The AFL‘s executive general manager of football Greg Swann has revealed the umpires voted Nick Daicos best on ground in the State of Origin game and would have awarded the EJ Whitten Medal to the Collingwood star. But the medal was awarded by the coaches and not the umpires, so it went to Lachie Ash instead.
There was uproar – particularly from Collingwood fans – that Daicos missed out on the medal after many thought he was best on ground for Victoria against Western Australia. Many labelled it another ‘robbery’ after Daicos’ three-consective near-misses in Brownlow Medal voting.
Greg Swann has revealed the umpires had Nick Daicos as best on ground in the AFL State of Origin game. Image: Getty/AAP
It was the Victorian coaching staff who awarded the EJ Whitten Medal, while the WA coaches gave Jesse Hogan the Graham Moss Medal (for best WA player). Vic coach Chris Scott revealed the selection panel of himself, Garry Lyon, Sam Mitchell and Shaun Grigg were unanimous in selecting Ash as the winner.
“We had Lachie in a group with Daicos, (Zac) Butters and (Marcus) Bontempelli,” Scott said. “But in the end we thought when the game was really hot and we were under pressure, that Lachie was the most influential.”
Lachie Ash was awarded the EJ Whitten Medal by the Victorian coaching staff.
(AFL Photos via Getty Images)Umpires would have given Origin medal to Nick Daicos
While no-one thought Ash was undeserving, many had Daicos and Bontempelli ahead of him. And speaking on SEN radio on Thursday, Swann revealed the umpires would have voted differently and given Daicos the medal.
Swann said the umpires in the Origin game were trialling the new Brownlow system that gives them access to key stats when casting their votes. From this season, umpires can ask to see stats to cross-reference their votes after games, and they gave it a test run in Origin.
“We’ve trialled it – we did it during the Origin game – and it worked really well,” Swann said. “They have a chat, and then they have a look at the stats and make their votes.
“Yes (they disagreed with the Origin coaches). I’m happy to say it because it was only a trial. They had Daicos 3, Bontempelli 2, and Jesse Hogan 1.”
Swann believes the discrepancy shows the value in having the Brownlow – an umpire’s award – and the AFL coaches award separately. “I think it’s just one of the things when everybody has a different opinion in the game,” he said.
“There were certainly plenty of people who may have agreed with that or disagreed, but obviously, Lachie Ash was really good from the coach’s perspective, but it’s probably why we do have different awards. The coaches award is really highly valued because obviously the coaches vote on it, and then the Brownlow’s a different model again.
“But for those that were at the game, I don’t think those votes were way off mark, and obviously the coaches from the Vics had Ash, who was really good, and Jesse Hogan won the medal for WA, so they weren’t far off the mark.”