IT'S been a big 72 hours for Carlton captain Marc Murphy.
After taking out his second John Nicholls Medal for the Club’s fairest and best player on Friday night, Murphy duly polled nine votes in Monday evening’s Brownlow Medal count for competition best – and in doing so replaced 'Big Nick' in sixth place in the Club’s top 10 all-time vote-getters.
In fact, Murphy, whose Brownlow Medal aggregate stood at 95 votes prior to the most recent count, leapfrogged another two players in the process – the Club’s ’61 Brownlow Medallist the late John James (with whom Murphy was level on 95) and the dual premiership rover Rod Ashman on 97 – as he reigned in the famous former Carlton ruckman on 101.
As it now stands, Murphy is within a best-on-ground performance of drawing level with another former Carlton follower Justin Madden (107 votes), with Bruce Doull (108), Chris Judd (116), Alex Jesaulenko (129) and Craig Bradley (144) making up the top four.
The 1995 premiership player Anthony Koutoufides rounds out Carlton’s coveted top 10 Brownlow vote-getters on 82, although Bryce Gibbs’ 11 votes at the 2017 count brings him into serious calculation with 80.
Though the Brownlow is now seen as a midfielders medal, it’s worth noting that Carlton’s first three medallists – Bert Deacon (1947), John James (1961) and Gordon Collis (1964) – were all backmen.
CARLTON'S TOP 10 BROWNLOW MEDAL AGGREGATE VOTE-GETTERS:
- Craig Bradley – 144 votes (375 matches, 1986 - 2002)
- Alex Jesaulenko – 129 votes (129 overall) (256 matches, 1967 – 1979)
- Chris Judd – 116 votes (210 overall) (145 matches, 2008 – 2015)*
- Bruce Doull – 108 votes (356 matches, 1969 – 1986)
- Justin Madden – 107 votes (120 overall) (287 matches, 1983 – 1996)
- Marc Murphy – 104 votes (236 matches, 2006 - current)
- John Nicholls – 101 votes (328 matches, 1957 - 1974)
- Rod Ashman – 97 votes (236 matches, 1973 – 1986)
- John James – 95 votes (195 matches, 1953 – 1963) *
- Anthony Koutoufides – 82 votes (278 matches, 1992 – 2007)
* Carlton Brownlow Medallist
