PAUL CHAPMAN WINS NORM SMITH MEDAL; HOW THEY VOTED - The Cattery

PAUL CHAPMAN WINS NORM SMITH MEDAL; HOW THEY VOTED
Ben Jensen in Edinburgh 28 September 2009

By Ben Jensen GEELONG'S PAUL CHAPMAN took home the North Smith Medal for being adjudged best afield in the AFL Grand Final on Saturday, you all know that by now. But how did he win it? Well, five wise men (no women this year) voted 3-2-1, Brownlow Medal style, with the overall results tallied up. Paul Chapman and St Kilda's Jason Gram both finished equal on 9 votes apiece. Chapman was awarded the medal on the basis that he had the greater number of best afields (three) with Gram just the one. Chapman was awarded three best afields by three judges, but no votes at all from the other two (the two Gerards - Healy of 3AW / Fox Sports fame, and Geelong fan Whateley from the ABC). Whateley was the only judge to give The Cattery's vote as Norm Smith Harry Taylor a vote at all, adjudging him best afield with 3 votes. Healy was similarly the only one to give Gram 3 votes, but all four other judges gave Gram votes unlike Chapman. WATCH CHAPMAN'S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH (further down below)

FINAL VOTING

9 Paul Chapman, Geelong (3, 3, 3)
9 Jason Gram, St Kilda (3, 2, 2, 1, 1)
3 Harry Taylor, Geelong (3)
2 Max Rooke, Geelong (2)
2 Gary Ablett, Geelong (1, 1)
2 Jimmy Bartel, Geelong (2)
2 Darren Milburn, Geelong (2)
1 Joel Corey, Geelong (1)

The judges voted as follows in order 3 2 1:

John Worsfold, Chairman
P Chapman, J Gram, J Corey.

Gerard Healy
J Gram, J Bartel, G Ablett

Nathan Buckley
P Chapman, D Milburn, J Gram

Jason Dunstall
P Chapman, J Gram, G Ablett

Gerard Whateley
H Taylor, M Rooke, J Gram

Chapman did his hamstring towards the end of the first quarter, but fortunately for he and Geelong fans he was able to play on without too much trouble. "It happened right on the quarter-time siren", Chapman said. "I got a cork in it and felt it spasm up a little bit and then early in the second quarter I got a tackle and felt it go a little bit. But it was a grand final and you've got nothing to lose so we just strapped it up and went out there. I tried as best I could to play deep but sometimes got sucked up the ground."

Chapman acknowledged the gravity of the award but noted at the end of the day the Premiership was all that really mattered to him. "The Norm Smith's great, but you don't catch up with blokes who've won one other Norm Smith or anything like that. You catch up with the people you win Premierships with – that's something that we're going to have forever."

"I woke up and thought it was going to be a good day, and hopefully we'd win a premiership. If we played as a team, I thought we were a good chance. I'm sure Jimmy Bartel woke up and thought exactly the same thing – I'm going to do my bit. That's all I thought." Chapman began his career at Geelong the same season as coach Mark Thompson (2000), the same year The Cattery rejoined as a member.