GEELONG'S Gary Ablett has capped three brilliant seasons with the 2009 Brownlow Medal.
Ablett, 25, polled 30 votes to win the medal from Carlton captain Chris Judd (22) and St Kilda's Lenny Hayes (20).
The champion ball-getter was favourite to win the 2007 and 2008 Brownlows, claimed by teammate Jimmy Bartel and Bulldog Adam Cooney.
Ablett missed three games with injury in 2009, but polled in 13 of the matches he played; voted best on ground eight times.
He led early in Monday's count, but saw his cushion trimmed to just four votes with four rounds remaining, after Brisbane Lions skipper Jonathan Brown bounded up the leaderboard, passing Hayes and Judd.
Three votes for his 44-disposal game against the Sydney Swans in round 20 was enough to hand Ablett the medal.
He sweetened the deal by picking up three votes in round 21 against the Western Bulldogs, and one the following week against Fremantle.
Ablett had got off to a flyer, polling heavily in the first five rounds, but failed to be recognised in round six against Melbourne. That was also the week he injured his groin and he missed the next two games.
The 25-year-old's absence enabled St Kilda's Nick Dal Santo's one-vote game in round seven to draw him level, and for Hayes to also sneak up. Two-time winner Adam Goodes made a move and polled six votes over rounds seven and eight.
Ablett returned in round nine with a bang, polling three votes against the Western Bulldogs. But when Hayes picked up six compared to his four in rounds 10 and 11, the challenge was thrown down.
As the count entered round 12, it shaped as a three-horse race between Ablett, Hayes and Dal Santo, but it was the Cat that held a handy three-vote lead.
Another three to Ablett in round 13, a 36-possession performance against Port Adelaide, saw him push to six votes in front.
In the round 14 clash between Geelong and St Kilda, none of the three players received a vote.
Ablett missed round 15, but picked up one vote the following week for his 40 possessions against Melbourne, which extended his lead to seven votes from Judd and Hayes.
Brown looked like becoming the late runner of the count when he was awarded seven votes between rounds 15 and 18 to bound into contention.
His charge was halted in the final four rounds.
Ablett broke a number of long-standing records during the count. He became the first player since Paul Meldrum in 1987 to poll 12 votes in the opening five rounds and the first since Robert Harvey in 1998 to register 22 after 14 rounds.
Ablett won his third consecutive AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award earlier this month.
He will have another opportunity to add to his collection of medallions at the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year Award on Tuesday – and on Saturday, when Geelong takes on St Kilda in the Toyota AFL Grand Final at the MCG.
LEADERBOARD
30 Gary Ablett
22 Chris Judd
20 Lenny Hayes
19 Simon Black, Jonathan Brown
17 Nick Dal Santo, Adam Goodes
16 Joel Selwood
15 Bryce Gibbs, Marc Murphy, Nick Riewoldt
14 Matthew Boyd, Brendon Goddard
