Tom Mitchellโs 2018 Brownlow Medal triumph was predicted by the majority of the AFL world.
The Hawthorn midfielder won comfortably, four votes ahead of second placed Steele Sidebottom.
What many didnโt expect from that night was the third-placed finish of Melbourneโs Angus Brayshaw, who wasnโt even invited to attend the event.
Following Mitchell's leg injury, the door is wide open for someone to sneak in and claim the Brownlow in the 2019 season.
Here are five players who wonโt be favoured to win the medal, but could just sneak in and get enough votes.
4. Shaun Higgins
In 2018, no one expected North Melbourne to be competitive. But behind their leaders they made a push for the finals. At the forefront of this push was Higgins, who staked his claim as a top 20 player in the league. Higgins had several games where he was the standout player on the ground across both teams.
He tallied 15 votes in 20 games with injuries in the latter half of the season derailing any chance he had at the medal. With North Melbourne recruiting well in the off-season, they will looking to push towards the Finals and Higgins is sure to be in the thick of things.
