AFL legend Leigh Matthews has revealed the eye-opening details of a Norm Smith Medal voting mishap after the 2020 Grand Final between Richmond and Geelong, involving Tigers defenders Jayden Short and Nathan Broad.
Matthews, one of the voters on the evening, claims he intended to award votes to Short, however, "somehow or rather", the Hawthorn, Collingwood and Brisbane icon ended up gifting votes to fellow Richmond defender Nathan Broad, jesting that someone must have changed his vote.
He took the time onย 3AW radio waves to offer an apology to the Jack Dyer medallist.
โCan I apologise to Jayden?โ began Matthews.
โAt the (2020) Grand Final [at] The Gabba, what happened [was] it was at the end of the game (between the Tigers and Cats), and I was one of the voters for the Norm Smith Medal.
โI wrote down Dustin Martin, Jayden Short, and I don't know who I put at one, so somewhere or rather I must've written down Nathan Broad, or someone changed my vote. I think they changed my vote!
โSo, I want to apologise, Jayden, for that mishap."
๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ
The apology has been three years in the making! https://t.co/XWbAap7Jxa
— 3AW Football (@3AWisfootball) March 31, 2023
Short, also present on the program, took Matthews' apology in good stead, joking that if Martin didn't play so incredibly that he might've been able to take out the medallion had Matthews voted correctly.
โIf Dustin didn't play so well I might've been a bit more spewing,โ Short chuckled in reply.
"'Broady' was happy with his two votes."
โI wanted to apologise in person,โ finished Matthews.
Short still managed a second-place voting finish, behind winner Martin.
