2008 Brownlow Medal
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox award
| name = 2008 Brownlow Medal
| image = Cooney.jpg
| caption = 2008 Brownlow Medallist, Adam Cooney
| date = 22 September
| location = Crown Palladium
| holder_label = Winner
| holder = Adam Cooney ({{AFL WB}})
24 votes
| network = Network Ten
| host = Stephen Quartermain
| previous = 2007
| main = Brownlow Medal
| next = 2009
}}
The 2008 Brownlow Medal was the 81st year the award was presented to the player adjudged the fairest and best player during the Australian Football League (AFL) home and away season.{{cite book|title=AFL Record Season Guide 2009|year=2009|editor=Lovett, Michael|publisher=Slattery Media Group|location=Docklands, Victoria|pages=496|isbn=978-0-9805162-6-5}} Adam Cooney of the Western Bulldogs won the medal by polling twenty-four votes during the 2008 AFL season.{{cite web|title=2008 Brownlow Medal|url=http://afltables.com/afl/brownlow/brownlow2008.html|publisher=AFL Tables|access-date=8 November 2016}} Pre-vote favourite, Gary Ablett and sentimental favourite, Matthew Richardson finished equal third on twenty-two votes.{{cite web|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24386319-23211,00.html|title=Cooney a shock Brownlow winner|date=22 September 2008|work=Fox Sports (Australia)|publisher=News Corp Australia|access-date=22 September 2008}} Cooney polled twenty-four votes, one ahead of {{AFL BL2}}'s Simon Black, who won the award in 2002 and was equal second in 2007.
Leading vote-getters
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; font-size: 90%;" | ||
| width="50" | | width="250" | Player | width="50" | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| style="background: #CCFFCC;"
| 1st | Adam Cooney ({{AFL WB}}) | 24 |
| 2nd | Simon Black ({{AFL BL2}}) | 23 |
| rowspan=2|=3rd | Gary Ablett ({{AFL Gee}}) | rowspan=2|22 |
| Matthew Richardson ({{AFL Ric}}) | ||
| Adam Goodes ({{AFL Syd}})* | 21 | |
| Lance Franklin ({{AFL Haw}})* | 20 | |
| 5th | Joel Selwood ({{AFL Gee}}) | 19 |
| rowspan=2|=6th | Brent Harvey ({{AFL NM}}) | rowspan=2|17 |
| Matthew Pavlich ({{AFL Fre}}) | ||
| rowspan=2|=8th | Chris Judd ({{AFL Car}}) | rowspan=2|16 |
| Brad Sewell ({{AFL Haw}}) | ||
| rowspan=3|=10th | Joel Corey ({{AFL Gee}}) | rowspan=3|15 |
| Lenny Hayes ({{AFL StK}}) | ||
| Scott Thompson ({{AFL Ade}}) | ||
| Sam Mitchell ({{AFL Haw}})* | 15 |
Voting procedure
The three field umpires (those umpires who control the flow of the game, as opposed to goal or boundary umpires) confer after each match and award three votes, two votes, and one vote to the players they regard as the best, second-best and third-best in the match, respectively. The votes are kept secret until the awards night, and they are read and tallied on the evening.{{cite web|title=Brownlow Medal history and winners - AFL.com.au|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/event-news/brownlow/about-the-brownlow|access-date=27 August 2018|website=afl.com.au}}
= Ineligible players =
As the medal is awarded to the fairest and best player in the league, those who have been suspended during the season by the AFL Tribunal (or, who avoided suspension only because of a discount for a good record or an early guilty plea) are ineligible to win the award; however, they may still continue to poll votes. In 2008 many of the leading contenders including Coleman Medallist Lance Franklin, Sam Mitchell, Adam Goodes, Brett Burton and Daniel Kerr all were found guilty of an offence and were ineligible to win the medal.{{cite news|url=http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/medal-favourites-fall-like-flies/2008/06/16/1213468334431.html|title=Medal favourites fall like flies|last=Johnson|first=Lyall|date=17 June 2008|work=The Age}}
= Pre-count betting =
Despite changing clubs after the 2007 season, Chris Judd was installed as the early favourite when betting opened,{{cite news|url=http://www.rwwa.com.au/home/1638.html|title=Judd Favourite for 2008 Brownlow|date=19 December 2007|work=Racing & Wagering Western Australia|access-date=2 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002054431/http://www.rwwa.com.au/home/1638.html|archive-date=2 October 2008|url-status=dead}} but as the season progressed Gary Ablett became a short-priced favourite. When Ablett injured his ankle and missed three matches, Brent Harvey moved to outright favourite. By the end of the season however, Ablett had returned to favouritism, with 2007 winner Jimmy Bartel, Harvey and Adam Cooney close behind.{{cite news|url=http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/harvey-ablett-headtohead-in-a-medaldefining-match/2008/08/18/1218911570765.html|title=Harvey, Ablett head-to-head in a medal-defining match|last=Connolly|first=Rohan|date=19 August 2008|work=The Age}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Brownlow Medal}}
{{2008 Australian Football League Awards}}
{{2008 AFL season}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brownlow Medal}}
Category:2008 in Australian rules football