Tom Mitchell’s 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 didn’t expect from that night was the third-placed finish of Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw, who wasn’t 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 won’t be favoured to win the medal, but could just sneak in and get enough votes.
Macrae was on track for a historic season in 2018 before a hamstring injury suffered in round 13 ended his hot streak. Despite this he still managed to average nearly 33 disposals a game.
The Bulldogs midfielder polled 14 votes in 2018 including three straight games with maximum votes and if he can recapture the form he had then the only thing that could realistically stop him is the form of the Bulldogs as a team.
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.
Coniglio is one of the premier midfielders of the competition, but is rarely discussed with the likes of Martin, Dangerfield, Fyfe or even his teammate Josh Kelly. He has an uncanny ability to pick up 30 possessions and kick 3 or 4 goals while he’s at it and was unbelievably left out of the All-Australian squad in 2018.
He polled 11 votes in 2018, being outscored by his teammates Lachie Whitfield and Callan Ward. At 25, Coniglio is entering the prime of his career and with his future set to be decided at the end of the season he will be looking to put in strong performances week in and week out.
There is a Tom Mitchell sized hole right in the middle of Hawthorn’s midfield that needs to be filled. O’Meara is a player who has always been full of potential, but up to now it has largely gone unfulfilled.
After 13 votes in 2018, now is the optimal time for O’Meara to take the leap into stardom and become a real leader in the Hawks midfield. A strong season of tough tackling and ball-winning could just be a Brownlow Medal winning formula for the 24-year-old.
Neale was one of the big movers in the off-season, heading east from Fremantle to join the Brisbane Lions. He led the league in disposals per game in 2016 demonstrating his ability to win the ball. He is joining a team that is full of promise and will be one of the leaders at the club.
He polled 11 votes in 2018 while averaging 30 disposals a game. On a better side, one that will be looking to push for the finals, the 25-year-old will have the chance to become one of the league’s leading midfielders.