E) - 19 possessions, 2 goals, 9 clearances
Round 21 v St.Kilda – Marvel Stadium – lost by 29 points
A bad night at the office. Up against a Saints outfit sitting 13th on the ladder and under massive media scrutiny, the Swans suffered what ultimately proved to be a killer blow to their top four chances. Only Luke Parker figured in the coaches votes, which were headed by three Jacks which could be critical to St.Kilda captain Jack Steele if he is to figure in the medal finish.
Coachlow Votes: Jack Higgins (StK) 3, Jack Steele (StK) 2, Jack Sinclair (StK) 1.
Leading AFLCA Votes
8 - Jack Higgins (StK) – 16 possessions, career-best 4 goals
6 – Jack Steele (StK) – 34 possessions (14 contested), 1 goal, 7 tackles, 7 clearances
5 – Jack Sinclair (StK) – 25 possessions, 10 intercepts
4 – Callum Wilkie (StK) – 16 possessions
4 – Luke Parker (S) – 30 possessions (18 contested), 12 clearances.
Round 22 v North Melbourne – Marvel Stadium – won by 14 points
The Swans, resting Lance Franklin, sentenced North Melbourne to their first wooden-spoon since 1972 despite a late rally from the Kangaroos. But their 14th win of the season came at a price, with Josh Kennedy and Nick Blakey suffering injuries that ultimately ended their seasons. Could this be Harry Cunningham’s first Brownlow vote?
Coachlow Votes: Will Hayward (S) 2.5, Luke Parker (S) 2.5, Harry Cunningham (S) 1.
Leading AFLCA Votes
8 – Will Hayward (S) – 17 possessions, 3 goals, 11 marks, 9 score involvements
8 – Luke Parker (S) – 25 possessions, 1 goal, 8 tackles, 6 clearances
5 – Harry Cunningham (S) – 26 possessions, 7 intercepts, 5 score involvements
4 – Aaron Hall (NM) – 30 possessions
Round 23 v Gold Coast – Marvel Stadium – won by 87 points
A refreshed Lance Franklin returned from a week off to kick an equal season-high six goals and inspire a thumping Swans revenge for a Round 6 loss to the Suns. They kicked the first seven goals to claim sixth spot on the home-and-away ladder with a 15-7 record and a percentage of 119.9 – up from 16th, a 5-12 record and a percentage of 82.6 in 2020.
Coachlow Votes: Lance Franklin (S) 3, Jake Lloyd (S) 2, Jordan Dawson (S) 1.
Leading AFLCA Votes
9 – Lance Franklin (S) – 13 possessions, 6 goals, 5 tackles
7 – Jake Lloyd (S) – season-high and team-high 36 possessions,
5 – Jordan Dawson (S) – career-best 33 possessions, 1 goal
4 – Isaac Heeney (S) – 20 possessions (11 contested), 3 goals, 3 goal assists
3 – Luke Parker (S) – 23 possessions (16 contested), 9 clearances
And who will win the Brownlow? Voting in the ‘Coachlow’ suggests it will be the Bulldogs’ Marcus Bontempelli (28.5) from St.Kilda’s Jack Steele (27.5), Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver (26), Port Adelaide’s Ollie Wines (23), Gold Coast’s Touk Miller (23), Essendon’s Darcy Parish (21) and Zach Merrett (20), Carlton’s Sam Walsh (19), Melbourne’s Christian Petracca (18.66) and Fremantle’s David Mundy (18).
Luke Parker will finish tied for 22nd in the ‘Coachlow’ with 11.33 votes to head the Swans vote.
