An AFL great has called for an “easy fix” to the Norm Smith Medal voting after Shai Bolton’s controversial crowning denied Will Ashcroft a third-straight honour.
But 2026 Norm Smith Medal panellist Shaun Burgoyne has defended his call to give three votes to Dayne Zorko and leave Ashcroft from his ballot entirely.
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Ashcroft was heroic with six disposals (four contested), four clearances and three score involvements after Wharfie Time sounded in the dying minutes of Saturday’s decider to lead Brisbane’s stunning come-from-behind win over Fremantle.
The Lions star finished with a game-high 31 disposals, plus nine clearances, seven score involvements and 496 metres gained.
It was enough to give Ashcroft 13.5 coaches votes in the grand final (nine with 1.5 times loading) and the Gary Ayres Award for a second-straight year as the best finals player.
But Ashcroft ran equal second in the Norm Smith Medal with six votes and was left off both Burgoyne and fellow panellist Andrew McLeod’s ballot.
McLeod has come under added scrutiny for being photographed with a beer in his hand in the crowd.
Fellow AFL greats Chris Judd and Michael Voss and Herald Sun journalist Lauren Wood were the other voters, with Wood the only panelist to give Ashcroft best-on-ground.
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Bolton become the first winner in a losing side since Chris Judd in 2005.
Speaking on Fox Footy’s On the Couch, Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph says both the AFL and Burgoyne are comfortable with how the process played out.
“The AFL’s view is it assembles the very best panel of media, former players and former coaches and let’s them do their thing. That the system is not broken. It doesn’t mean the controversy won’t continue to rage,” Ralph said.
“I spoke to one of those panellists in Shaun Burgoyne, who’s voted in two of the last three of these events.
“He said in 2024 he voted for Will Ashcroft, he didn’t think he was the best player on the ground this weekend, he thought that was Dayne Zorko.
“Burgoyne took it very seriously. He says he retreated to a quiet room post game for those magical minutes to consider his view. He said wasn’t rushed, he said he was not asked to give his votes before the game ended, he said he wouldn’t change a thing.”
Burgoyne believed Zorko was “the most consistent performer across the day” and “clearly Will had an impact in the last four minutes but I look at it from start to finish.”
For four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis, making sure Norm Smith panellists aren’t drinking alcohol nor “distracted” is an “easy fix” moving forward.
“I like the diversity, I like players in the game and players out of the game, I like the journalists. But I think if any of the panellists are having a beer during the game, I think that’s an easy fix,” Lewis said.
“That’s probably more just the optics of it. Just to not be distracted and maybe around family and friends.
“If they clean that up but keep the diversity of it, I think it works well.”
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Triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown, who voted in Geelong’s 2022 domination of Sydney when Isaac Smith was near unanimously judged best afield, had sympathy for the voters.
But Brown was perplexed that Ashcroft received no votes from two members given his dominant 12-disposal final term
“I dunno, it is hard. Mine was an easy year in 2022, (Geelong) was in front by a long way, you could’ve put the votes in early. But this was a tough one,” Brown said.
“I felt as if, being at the ground, there were five or six in it. Then Will separated himself from the pack in that last four or five minutes. I guess that’s why it stood out to me and a lot of people, Will’s absence with a couple of the voters for any of the votes.
“I think ‘Fages’ said it, it is arguably the greatest five minutes an individual has put together in a grand final.”
Tigers champion Jack Riewoldt added: “Shaun Burgoyne spoke about (who was best across) the whole game, but Brisbane don’t win that grand final without Will Ashcroft and the damage he had.”
Geelong assistant and Collingwood icon Nathan Buckley thinks the coaches votes in the Gary Ayres Award are a “guide” that Ashcroft was a more deserving winner.
Caleb Serong, Luke Jackson and Josh Dunkley also earned more votes from the coaches.
“You’d think Ashcroft, Serong, Jackson and Dunkley were seen as more influential (than Bolton) by the coaches,” Buckley said on the program.
“It is a tough gig at times, it is an individual opinion, that’s why we have five voters to do it. There’s probably a little bit in this, given there’s probably four players we thought had greater influence than Bolton.”
NORM SMITH MEDAL VOTING
Shai Bolton (Fremantle) – 10 votes (3,3,2,1,1)
Dayne Zorko (Brisbane Lions) – 6 votes (3,3)
Will Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions) – 6 votes (3,2,1)
Caleb Serong (Fremantle) – 4 votes (2,2)
Hayden Young (Fremantle) – 3 votes (2,1)
Charlie Cameron (Brisbane Lions) – 1 vote (1)
Andrew McLeod (Chair)
3. Dayne Zorko (Brisbane Lions)
2. Hayden Young (Fremantle)
1. Shai Bolton (Fremantle)
Shaun Burgoyne
3. Dayne Zorko (Brisbane Lions)
2. Shai Bolton (Fremantle)
1. Hayden Young (Fremantle)
Chris Judd
3. Shai Bolton (Fremantle)
2. Will Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)
1. Charlie Cameron (Brisbane Lions)
Michael Voss
3. Shai Bolton (Fremantle)
2. Caleb Serong (Fremantle)
1. Will Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)
Lauren Wood
3. Will Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)
2. Caleb Serong (Fremantle)
1. Shai Bolton (Fremantle)
GARY AYRES AWARD VOTING (1.5 times loading)
Will Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions) 13.5 votes
Caleb Serong (Fremantle) 12 votes
Luke Jackson (Fremantle) 6 votes
Josh Dunkley (Brisbane Lions) 6 votes
Shai Bolton (Fremantle) 4.5 votes
Dayne Zorko (Brisbane Lions) 1.5 votes
Hayden Young (Fremantle) 1.5 votes