The GIANTS begin Grand Final week by gathering at GIANTS Stadium for the 2019 Brownlow Medal.
While the GIANTS are focused on their clash with Richmond on the last Saturday in September there’s also the chance that one of the GIANTS could take home the Charlie on Monday night.
With the presentation held in Melbourne, GIANTS players will instead hold a ceremony at GIANTS Stadium in Sydney Olympic Park.
A Brownlow Medal is in Sydney in case one of the GIANTS’ stars claims the medal and with that in mind, let’s look at who could claim the club’s first Brownlow Medal.
Stephen Coniglio – 16 votes
The GIANTS’ vice-captain had a stunning start to the 2019 season and is expected to poll strongly according to AFL.com.au’s Brownlow Medal Predictor.
Coniglio is predicted to poll three votes as best on ground in rounds one, 11 and 15 before his knee injury in round 17 stops him from polling any further.
The 25-year-old might pick up top votes in rounds four, five and six if umpires overlook standout performances by teammates and opposition players.
Coniglio is also a finalist for the 2019 Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award.
Jeremy Cameron – 14 votes
Coleman Medallist Jeremy Cameron is only predicted to poll in five games, with the Brownlow Medal Predictor giving him top votes in four of those games.
Cameron, who has kicked 75 goals so far this season, polled 12 votes in 2015 when he kicked 63 goals, however his game has elevated to a new level in 2019.
It’s worth looking at Cameron’s track record. In previous years Cameron has only polled top votes when he has kicked four goals or more – a feat he has achieved seven times in 2019.
The 26-year-old has pushed higher up the ground this year and found more of the football which could see him earn votes in games where he has kicked three goals. Cameron has had seven three goal games this season and in previous seasons has received one and two votes in games that the GIANTS won, and the star forward kicked three goals or less.
While Cameron might lose votes to the GIANTS’ star studded midfield, prepare for Cameron to be the surprise packet at this year’s Brownlow Medal.
Josh Kelly – 12 votes
Having missed eight games in 2019, Kelly won’t surpass his career best of 21 votes set in 2017. Despite missing a good chunk of the season, the vote magnet is still expected to poll well with the Brownlow Predictor projecting he’ll collect 12 votes.
His four weeks before the bye were outstanding and with two best on ground performances in rounds 10 and 13 Kelly is expected to poll more votes that the highly fancied Lachie Whitfield.
Tim Taranto – 11 votes
Taranto has gone to another level in his third season at the GIANTS. The 21-year-old averages 27.6 disposals per game in 2019 and is projected to poll the first Brownlow votes of his career in round one when he kicked two goals and had 30 touches in the win over Essendon.
The young gun is predicted to poll three votes in rounds six and 19 and despite playing every game in 2019, Taranto is only expected to receive votes in five games.
Lachie Whitfield – 11 votes
While a broken collarbone cost Whitfield four weeks of football, the classy outside runner will again poll well in 2019.
Whitfield received 16 votes in 2018 and is projected to poll in six games in Monday’s count including two best on ground performances in rounds four and nine.
The 25-year-old is a near certainty to poll three votes in round nine, with Whitfield kicking three goals and collecting 40 disposals in the win over Carlton.
Other predicted vote getters:
5 – Jacob Hopper and Toby Greene
4 – Zac Williams
2 – Nick Haynes
1 – Matt de Boer and Jeremy Finlayson
