Suspicions that footballers with dreadlocks aren't actually that good at football have been around for more than a few winters. In fact, Sam Newman as recently as Friday night tweeted the AFL’s lovechild Nic Natanui was "generally ill-equipped" to play the game, but nothing had been confirmed.

That was until Sunday afternoon when Hamish McGonical polled a mindboggling 45 votes in the Brunswick Bats senior best and fairest over the weekend.

Known as "Ham-Fist" by his coach, due to a tendency to "f**k up everything he touches" McGonical was a shock runner up in the clubs highest individual award, despite playing most of the season in the back pocket, and offering very little “other than the occasional jumper punch”.

"You know some back pockets are first picked because they're so reliable. Well not him, he's literally last picked every week" said a baffled Brett Bartlett, the teams second year coach.

"I don't know who's filling out the (vote) cards. Normally you'd assume it's his old man, but his lives in Far North Queensland."

Gimmicks have long caught the eye of those with the responsibility of giving out the three, two, and one. First it was peroxide hair, then white football boots, then blokes in helmets, and now it seems the sides dreadlocked dud that is capturing the eye of local football team best and fairest voters.

It doesn’t end there, with umpires too falling victim to favouring these hairy (oft-times) hacks, with votes for dreadlock players up a whopping 5.5 votes per team since 2016.

But not all guys rocking the dreadies are duds, with a handful of serviceable players across Victoria able to play with an unsanitary shagpile on their scones.

“Some of us go alright” said third year sparky Dale Dennis.

“But yeah, there’s this bloke that plays for Fitzroy Pirates with em’… he’s trash”

What will be next? We don't know, but let's hope it's crew cuts and black boots.