The Great Brownlow Botch

The 1930 Brownlow Medal remains the source of the biggest debacle in the history of the prestigious award, presented to the fairest and best player in the VFL/AFL every year since 1924. The 1930 Medal was the first awarded to multiple players; Harry Collier (Collingwood), Allan Hopkins (Footscray) and Stan Judkins (Richmond), however, this should not have been the case at all.

The three footballers tied on four votes each, although, due to a now revoked “countback rule” only Richmond’s Stan Judkins was deemed the winner, at the time, as he played in less games. In 1980, fifty years after the count, the infamous countback rule was scrapped and in 1989 both Collier and Hopkins were awarded medals retrospectively.

But an injustice remains in the history books regarding the 1930 Brownlow Medal, as by all rights Collier should have won the Medal outright if it was not for a monumental mistake by an umpire.

VIEW HERE: OFFICIAL LIST OF BROWNLOW WINNERS

It was shortly after that count that it emerged that one vote during the season was deemed by VFL officials to be invalid. This was because during one game, an umpire merely wrote “Collier” on his voting slip without specifying if the vote was for Harry Collier or his younger brother and Collingwood teammate Albert Collier. Albert Collier was the 1929 winner and reigning Brownlow Medallist at the time. The Collier brothers remain the only Brownlow Medal winning brothers in VFL/AFL history.

The offending umpire was later asked which Collier brother he was indeed referring to, and stated – “the little one.” Considering Harry Collier was significantly shorter than his younger brother Albert, Harry was robbed an extra vote that would have secured him an outright victory. Instead, on the night of that fateful count in 1930, only Tiger Stan Judkins was decreed the Brownlow Medallist. Collier did eventually receive his rightful Brownlow in 1989, fifty-nine years after the fact, but Judkins and Bulldog Allan Hopkins are recorded as Brownlow Medallist only due to an unbelievable stuff-up.

Both Judkins and Hopkins were Richmond and Footscray/Western Bulldogs' first Brownlow Medal winners respectively. If Collier's vote was reinstated and Judkins and Hopkins were no longer recognised as Brownlow Medallists, Bill Morris (1948) would be regarded as Richmond's first Brownlow Medal winner while Norm Ware (1941) would hold that same honour for Footscray/Western Bulldogs.

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