2011 Brownlow Medal
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox award
| name = 2011 Brownlow Medal
| image = Swan at intra-club.jpg
| caption = 2011 Brownlow Medallist, Dane Swan
| date = 26 September
| location = Crown Palladium
| holder_label = Winner
| holder = Dane Swan ({{AFL Col}})
34 votes
| network = Seven Network
| host = Bruce McAvaney
| previous = 2010
| main = Brownlow Medal
| next = 2012
}}
The 2011 Brownlow Medal was the 84th 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 2016|editor=Lovett, Michael|publisher=Slattery Media Group|location=Docklands, Victoria|pages=593}} Dane Swan of the Collingwood Football Club won the medal by polling thirty-four votes during the 2011 AFL season.{{cite web|title=2011 Brownlow Medal|url=http://afltables.com/afl/brownlow/brownlow2011.html|publisher=AFL Tables|access-date=8 November 2016}}
Swan's tally of 34 votes broke the long standing record for most votes in a Brownlow Medal counted under the 3-2-1 voting system, previously set at 32 votes by Herbie Matthews, Des Fothergill (1940) and Robert Harvey (1998 Brownlow Medal).{{citation|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/live-2011-brownlow-medal/story-fn422eni-1226147024256|newspaper=Herald Sun|title=Live - 2011 Brownlow Medal|first=Ben|last=Broad|date=26 Sep 2011|access-date=26 Sep 2011}} It remained the record until surpassed by Patrick Dangerfield in 2016.{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-09-26/patrick-dangerfield-wins-2016-brownlow-medal|title=Patrick Dangerfield breaks all-time votes record to seal Brownlow Medal|last=Schmook|first=Nathan|date=26 September 2016|work=AFL.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=26 September 2016}}
Leading vote-getters
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; font-size: 90%;" | ||
| style="width:50px;"| | style="width:250px;"| Player | style="width:50px;"| Votes |
|---|---|---|
| style="background:#cfc; font-weight:bold;"
| 1st | Dane Swan ({{AFL Col}}) | 34 |
| Sam Mitchell ({{AFL Haw}})* | 30 | |
| 2nd | Nick Dal Santo ({{AFL|StK}}) | 28 |
| rowspan=2|=3rd | Matthew Boyd ({{AFL WB}}) | rowspan=2|24 |
| Scott Pendlebury ({{AFL Col}}) | ||
| rowspan=2|=5th | Gary Ablett ({{AFL GC}}) | rowspan=2|23 |
| Chris Judd ({{AFL Car}}) | ||
| Lance Franklin ({{AFL Haw}})* | 20 | |
| rowspan=3|=7th | Adam Goodes ({{AFL Syd}}) | rowspan=3|19 |
| Marc Murphy ({{AFL Car}}) | ||
| Matt Priddis ({{AFL WC}}) | ||
| Brent Moloney ({{AFL Mel}})* | 19 | |
| 10th | Dean Cox ({{AFL WC}}) | 18 |
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}}
=Favourites=
For most of the season, Carlton's Chris Judd was an overwhelming favourite in betting markets to win the award for a second consecutive year, and third time overall. By round 18, his odds were shorter than $2 to win the award, and one agency, Sportsbet, decided to pay out early to all punters who had already backed Judd for the win.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/sportsbetcomau-pays-out-on-chris-judd-brownlow/story-e6frf9jf-1226110940877|title=Sportsbet.com.ay pays out on Chris Judd Brownlow|first=Jon|last=Anderson|newspaper=Herald Sun|publisher=News Corp Australia|date=8 August 2011|access-date=8 August 2011}} Sydney's Adam Goodes, who had attracted odds as wide as $30 during the season, had a very strong end to the season, and closed in to second-favouritism by the count.{{cite news|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/afl/brownlow-in-sight-for-adam-goodes/story-e6frexwr-1226130034632|first=Todd|last=Balym|title=Brownlow in sight for Adam Goodes|date=6 September 2011|access-date=22 September 2011|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|publisher=News Corp Australia}} Collingwood's Scott Pendlebury and Dane Swan, and Carlton's Marc Murphy, were also expected to feature prominently in the count.
=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. The most notable player ineligible for the 2011 Brownlow Medal was Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell. Mitchell received a one-match sanction, which was reduced to a reprimand without suspension with an early guilty plea, for rough conduct against Geelong's, Steve Johnson in round 5.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/why-sam-mitchell-should-be-in-brownlow-race/story-fn6cisdj-1226143856262|title=Why Sam Mitchell should be in the Brownlow Medal race|date=23 Sep 2011|access-date=23 Sep 2011|newspaper=Herald Sun|publisher=News Corp Australia|first=Jon|last=Ralph}} Mitchell featured prominently in several media best and fairest awards, including winning the Lou Richards Medal{{cite web|url=http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1034200|title=Lou Richards Medal|access-date=5 Sep 2011|publisher=Wide World of Sports|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110901151439/http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1034200|archive-date=1 September 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} and the Herald Sun Player of the Year,{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ladder|title=Ladder|work=Herald Sun|publisher=News Corp Australia|access-date=5 Sep 2011}} and was considered a realistic chance to poll the most votes; he ultimately polled the second-most votes, four fewer than winner Dane Swan. His 30 votes was the most by any ineligible player in AFL history until it was surpassed by {{AFL Gee}}'s Patrick Dangerfield's 33 votes in 2017.
Other ineligible players included: Dale Thomas ({{AFL Col}}); Joel Selwood, Joel Corey, Matthew Scarlett, Brad Ottens ({{AFL Gee}}); Lance Franklin, Cyril Rioli, Jordan Lewis ({{AFL Haw}}); Shane Mumford, Ryan O'Keefe ({{AFL Syd}}); Leigh Montagna, Nick Riewoldt ({{AFL|StK}}); Colin Sylvia, Jack Trengove, Brent Moloney ({{AFL Mel}}); Jack Redden ({{AFL BL}}); Brent Stanton ({{AFL Ess}}); Luke McPharlin ({{AFL Fre}}); Nathan Bock ({{AFL GC}}); Nic Naitanui ({{AFL|WC}}); and Daniel Cross ({{AFL WB}}).{{citation|newspaper=Herald Sun|date=26 Sep 2011|title=Brownlow Medal 2011 Favourites|publisher=News Corp Australia|pages=42, 47}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Brownlow Medal}}
{{2011 AFL season}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brownlow Medal}}