Joel Patfull became just the 15th player in the Club’s combined history to win back-to-back best and fairest awards – joining elite company including inaugural Lions Hall of Famers Kevin Murray, Haydn Bunton, Garry Wilson, Allan Ruthven, John Murphy, Paul Roos and Michael Voss to name just a few.
The full list of back-to-back winners includes:
Leslie Millis (Fitzroy) – 1905-06
Lal McLennan (Fitzroy) – 1912-13
Len Wigraft (Fitzroy) – 1924-25
Haydn Bunton (Fitzroy) – 1934-35
Allan Ruthven (Fitzroy) – 1944-46 and 1948-49
Kevin Murray (Fitzroy) – 1960-64 and 1968-69
Norm Brown (Fitzroy) – 1965-67
John Murphy (Fitzroy) – 1970-71
Garry Wilson (Fitzroy) – 1978-80
Matt Rendell (Fitzroy) – 1982-83
Paul Roos (Fitzroy) – 1985-86 and 1991-92
Michael Voss (Bears/Lions) – 1995-96 and 2000-01
Simon Black (Lions) – 2001-02
Jonathan Brown (Lions) – 2007-09
Joel Patfull (Lions) – 2012-13
STRONG FINISH
A second consecutive Merrett-Murray Medal looked almost beyond Joel Patfull at the end of Round 14, with the defender sitting on just 12.5 votes after 13 matches.
But a barnstorming finish saw Patfull poll 19 votes in the final nine rounds to eventually overtake Hanley in a thrilling count which came down to the final match of the season.
Jed Adcock also had an impressive finial nine rounds, polling 16.5 of his 20 votes after Round 14.
HANLEY’S BAD BREAK
Patfull’s late surge corresponded with a quiet finish for the pre-count favourite Pearce Hanley.
Hanley looked to have a near unassailable lead at the end of Round 17, before a broken hand suffered against Melbourne seemed to halt his momentum.
The popular Irishman polled just 4.5 votes in his final five matches after returning from injury, to finish agonisingly close to a maiden Club Championship.
CLOSE COUNTS
Joel Patfull’s come-from-behind victory over Pearce Hanley was the third time in Club Champion history that the Merrett-Murray Medal has been decided by just one vote.
Jonathan Brown finished one vote clear of Simon Black in 2009, while Black also finished just one vote shy of Michael Voss in 2003.
There has also been two occasions when multiple Merrett-Murray Medals have been awarded – in 2003 (Voss and Black) and 1999 (Jason Akermanis and Justin Leppitsch).
PERSONAL BEST
Pearce Hanley’s second placing was his best ever finish on Club Champion night, having risen from equal fourth in 2011 and outright third in 2012. A Merrett-Murray Medal might await him is his rise continues in 2014.
Andrew Raines, who finished Runner-Up in Richmond’s best and fairest in 2006, secured his first ever top 10 finish with the Brisbane Lions on Club Champion night. Raines shared equal eighth position alongside Brent Moloney, improving three spots from his equal 11th placing from 2012.
Some of the other Lions players who secured personal best finishes in the Merrett-Murray Medal included:
Dayne Zorko – equal fourth (previous best equal 7th in 2012)
Mitch Golby – equal 10th (previous best 14th in 2012)
Elliot Yeo – 14th (previous best equal 26th in 2012)
Ryan Harwood – 18th (previous best 22nd in 2012)
INJURY HURTS MOLONEY
Brent Moloney is no stranger to best and fairest awards, having won Melbourne’s Club Champion in 2011.
And with 16.5 votes up until Round 14, Moloney could have potentially been well in the race for the Merrett-Murray Medal had injury not conspired against him in the second half of the season.
Moloney was injured early in Round 15, and went on to play just three more matches for the season – including half a game against Richmond in Round 20.
MAYES MAKES TOP 10
Sam Mayes became just the third player in Brisbane Lions history to come straight from the U18 competition and rank inside the Club Champion top 10 in his first AFL season.
Only Daniel Rich has achieved the same feat, when he finished sixth in his Rising Star-winning debut season of 2009.
Mayes scraped into equal 10th with 16.5 votes, courtesy of a purple patch between Rounds 15-21 which netted him 11.5 votes.
WINNING TOTAL
Joel Patfull’s 31.5 votes was the lowest winning total in the history of the Merrett-Murray Medal.
Coincidentally, the four lowest winning totals have come from the past four seasons – Patfull in 2012 (34.0), Tom Rockliff in 2011 (37.5), and Michael Rischitelli in 2010 (37.5).
