There’s no red carpet, no one asked Bob and Adi what they were wearing and there is definitely no rotisserie, but it is Freedom in a Cage award season and the boys have made their picks for some key gongs.
So who are the winners?
Jack Macrae was the Cage’s unanimous pick for MVP. “He’s been outstanding,” Murphy said. Brown concurred:
“Early season, he was talked up for the Brownlow and got injured at the wrong time.”
Listen: Freedom in a Cage | Matthew Richardson
In the second unanimous call, the Rookie of the Year award went to Ed Richards. Murphy was happy to defer to the Bulldog Shop’s badge sales numbers, while Brown argued that he should be a chance for the NAB Rising Star award.
“He's had a good year, he is a smokey,” he said.
“I’m hoping that maybe the people that judge it, because it effectively just comes down to five judges that must award a 5,4,3,2,1 might look at consistency over year and say, he hasn't really put a foot wrong.”
The next set of awards were where the ‘Cage votes were split, so a compromise was reached.
Murphy’s choice for Most Improved went to Matt Suckling.
“It's probably not the right word but [Suckling] got injured when he was playing almost career best footy, and that's saying something because he's played a lot of footy,” he argued.
“Up until he was injured, he was on fire. He would have been one or two in the best and fairest and when he was fit, he was really damaging.”
Brown’s pick was for Toby McLean but for slightly different seasons so a new category was created, and McLean was crowned the first ever recipient of the Best Casual Gradient award.
“Now, not most improved from this level, but you look at the curve of where his career is and year on year he’s improved. Best casual gradient. Best perfect trajectory,” he suggested.
“It's not casual, but it's perfectly there.”
And if you were wondering who won the Most Should Have Had an Award But Doesn't Fit Into Any of the Above Categories award, they panel was again split so a joint winner was announced.
Murphy argued for first year Dog Hayden Crozier.
“I'm going to give it to Hayden, who I haven't had much to do with at all. I just like the way he plays, good overhead, neat left foot, he said.
“I like a left footer, he's a half back flanker, I just like the cut of his jib.”
Brown’s vote was for last year’s number 9 pick, Aaron Naughton.
“Played the first eight games, has since played the last eight games and missed a patch in the middle of the year, but feel like he's been pretty important for the Dogs,” he said.
“The form, he's played seventeen. Dogs have won eight, lost nine with him in the side.”
2018 Freedom in a Cage Awards
MVP: Jack Macrae
Rookie of the Year: Ed Richards
Most Improved: Matt Suckling
Best Casual Gradient: Toby McLean
Most Should Have Had an Award But Doesn't Fit Into Any of the Above Categories: Hayden Crozier/Aaron Naughton (tie)
