Essendon star Zach Merrett has led the way for Essendon in the 2019 Brownlow Medal, claiming equal-16th place overall at Crown Palladium on Monday night.
Merrett racked up 16 votes, finishing 17 adrift of Fremantle star Nat Fyfe who claimed his second Brownlow.
The prolific onballer was awarded votes on six occasions, including a maximum three votes in each of his brilliant performances against Fremantle in round nine, Hawthorn in round 13 and Adelaide in round 18.
Boom recruit Dylan Shiel also polled well, claiming a career-high 14 votes in his first season in the red and black, while brilliant forward Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti was third for the Bombers with eight votes, eclipsing his previous best of three in 2018.
Bombers at the #Brownlow pic.twitter.com/DF2N6LwUzM
— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) September 23, 2019
Hard-running forward Mitch Brown and young midfielder Darcy Parish were rewarded with their first ever Brownlow Medal votes on Monday, polling in their 57th and 65th games respectively, while Shaun McKernan had his first three-vote performance for his four-goal effort against the Suns in round 19.
ESSENDON VOTES
16 Zach Merrett
14 Dylan Shiel
8 Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
3 Dyson Heppell
3 Michael Hurley
3 Shaun McKernan
3 David Zaharakis
2 Tom Bellchambers
2 Darcy Parish
2 Jake Stringer
1 Mitch Brown
1 Orazio Fantasia
2019 BROWNLOW MEDAL VOTES
Round 1 vs Greater Western Sydney
3 Lachie Whitfield (GWS)
2 Stephen Coniglio (GWS)
1 Dawson Simpson (GWS)
Round 2 vs St Kilda
3 Jack Billings (STK)
2 Jade Gresham (STK)
1 Jack Newnes (STK)
Round 3 vs Melbourne
3 Dylan Shiel
2 David Zaharakis
1 Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
Round 4 vs Brisbane
3 Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
2 Lachie Neale (BL)
1 Mitch Brown
Was it ever in doubt?
— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) September 23, 2019
Three votes for our magician ✨#Brownlow pic.twitter.com/6DUT2dKu8u
Round 5 vs North Melbourne
3 Dylan Shiel
2 Zach Merrett
1 Orazio Fantasia
Super Shiel
— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) September 23, 2019
Another three votes for this Good Friday masterclass #Brownlow pic.twitter.com/sz45cuMmXu
Round 6 vs Collingwood
3 Scott Pendlebury (COLL)
2 Dylan Shiel
1 Brodie Grundy (COLL)
Round 7 vs Geelong
3 Gary Ablett (GEEL)
2 Mitch Duncan (GEEL)
1 Tim Kelly (GEEL)
Round 8 vs Sydney
3 Luke Parker (SYD)
2 Zach Merrett
1 Josh Kennedy (SYD)
Round 9 vs Fremantle
3 Zach Merrett
2 David Mundy (FRE)
1 Dylan Shiel
You voted him our best back in round nine, and the umps agreed.
— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) September 23, 2019
Well played, Zach #Brownlow pic.twitter.com/kSptcFQ8WV
Round 10 vs Richmond
3 Bachar Houli (RICH)
2 Tom Bellchambers
1 Dustin Martin (RICH)
Round 11 vs Carlton
3 Dyson Heppell
2 Darcy Parish
1 Michael Hurley
Top honours for our skipper against the Blues, while Darcy Parish (two) earns his first #Brownlow votes pic.twitter.com/njO8OPVZg0
— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) September 23, 2019
Round 12
BYE
Round 13 vs Hawthorn
3 Zach Merrett
2 Michael Hurley
1 Ricky Henderson (HAW)
Round 14 vs West Coast
3 Dom Sheed (WCE)
2 Elliot Yeo (WCE)
1 Andrew Gaff (WCE)
Round 15 vs Greater Western Sydney
3 Stephen Coniglio (GWS)
2 Zach Merrett
1 Josh Kelly (GWS)
Round 16 vs Sydney
3 Dylan Shiel
2 Josh Kennedy (SYD)
1 David Zaharakis
Round 17 vs North Melbourne
3 Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
2 Ben Brown (NM)
1 Robbie Tarrant (NM)
AMT gets another three
— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) September 23, 2019
Relive THAT performance in round 17 ⬇️#Brownlow pic.twitter.com/Ye3ZyTsySV
Round 18 vs Adelaide
3 Zach Merrett
2 Brad Crouch (ADEL)
1 Reilly O’Brien (ADEL)
Round 19 vs Gold Coast
3 Shaun McKernan
2 Jake Stringer
1 Touk Miller (GC)
Round 20 vs Port Adelaide
3 Dan Houston (PA)
2 Robbie Gray (PA)
1 Zach Merrett
Round 21 vs Western Bulldogs
3 Josh Dunkley (WB)
2 Jack Macrae (WB)
1 Lachie Hunter (WB)
Round 22 vs Fremantle
3 Michael Walters (FRE)
2 Dylan Shiel
1 Ed Langdon (FRE)
Round 23 vs Collingwood
3 Brodie Grundy (COLL)
2 Jamie Elliot (COLL)
1 Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
