He didn’t walk away with another “Charlie” around his neck, but Gary Ablett’s runner-up finish at last night’s Brownlow Medal count had an AFL great lost for words.

A win last night would have lifted Ablett in to a club which has just four members – three-time Brownlow winners – and one of those men, former Swans great Bob Skilton, was in awe of how close the GC SUNS skipper got despite missing one-third of this season due to injury.

History was against him and rightfully so, with no player having ever won the game’s highest honour after missing more than three matches.

With that said, he stood amongst the highest vote getters when the final counts were read by AFL boss, Gillon McLachlan

Despite finishing the season seven round early due to a shoulder dislocation, Ablett polled 22 votes in the opening 15 rounds to miss out on a third Brownlow Medal by just four votes.

While the result will leave AFL fans from across the country pondering ‘what if’, Skilton has little doubt Ablett will join him in the exclusive Brownlow club.

“It just shows what a wonderful player he is,” Skilton said.

“How can you not rate him? He’s just a wonderful player.”

Dual winner Robert Harvey and fellow “Chas” member, Mark Ricciuto also echoed Skilton’s sentiments, suggesting Ablett could win the Brownlow again in years to come.