"Absolutely perplexed": Should Bolton have won Norm Smith Medal?

While Fremantle’s Shai Bolton walks away from this year’s AFL Grand Final as the Norm Smith Medallist, Gerard Whateley thinks the award should have gone to someone else.

For the first time since 2005, a player from a losing side claimed the best on-ground medal, with the 27-year-old doing so with 26 disposals alongside game highs in metres gained (686) and score involvements (nine) in the Dockers’ seven point loss to the Lions on Saturday afternoon.

This year’s votes spread saw it harder to find a consensus with Bolton only receiving 10 of a possible 15 votes (the lowest vote count to win the award since 2016).

But after the votes had been released, Whateley believes Will Ashcroft should have claimed his third Norm Smith Medal in a row.

The midfielder amassed 31 disposals for the match but shone in the final quarter, having assisted two of Brisbane’s five goals as they turned a 17 point deficit into a seven point lead in the final five minutes of the match to secure a historic three point.

Whilst the 23-year-old finished equal second alongside teammate Dayne Zorko with six votes, Whateley remained perplexed by the lack of votes for the two-time Norm Smith Medallist.

“It's always difficult to cast judgement on other people's votes,” Whateley prefaced post-game.

“How (Will) Ashcroft hasn't won this, because usually when history's on offer, you only have to be equal and the nod goes your way, and he's had the best of his three grand finals.

“He has been one of the two central figures in the greatest come-from-behind victory we've seen in the last five minutes of a Grand Final, and somehow he hadn't managed to get the votes.

“I'm absolutely perplexed by it.”

Had Ashcroft been awarded the medal, he would join Dustin Martin as only the second player since the award began in 1979 to have won it three times.

To see the full breakdown of the Norm Smith Medal votes, click here.