The AFL Brownlow Medal count brought together the league’s senior figures, former winners and leading players at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium on Monday night, with Essendon’s coaching turmoil providing an added point of interest.
Essendon president Andrew Welsh arrived shortly after 6.15pm alongside Mark McVeigh, who has been involved in the race to coach the club. James Hird, the former Bombers great and another contender for the role, followed several minutes later after completing media commitments.
Hird attended with Natalie Young and told Nine’s Footy Classified last week that he had not yet met the club. He said he was “genuinely upset” that news of a proposed discussion about alternative roles with Essendon had been leaked.
Hird was later pictured with AFL chair Craig Drummond as football’s major powerbrokers gathered for the sport’s most prominent individual awards night.
Brownlow Medal count draws football’s biggest names
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon, commission members and senior club administrators were among those attending, alongside chief operating officer Tom Harley and former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire.
Club representatives included Western Bulldogs president Kylie Watson-Wheeler, Carlton president Robert Priestley, Collingwood president Barry Carp, Geelong president Grant McCabe and St Kilda president Andrew Bassat.
Tasmanian Devils chief executive Brendon Gale, who recently appointed Ken Hinkley as coach, was also at the event. Former AFL commission chairs Richard Goyder and Mike Fitzpatrick were seen speaking outside the VIP drinks area, while former league chief executive Andrew Demetriou was among the early arrivals.
Martin Pakula attended as Crown chair. Former Brownlow medallists in the room included Shane Crawford, Ben Cousins, Adam Cooney, Jason Akermanis and Robert DiPierdomenico.
Victoria’s Opposition Leader Jess Wilson attended with her husband, Aaron, wearing a Rebecca Vallance dress bought through Facebook Marketplace for about $300. She borrowed jewellery and a bag from friends, used shoes from her own wardrobe and backed Collingwood star Nick Daicos for the top prize.
Major events minister Anthony Carbines and sports minister Steve Dimopoulos were also among the political figures at the Brownlow.
Guests were served king salmon tartare followed by beef sirloin with truffle potato gratin, baby carrots, roasted shallots and bone marrow jus, before a dessert platter.
Channel Seven deployed its slow-motion “Sparklebot” camera to capture the arrivals on the red carpet, replacing an earlier rotating platform used to display guests’ outfits.
