OUTSTANDING Carlton onballer Patrick Cripps could be on the verge of pulling off a Brownlow Medal feat achieved just twice in football history.
Only two players have won 'Charlie' in a wooden spoon side. Cripps is on track to do so, sitting on 18 votes in AFL.com.au's Brownlow predictor.
WHO'LL FINISH WHERE? Check out the Brownlow predictor
The Blues are set to finish at the foot of the ladder. They have won just once this year, and a loss to the 17th-placed Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium on Saturday night would effectively seal the deal, with the Suns having won four matches in 2018.
After facing the Suns, Carlton comes up against Greater Western Sydney (Etihad Stadium), Fremantle (Optus Stadium), Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium) and Adelaide (Etihad Stadium) in its run home.
Fremantle superstar Nat Fyfe leads the Brownlow predictor with a tally of 20, but is ineligible to be considered the competition's best and fairest player after striking Collingwood hard nut Levi Greenwood in round 11.
In any case, the Docker remains sidelined with a right hamstring injury.
Denis 'Dinny' Ryan was awarded the Brownlow as Fitzroy finished bottom in a two-win 1936 season, while Col Austen (Hawthorn) won it alongside South Melbourne's Ron Clegg in 1949, as the Hawks ended the season last with three victories.
NEW DEAL Cripps a true Blue
This century, only three players have taken the Brownlow home despite their side not making finals.
West Coast's Matt Priddis won in 2014 after the Eagles finished ninth with 11 wins, while Gary Ablett's Gold Coast finished 14th with eight wins when he won a year previously.
Trent Cotchin (2012) won the Brownlow in a 10-win Richmond side that finished 12th.
Cripps has carried a heavy midfield load for the struggling Blues, and ranks No.1 in the competition for total contested possessions and No.2 for clearances.