Pre-season Brownlow Medal speculation has been replaced with cold, hard reality after six rounds of the 20156 AFL season.
Last year’s winner, Nat Fyfe, appears out for the season with another broken left leg. He had a nice start to the season, one of the few Dockers who could legitimately make such a claim, based on superb showings in Rounds 2 and 4, but even if he can get back on ground before the end of the season, it would require a miracle for him to become relevant in Charlie voting.
Meanwhile, Gary Ablett Jr. of Gold Coast is trying to regain his typical form after a 2015 season that saw him limited to six games by injury issues of his own. Thus far in the season, even though he is near the top of the league in several categories, he has yet to come close to the lofty expectations he created with his performances in years past.
The lack of Fyfe and Ablett as prime contenders has created a 2016 Brownlow race that is up for grabs. It is not since 2013 that the race has had so many valid contenders.
Patrick Dangerfield, in his first seasons with the Cats, was a perennial vote attracter with the Crows, having received 88 votes from 2012-2015, provided he can get some respect.
