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Carlton captain Patrick Cripps has won his second AFL Brownlow Medal, polling a record 45 votes to claim the honour convincingly. The 29-year-old is the first player to win two Brownlows playing for Carlton, after he also won the game's most prestigious individual honour two years ago. Cripps remarkably had an unbeatable lead with four rounds left and Collingwood's Nick Daicos finished second on 38, while Port Adelaide's Zak Butters polled 29 for third. After three years of tight finishes, it is the most emphatic win since the Brisbane Lions' Lachie Neale won the first of his two Brownlows by 10 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.  Daicos, who was the second favourite behind Cripps, also broke the old votes record of 36, jointly held previously by Richmond's Dustin Martin (2017) and Port Adelaide's Ollie Wines ('21). Cripps, who led outright from halfway through the season, equalled the record with the ninth of his 12 three-vote games in round 19. The Carlton star then polled three votes in the round-21 win over Collingwood and Daicos was awarded two, putting Cripps nine votes in front. It meant Daicos had to poll three votes in each of his last three games to tie with Cripps and the Magpies young gun had two in round 22 to confirm the result. Adding emphasis to his domination, Cripps polled three votes in three of his last four games. Renowned for putting the Blues on his back when the game is in the balance, Cripps made his fourth All-Australian team this year and is the 17th player to win multiple Brownlows. Carlton greats Chris Judd and Greg Williams also won two Brownlows, but Judd won his first medal at West Coast and Williams at Sydney. Cripps took the outright lead halfway through the season from Sydney star Isaac Heeney, who was ineligible because of his round-17 striking suspension. Heeney was a big story, especially early in the count, when he raced to 21 votes by round 10 - a Brownlow record. It is 27 years since Western Bulldogs great Chris Grant topped the count, but did not win because he'd been suspended that season. St Kilda's Robert Harvey, who finished one vote behind Grant, won the first of his two Brownlows instead. But Heeney's charge lost steam through the middle of the season. As Cripps surged to the lead, the Sydney ace did not poll at all from round 11 to 18, equal with fourth-placed Fremantle star Caleb Serong. Fellow Sydney stars Errol Gulden (25 votes) and Chad Warner (23) helped save the AFL's blushes by taking votes off Heeney. Brisbane co-captain Lachie Neale, who was rated a chance to become only the fifth player to win three Brownlows, and the Western Bulldogs' perennial contender Marcus Bontempelli were never among the leaders. Melbourne's 2021 premiership star Angus Brayshaw, who had to leave the game before this season started because of repeated concussions, proposed an emotional toast on behalf of his fellow players who have also retired this year. High-flying Collingwood forward Bobby Hill won mark of the year and, in his debut season, West Coast midfielder Harley Reid claimed goal of the year. The Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award was also presented during the Brownlow function to Adelaide ruckman Reilly O'Brien.
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