Mitchell plunge for Brownlow
Hawthorn midfielder Sam Mitchell has been backed to upset Gold Coast superstar Gary Ablett in Monday night's Brownlow Medal count after a professional punter tipped the Hawk to win the game's highest individual honour.
Brownlow Medal analyst Sean Brady turned betting markets on their heads after predicting Mitchell would win at the generous price of $21.
Since then, bookmakers have been flooded by bets on last year's runner-up, who is now $6.50 with the TAB.
Online bookmaker sports- bet.com.au accepted more than $70,000 in wagers on Mitchell early yesterday.
"Since the Brady interview was aired, 90 per cent of all Brownlow bets have been on Mitchell, with almost more money bet on him during the last 12 hours compared to all the money that came for him throughout the year," sportsbet.com.au spokesman Shaun Anderson said.
Sportingbet Australia had received 200 bets on Mitchell yesterday morning, while only three punters backed Ablett.
But the agency is happy to keep taking bets.
"Our analysts put Mitchell on 24 votes and six votes behind Ablett, so at this stage we're more than happy for the bets to keep coming," Sportingbet Australia spokesman Andrew Brown said.
Ablett remains the man most likely to win and is preparing to enter the count as the favourite for the fourth year in a row.
He is at a prohibitive $1.70.
If Ablett wins, he will become the 14th player to win more than one Brownlow Medal and the fifth to win the award at different clubs.
Ablett, 29, won his first Brownlow at Geelong in 2009.
Ablett had at least 30 disposals and kicked multiple goals eight times this season.
He dominated voting in the AFL Players' Association MVP award earlier this month.
Ablett said Suns coach Guy McKenna had challenged him to keep improving or face the prospect of being pushed forward to give youngsters more chances in the midfield.
He responded with 655 disposals and 28 goals in another dominant season.
Ablett said the Suns' improvement, winning eight matches in 2013, and his improvement as a captain had been the most satisfying part of this season.
"I've obviously had more experience (as a captain)," Ablett said. "I think I'm learning every training session and every game.
"I don't think you ever stop learning as a leader. I've spent a lot of time with the younger boys this year over the pre- season and during the season, helping those guys out.
"I guess coming from Geelong where I played under a lot of great leaders there I learnt a lot from them.
"To be able to take that up to the younger boys there (at Gold Coast) and be able to teach them is pretty satisfying."
Geelong star Joel Selwood, Collingwood's Dane Swan and Scott Pendlebury and Fremantle's Michael Barlow are among other fancies to win the Brownlow. Docker Nat Fyfe, who is ineligible to win the award due to a suspension, is expected to poll strongly.
