The season-ending injury to Gold Coast champion and red-hot 2014 Brownlow Medal favorite, Gary Ablett, has opened up the race for the game’s most prestigious individual award this year, with two Tigers emerging as genuine prospects.

Richmond captain Trent Cotchin and dynamic, young midfielder Dustin Martin have the form on the board and are both proven vote-getters.

Cotchin finished equal 17^th in the 2011 Brownlow with 15 votes, was equal second in 2012 with 26 votes, and equal ninth last year with 19 votes.

He was in excellent touch early this season, picking up 38 disposals (11 contested possessions and six inside-50s) in the opening round loss to the Suns, 25 (nine clearances and five inside-50s) in the Round 2 win against Carlton, 28 (19 contested possessions, 11 clearances and five inside-50s) in the narrow Round 3 loss to the Western Bulldogs, and 32 (12 contested possessions, seven clearances, five inside-50s and four rebound-50s) in the Round 5 victory over Brisbane.

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His form tapered off for a few weeks after that, but in recent rounds he surely would have attracted the umpires’ attention again, with a 33-disposal display against Sydney in Round 14 (nine contested possessions, four clearances), a brilliant match-winning performance v St Kilda in Round 15 (31 touches, 10 contested possessions, four clearances and five goals), 37 disposals (16 contested possessions, five clearances) v Brisbane in Round 16, and 26 (19 contested possessions, eight clearances and four inside-50s) against Port Adelaide in Round 17.

Martin polled 12 votes in just his second season of AFL football in 2011, and was awarded 16 votes by the umpires last year.

He has been a model of consistency throughout the 2014 season, with his best chances of picking up Brownlow votes appearing to be in the Round 2 win against Carlton (21 disposals, including 10 contested possessions), Round 5 v Brisbane (18 disposals and three goals), Round 9 v Melbourne (31 disposals, including 12 contested possessions, seven clearances and six inside-50s), Round 10 v GWS (36 disposals, including 11 contested possessions, seven inside-50s and six clearances), Round 12 v North Melbourne (28 disposals, four goals), Round 14 v Sydney (36 disposals, including 12 contested possessions, five clearances and five rebound-50s), Round 15 v St Kilda (24 disposals, including six inside-50s), Round 16 v Brisbane (34 disposals, including four inside-50s) and Round 17 v Port Adelaide (25 disposals, including 11 contested possessions, seven inside-50s and four clearances).