How Shai Bolton Won the Norm Smith Medal in a Losing Grand Final
The Norm Smith Medal is the AFL award for the player judged best on ground in the grand final. Shai Bolton joined small company when he won it in a losing team. AFL.com.au described it as a rare club, and the numbers back that up.
Fremantle lost to Brisbane at the MCG, 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89), after Brisbane took over in the closing stages to claim a third straight premiership. Bolton finished with a team-high 26 disposals, 10 contested possessions, nine score involvements, nine inside 50s, seven marks and five tackles. He also gained 686 metres. That output earned 10 votes from the five-person judging panel.
Only five men have done this
Bolton is just the fifth player to win the Norm Smith Medal from a beaten grand final team. Chris Judd was the most recent, for West Coast in 2005. Before him came Nathan Buckley in 2002, Gary Ablett Snr in 1989 and Maurice Rioli in 1982. The gap of 21 years makes Bolton's feat notable, but the company he now keeps is even more striking.
The votes tell the story
The judging panel was made up of Andrew McLeod, Shaun Burgoyne, Chris Judd, Michael Voss and Lauren Wood. Bolton's vote breakdown was 3, 3, 2, 1, 1, which means every judge gave him a vote. Brisbane's Dayne Zorko and Will Ashcroft tied for second on six votes. Ashcroft had won the previous two Norm Smith Medals, so Bolton's win also denied him a third straight.
Disagreement is part of the medal
Not everyone was convinced. Fox Sports' player ratings said Bolton was not the best player on the ground, and ABC News reported that Bolton himself was surprised to hear his name called. That is not unusual for such a close vote. The Norm Smith Medal is a subjective honour, and the debate after the count is part of the award's history.
The medal exists to recognise an individual performance even when the team falls short. Bolton's stats gave the judges a clear case, and his selection places him in an exclusive group remembered long after the final siren.