By the time he arrived home from the 2020 Club Championship dinner with the Merrett-Murray medal draped around his neck he had claimed every best and fairest award available in the competition.
His second season as a Lion must surely rank as one of the most dominant of the modern era.
With shortened game and increasing opposition attention the 27-year-old still managed to average 27.5 disposals as the league’s highest possession winner.
He received maximum votes in Club Championship voting for his 32 possession two goal game against West Coast in round three and also produced dominant displays against Essendon where he gathered 33 possessions and kicked two goals and with 36 possessions and one goal against the Bulldogs.
The Marcus Ashcroft medal for best on ground in the Q Clash was added to his collection in round 16.
He won the Brownlow Medal by an equal record margin, was the AFL Players Association’s Leigh Matthews Trophy winner as their MVP and the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year.
Only three players have claimed all three major individual awards in the same season - Dustin Martin (2017), Patrick Dangerfield (2016) and Gary Ablett Jnr (2009).
He became the merged club’s 10th Brownlow medallist and the fourth alongside Michael Voss (1996), Jason Akermanis (2001) and Simon Black (2002) of the Brisbane era.
Haydn Bunton (1931,32,35), Wilfred Smallhorn (1933), Dinny Ryan (1936), Allan Ruthven (1950), Kevin Murray (1969) and Bernie Quinlan (1981) were Brownlow medallists for Fitzroy.
The midfield maestro also produced a mighty finals campaign to share the honours with teammate Hugh McCluggage as the Lions’ Best Finals Player for 2020.
