Hamstrung Chapman wins Norm Smith Medal

GEELONG'S Paul Chapman has won the 2009 Norm Smith Medal on a countback from St Kilda's Jason Gram despite playing with a strained hamstring for almost three quarters of a pulsating encounter.

Chapman gathered 26 possessions and kicked three goals, including the game-breaker in the last quarter which gave the Cats the lead.

It's not the first time this year Chapman has been the difference with a strained hamstring – in round 18 against Adelaide he injured his leg very early in the game and kicked six straight majors in a game the Cats won by two points.

"It happened right on the quarter-time siren. 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," he said after the game.

"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."

Gram's 30 touches won him won nine votes from the five-man panel – the same number as Chapman – but the medal went to Chapman because he had the greater number of three votes for best on ground, as per the rules of the medal.

Chapman collected nine possessions in the crucial final quarter, which saw stoppage after stoppage.

But despite winning the individual award, Chapman said his second premiership medallion was far more important.

"The Norm Smith's great, but you don't catch up with blokes who've won one other Norm Smith or anything like that," he said.

"You catch up with the people you win premierships with – that's something that we're going to have forever."

The 27-year-old said the Norm Smith Medal was the furthest thing from his mind before he won it.

"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 (the 2007 Brownlow Medal winner) woke up and thought exactly the same thing – I'm going to do my bit.

"That's all I thought."

The judging panel for the medal was John Worsfold (West Coast coach), Nathan Buckley (3AW), Jason Dunstall (Triple M), Gerard Healy (Fox Sports) and Gerard Whateley (ABC Radio).

2009 Norm Smith Medal 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)

Voting by judge
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

Gerard Whateley: H Taylor, M Rooke, J Gram

Jason Dunstall: P Chapman, J Gram, G Ablett