Ultimate Guide to the 2025 Brownlow Medal: Extraordinary Gary Ablett record that could be broken
Updated . First published
Third time's the charm; that's what Collingwood star Nick Daicos will be hoping on Brownlow Medal night.
It comes after successive seasons where the 22-year-old has fallen narrowly short, ending up on the podium alongside the winners.
The star midfielder was the raging favourite to win the top AFL award in just his second year of footy in 2023, before a late-season injury saw him subbed out early before missing the final three games of the year.
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Nick Daicos at the 2024 Brownlow Medal. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Not polling in those four games would prove costly. He ultimately finished third behind Lachie Neale and Marcus Bontempelli, missing by just three votes.
Then in 2024, Daicos broke the record for the most votes ever polled in a Brownlow Medal with 38.
The only issue was Carlton star Patrick Cripps also broke the record on the same night, polling an insane 45 votes.
In a slightly different world, Daicos has two Brownlow Medals to his name in his first three seasons of footy, and is red-hot favourite to win here in 2025.
Instead, he will be hoping that the third time is indeed the charm.
What is the Brownlow Medal?
Awarded every season since 1924, the Brownlow Medal is given to the best and fairest player during the AFL's home and away season.
It is named after Chas Brownlow, who played for Geelong and was an administrator for the Victorian Football League between the 1880s and 1920s.
The medal was named in his honour.
2024 winner Patrick Cripps AFL Photos via Getty Images
Where will the Brownlow ceremony be held?
This year's Brownlow Medal ceremony will be held at Crown Melbourne at the Palladium.
When is the Brownlow Medal ceremony?
This year's Brownlow Medal will be held on Monday, September 22, the week of the AFL grand final.
The broadcast will begin at 7.30pm AEST with the official count to begin at 8pm.
How is the Brownlow Medal decided?
AFL umpires vote on a 3-2-1 basis after every match and the player with the most votes at the end of the regular season is crowned the winner.
Players who are suspended during the season are ineligible for the award.
What happens in the event of a tie?
In the event of a tie, we have joint winners and multiple Brownlow Medals are awarded.
This has not occurred since 2012. After Essendon captain Jobe Watson was stripped of the award as part of the Essendon supplements saga, the Brownlow was jointly awarded to the players in second place, Sam Mitchell and Trent Cotchin.
We had a three-way tie in 2003, when Nathan Buckley, Mark Ricciuto and Adam Goodes all tied on 22 votes.
Mark Ricciuto of Adelaide, Nathan Buckley of Collingwood and Adam Goodes of Sydney with their medals. Getty
What happens if an ineligible player finishes first?
In this unfortunate circumstance, the Brownlow Medal is awarded to whoever finished second.
In 1997, Western Bulldogs star Chris Grant would have won if not for suspension. St Kilda's Robert Harvey instead claimed the award.
One year earlier, North Melbourne's Corey McKernan would have won alongside Michael Voss and James Hird on 21 votes if not for suspension.
Who are the favourites for this year's Brownlow Medal?
Nick Daicos (Collingwood): $2.50
Bailey Smith (Geelong): $5
Jordan Dawson (Adelaide): $6.50
Noah Anderson (Gold Coast): $7
Matt Rowell (Gold Coast): $13
Bailey Smith. Getty
Who are the long shots with a chance to win it?
St Kilda's Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera finished the season on fire and could come from the clouds.
Could Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli poll enough to make a play at it despite missing the first five games of the season? He certainly played well enough, but it is asking a lot to make up five games.
No one is expecting Lachie Neale or Patrick Cripps to be in contention, but they are the two most proven vote winners of the last half decade.
Where will this year's Brownlow likely be won?
Every year we see the Brownlow Medal winner have a stretch of games that puts some space between them and the rest of the pack. For the top three favourites, here's where we think they could stake their respective claims.
Nick Daicos (rounds 15-20) - After Collingwood's bye, Daicos goes on a six-week run where he could conceivably poll twos or threes in five of the games.
Bailey Smith (rounds 22-24) - Bailey Smith will need to finish stronger than anybody else to win it and thanks to Geelong's soft draw to finish the season, there's every chance he polls the perfect nine votes in the final three games.
Jordan Dawson (rounds 1-4) - We will know if Jordan Dawson is in the hunt early. If he polls more than six or seven votes in the opening month of the season, he should be in the fight.
Clearly, the three favourites will all make their runs at different stages of the night. It will be worth keeping track of this as it could ultimately decide who takes home the award.
Lachie Neale gives his acceptance speech after winning the Brownlow Medal in 2023. via Getty Images
Recent Brownlow Medal winners
2024 - Patrick Cripps (Carlton)
2023 - Lachie Neale (Brisbane Lions)
2022 - Patrick Cripps (Carlton)
2021 - Ollie Wines (Port Adelaide)
2020 - Lachie Neale (Brisbane Lions)
2019 - Nat Fyfe (Fremantle)
2018 - Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn)
2017 - Dustin Martin (Richmond)
2016 - Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong)
2015 - Nat Fyfe (Fremantle)
Who has won the most Brownlow Medals?
Four players are tied having won three Brownlow Medals.
Haydn Bunton Sr (Fitzroy) - 1931, 1932, 1935
Dick Reynolds (Essendon) - 1934, 1937, 1938
Bob Skilton (South Melbourne) - 1959, 1963, 1968
Ian Stewart (St Kilda/Richmond) - 1965, 1966, 1971
Who has the record for most Brownlow votes in a season?
As mentioned, Carlton star Patrick Cripps broke the record in 2024, polling 45 votes. He is the only player to ever poll 40 or more votes in a season.
In the same year, Nick Daicos polled 38 votes, which now sits second all-time.
Previously, Richmond star Dustin Martin and Port Adelaide midfielder Ollie Wines shared the record with 36 apiece in 2017 and 2021 respectively.
Gary Ablett won Brownlows in 2009 and 2013. The Age
Who has the most career Brownlow Medal votes?
Geelong great Gary Ablett Jnr holds the record with 262 Brownlow votes across his career.
Current Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield could surpass him with 12 more votes before he retires, as he sits second on 251.
Former Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne star Gary Dempsey is next on 246 votes, current Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell polled 227 and Collingwood star Scott Pendlebury has 223 votes.
Which clubs have won the Brownlow Medal most?
South Melbourne/Sydney - 14 wins
Western Bulldogs - 10 wins
St Kilda - 10 wins
Collingwood - Nine wins
Fitzroy - Eight wins
Essendon - Eight wins
Interestingly enough, none of the teams above have produced a Brownlow winner since Dane Swan won it for Collingwood in 2011.
Nathan Fyfe is Fremantle's only ever Brownlow Medallist. via Getty Images
Which clubs have produced the fewest Brownlow Medal winners?
GWS remains the only club to have never produced a Brownlow Medallist. In fact, they've never had a player finish in the top three.
Port Adelaide has only produced one winner (Ollie Wines in 2021), as has Adelaide (Mark Ricciuto in 2003).
Gold Coast entered the competition in 2011 and Gary Ablett Jr won the Brownlow for them two years later in 2013 - their only winner in club history.
Fremantle has only had one Brownlow Medallist, though Nathan Fyfe won the award twice, in 2015 and 2019.
Who is the oldest Brownlow winner? What about the youngest?
The oldest Brownlow Medal winner was Barry Round, who won it at 31 in 1981 for South Melbourne.
The youngest was Dick Reynolds back in 1934, who won it at just 19.
