Norm Smith would have been proud of Brian Lake winning the medal named after him Medal ... Brian Lake was a long shot to win the Norm Smith Medal. NORM Smith, the man who has a medal with ever-growing popularity named after him, would have been particularly pleased a full-back won in 2013 given his love of key defenders. In Smith's halcyon days as Melbourne coach, when the club won five flags from seven successive Grand Finals between 1954-60, Smith greatly admired the work of "Tassie" Bob Johnson and Peter Marquis. Watching Brian Lake control the same areas of the MCG would have delighted him. It also delighted some punters given up to $101 was bet about Lake becoming the first full back to win an award introduced in 1979, when Smith's nephew Wayne Harmes won. At TAB every player who started the game received a bet, with Danyle Pearce the unlikely least favoured slightly ahead of Tendai Mzungu. Their teammate Nat Fyfe was best backed from Hawthorn's Grant Birchall, who became a street corner tip that saw his priced slashed from $26 to $10. Elbow ... Brian Lake accepts his Norm Smith Medal from Greg Williams. Not surprisingly given where he plays, Lake wasn't well backed but there was one punter who read the game accurately and reaped the benefits. On Saturday morning he placed $1000 on Lake at $101 to win $100,000. By half-time Lake was in to $26 and at three-quarter time he was $7 third favourite behind Jack Gunston ($2.50). Gunston arguably required just one last-quarter goal to win the medal, much to the anguish of the punter who had $1400 on him at $42 to win $51,400. At Sportingbet Australia Lake was the long-shot winner required given Hawthorn's victory was a bad result after they were favourites all year. Norm Smith Medallist Brian Lake reflects on his remarkable first year at Hawthorn. Lake attracted only a handful of bets, the biggest being $50 at $67 for a return of $3350. But even during the final quarter we bet as much as $17 about him," said Andrew Brown. The Norm Smith just grows in betting popularity each year. Part of that is the fact it is spread out over two and a half hours and also because punters can bet live in it. Interestingly, when sportsbet.com.au closed betting late in the final term it still had Gunston as favourite at $1.50 ahead of Lake $2.50. In the official Norm Smith voting Lake won with 12 votes ahead of Gunston on 11, Mundy 4, Hodge 2, Fyfe 1.