Lachie Neale wins the Brownlow Medal as he takes out footy’s biggest award for the second time after thrilling count tinged with controversy

• Neale also won league’s best and fairest in 2020 
• Took the honour by one vote from Marcus Bontempelli 
• Hit the front in voting for the last round of the regular season 

By Shayne Bugden For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 14:03 BST, 25 September 2023 | Updated: 14:09 BST, 25 September 2023

Brisbane’s Lachie Neale has won his second Brownlow Medal as the AFL’s best and fairest player in a thrilling count that saw him get home by just two votes over Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli.

The Lions midfielder secured the win right at the death when he polled the maximum three votes from his team’s round 24 win over Collingwood, taking him to a total of 31.

That just got him home over a tightly packed field that saw the Magpies’ Nick Daicos finish on 28 votes despite being out of action since breaking his leg against Hawthorn in round 21.  

Neale has snared footy’s highest individual honour for the second time (pictured) after taking out his first Brownlow in 2020

The Brisbane star (pictured with wife Julie) returned to the top of the leader board when he scored the maximum three votes from the very last round of the home-and-away season

Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters and Sydney surprise packet Errol Gulden were next on 27 votes, with Demons star Christian Petracca – one of the favourites to collect the honour – one vote back on 26.

Neale, who will play Collingwood in Saturday’s decider, averaged 27.4 disposals, 8.1 clearances and 13.9 contested possessions to become the first two-time winner since former Fremantle teammate Nat Fyfe in 2015 and 2019.

Many fans will point to the controversial voting on the round six Lions victory over GWS, which saw Neale get three votes despite only registering seven kicks and 13 handballs.

Josh Kelly had 41 disposals and Stephen Coniglio registered 38 in what, on paper, were far superior efforts to Neale’s. 

The Lions co-captain was left stunned after his second Brownlow win in four seasons. 

‘It doesn’t sit very well at the moment,’ he said from Brisbane after the voting wrapped up as his team continues to prepare for Saturday’s grand final.

‘I’m sure it will sink in at a later date. I’m pretty rattled, to be honest, so apologies if this doesn’t go too well.

‘I did not expect this, and to be amongst some of those names that have won two is unbelievable.’

Those names include Gary Ablett Jr, Greg Williams, Adam Goodes, Robert Harvey and Chris Judd – with Neale needing one more medal victory to join the only players to have taken out the award three times: Ian Steward, Bob Skilton, Haydn Bunton Sr and Dick Reynolds.

 

More to come… 

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Lachie Neale wins the Brownlow Medal as he takes out footy’s biggest award for the second time after thrilling count tinged with controversy

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