Coaches believed Ashcroft was best on ground, but Bolton won Norm Smith Medal
Will Ashcroft had 31 touches in Brisbane's grand final win but lost the Norm Smith Medal to Shai Bolton.
Brisbane's Will Ashcroft played well in the Lions' seven-point grand final victory, but judges did not give him the Norm Smith Medal. Ashcroft finished with a game-high 31 touches, nine clearances, seven score involvements and three direct goal assists.
The two coaches voted him best on ground with nine of 10 votes. Judges gave the medal to Fremantle's Shai Bolton instead.
Bolton was the first player in 21 years to win from a losing side. Bolton got 10 votes to Ashcroft's six.
Ashcroft won the Gary Ayres' Award as best player across all finals games for the second year in a row. He joined Richmond legend Dustin Martin as the only back-to-back winners since 2016.
The judging panel had Andrew McLeod, Chris Judd, Michael Voss, Shaun Burgoyne and journalist Lauren Wood.
- 31 (game-high)
- Ashcroft touches
- 9 of 10
- Coaching votes for Ashcroft
- 21 years
- Years since Bolton precedent
- 2, tied with Dustin Martin since 2016
- Gary Ayres consecutive wins
Why it mattersThe judges did not agree on who should win. This raises questions about how grand final performance is judged.
AustraliaThe Norm Smith Medal controversy adds to post-grand final debate in Australian football as Brisbane claims its third straight premiership.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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