Tom Mitchell’s 2018 Brownlow Medal triumph was predicted by the majority of the AFL world.
The Hawthorn midfielder won comfortably, four votes ahead of second placed Steele Sidebottom.
What many didn’t expect from that night was the third-placed finish of Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw, who wasn’t even invited to attend the event.
Following Mitchell's leg injury, the door is wide open for someone to sneak in and claim the Brownlow in the 2019 season.
Here are five players who won’t be favoured to win the medal, but could just sneak in and get enough votes.
2. Jaeger O’Meara
There is a Tom Mitchell sized hole right in the middle of Hawthorn’s midfield that needs to be filled. O’Meara is a player who has always been full of potential, but up to now it has largely gone unfulfilled.
After 13 votes in 2018, now is the optimal time for O’Meara to take the leap into stardom and become a real leader in the Hawks midfield. A strong season of tough tackling and ball-winning could just be a Brownlow Medal winning formula for the 24-year-old.
