Matt Priddis: afterthought to Brownlow star
As an AFL player, Matt Priddis was an afterthought.
He was overlooked in four national AFL drafts, marked down because he lacked penetration with his kicking and was not blessed with pace.
Yet the man who was rescued at pick 31 in the 2006 rookie draft – football’s last chance saloon – has pulled off one of the biggest shocks in the history of the Brownlow Medal, taking out the award for the AFL’s best-and-fairest player.
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Even this season, as he racked up more possessions than any other player in the competition, won the second most clearances and laid the third most tackles, the 29-year-old was not included in the 22 members of the All-Australian side.
But that did not stop him from polling 26 votes from the umpires, well clear of his closest eligible rivals – superstars Lance Franklin and Gary Ablett (22 each) – and a succession of big names on 21 votes: Travis Boak, Patrick Dangerfield, Josh Kennedy and Joel Selwood.
The blue collar midfielder also saved the AFL’s biggest night of the year blushes by polling two votes in the final round to pip Fremantle’s Nathan Fyfe (25 votes), who was ineligible because of suspension.
He was extremely humble in victory, saying he was surprised to poll so many votes. “This is something that doesn’t sit too well with me,” said Priddis, the son of a bricklayer.
“I’m a pretty shy sort of a guy. I don’t see myself with the likes of some of the Brownlow Medallists of the past.”
Priddis’ win was a triumph for persistence and consistency. He polled votes in 13 rounds, including four best-on-ground performances.
Priddis is West Coast’s third Brownlow Medallist, after Chris Judd and Ben Cousins, also midfielders as well as being role models for Priddis in his early years at the club. It would not be unkind to suggest that they are sports cars to his family sedan.
“I try to be as consistent as I can,” said Priddis, who described himself as an “inside mid”. “I’ve got a pretty simple role.”
Priddis was eventually picked up by West Coast in 2006, although he spent most of that year in the WAFL, winning the Sandover Medal, the highest honour in Western Australian domestic football.
He paid tribute to his wife Ashleigh, who could not get to the awards in Melbourne because she is pregnant and suffering from bad morning sickness. They already have a daughter, Nala. “I’ve been with Ashleigh for 12 years and she understands the demands of AFL footy and I love her so much. She’s the best,” he said to warm applause.
Priddis’ coach, Adam Simpson, had a crack at the lack of recognition his ball magnet had received this season. “Makes you question the All-Australian selection panel,” he told interviewer Cameron Ling, who is a member of that panel. “People probably don’t understand over here how highly he is regarded in the west.”
Another member of the panel, Luke Darcy, said that selector Glen Jakovich had pushed hard but unsuccessfully for Priddis’ inclusion.
Priddis was, however, named in the centre by Martin Blake in The New Daily’s team of the year.
So our brownlow medalist can’t make it into the best 22? #stiff #AAselectors
— Brent Harvey (@Boomer_29) September 22, 2014
As expected, Gary Ablett led the count early, and was on 22 votes after 15 rounds, before his season ended with a shoulder injury in round 16. It was almost – but not quite – enough to carry him to a remarkable third Brownlow. The unlucky Ablett polled 14 votes in the opening seven rounds and was well on track to a historic treble.
Absences through injury were also potentially costly to the Sydney pair of Franklin and Kennedy, who missed three and two games respectively.
While Selwood went into the night as the favourite, the night was expected to be so close that the AFL struck eight medals in case of a massive tie.
The mark-of-the-year award was won by Port Adelaide’s Chad Wingard for his leap in the forward pocket against St Kilda at the Adelaide Oval in round 12.
