North Melbourne rover Brent Harvey is the new Brownlow Medal favourite and what's more he deserves to be; according to Kangaroos' coach Dean Laidley.
Harvey has assumed favouritism for the AFL's highest individual award for the first time this season - following another best on ground performance against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday when he also produced a contender for goal of the year.
Victoria's TAB Sportsbet now has the man known as "Boomer" at $3 to win the Brownlow with long-time favourite Gary Ablett now second pick at $3.25 while his Geelong teammate and last year's winner Jim Bartel is third pick at $4.25.
Western Bulldogs' midfielder Adam Cooney - second pick for much of the season behind Ablett - is now out to fifth elect at $12, following his and his team's recent form slump, with Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich now fourth favourite at $9.
Laidley said Harvey - equal second in the Brownlow last year - would go close to going one better this season.
"Have a look at the betting, they (the bookmakers) make a living out of it," he said, when asked about Harvey's Brownlow Medal chances following his starring role in Sunday's win over the Bulldogs.
"They (the bookmakers) are not going to have him at those sort of odds if he is a long shot, he is going to be around the mark."
Meanwhile Geelong's stranglehold on premiership betting just continues to grow despite the Cats now being at prohibitively short odds to win back-to-back flags for the first time since 1952.
The Cats - who have won 37 of their past 39 matches - are now $1.55 to win another flag with Hawthorn - at $4.20 - the only other team now under double figure odds with the Bulldogs having blown out to $12 following three losses in their past four games.
But despite those odds, some $9000 had already been invested on the Cats to win the flag since the completion of round 19 compared to less than $120 for the rest of the leading premiership contenders.