It was just before 10:50 pm on Monday night that Matt Rowell’s acceptance speech came to an end on Crown’s Palladium.
As he looked at the wrinkled notes and found that he had nothing more to thank, he looked at the crowd, smiled awkwardly and said his last thank you.
Matt Rowell and seven host Hamish McLachlan.Credit: AFL Photos
For many football fans, present in the room or watching on TV, the night started three hours earlier. Arriving at my 11th Brownlow Medal Count, I stretched strategically from the red rug (now blue?), But I still have a notion of fashion of the night.
Although I don’t write professionally about fashion (yet), the vast majority of boys and girls seemed simply sublime.
Quick question: Are the scorers back to fashion? At one point at night, I was sure someone would shout “Parlay” and then Geoffrey Rush or Johnny Depp would appear out of nowhere, the pirates of the Caribbean.
Anyway, I arrived at my table (110) and sat with a dark perception: I was sitting at the rear table, next to the bathrooms, with my seat turned away from the stage.
Nine’s main soccer reporter, Tom Morris, quickly joked: “You are literally on the worst seat in the room.”
I mean, I was facing him, so he was not wrong.
But things could have been worse – I could have been Matthew Nicks.
Someone in the tasks of the seat plan clearly enchanted because the coach of Adelaide and his wife had been forgotten.
The two had to be clumsy in the corner until the AFL found a seat for them. I mean, I know the crows disappeared in September, but that was a little too much.
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Some real awards (finally) came and went. Gold Coast captain Noah Anderson won the goal of the year for a goal that should not have won the goal of the match, and the Western Bulldogs weird show, Sam Darcy, won Mark of the Year for taking 60 % of a brand. But who is counting.
9:16 pm: One of the hosts of Crown Palladium announces to the room that we are in the “brand of the way”. It is exciting and disturbing at once. Minutes later, a star of Geelong admits that his wife has already had enough and fled to the room to watch Netflix. We promise not to identify the guilty party. We applaud your courage, Mardi.
9:37 pm: We return from an ad range to a pre-recorded segment of The front bar. It’s a great show, and I would usually need a comic pause from Sam Pang and Mick Molly. But guys, it’s after 9:30 am and we haven’t started round 14 yet.
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The real comedy of the night occurred during the voting readings for the 20th round, when St. Kilda star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera received two votes for her performance against Melbourne.
You can remember the game – the one in which he dominated the last quarter, kicked the last two goals and beat the saints of the game. In total, he had 34 provisions and kicked four goals. But apparently this was not enough to get the three votes. No, Melbourne midfielder Jack Viney, who was one of the demons that was not guilty over the last quarter because he could not join in the last central bounce, he was considered better on the floor (he had 23 dismembered, had 16 tackles and kicked one).
Cue laughing from Table 110.
10:20 pm: SEVEN’s hummin Hamish McLachlan announced to the room that Rowell was the winner because he was far away to lose. His victory speech began at 10:27. At 10:43 am, McLachlan told Rowell: “Many children aged 10 and 11 watching, Matt …”
Was there?! It was almost 23:00 on a school night. I was almost still awake.
Matt Rowell celebrates with his mother, Louise, later at night.Credit: AFL Photos
There was something that kept me up, however, like a coffee picture while I was at home.
Remember how we criticize Australian selectors to start Nick Daicos at the bank earlier this year? We pointed out at the time that Daicos was the best player of the competition and would probably beat Brownlow. We were wrong – he finished second. The guy who won him? He also started on the bank. Laughing. Again. And no, I didn’t go to the party later. I’m 34 years old, not 24.
