
Fremantle champion Nat Fyfe has won the 2015 Brownlow medal after polling 31 votes to fend off last year’s recipient Matt Priddis.
The West Australian midfielder becomes the first Dockers player to receive the accolade.
This individual accolade follows the two-time All-Australian being awarded the Leigh Matthews Trophy as the league’s most valuable player for the second-time earlier last week.
Fyfe hobbled onto the red carpet at The Crown Casino. It was revealed after Fyfe played through the weekend loss to Hawthorn in a preliminary final that he had suffered a fracture to his left fibula in the first quarter. He will soon undergo surgery including insertion of a plate to strengthen the damaged leg.
Nat Fyfe greets the Dockers’ captain, Matthew Pavlich, on the red carpet.
He started the Brownlow race in record fashion, polling 17 votes in the first eight rounds – surpassing Chris Judd’s record of 16, set in 2010 – and reaching 26 after 13 rounds. Though he suffered injury and a loss of form, not polling in the last six games, his early heroics were enough.
Runner-up Matt Priddis, last year’s winner with just 26 votes, bettered that but still ended three votes shy of Fyfe.
Adelaide Crows’ small forward Eddie Betts won Goal of the Year; West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui was awarded Mark of the Year. Carlton’s Dennis Armfield received the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award for his social work. – Anthony Johnston
Top photo from Fremantle Docker’s official instagram account.