Brownlow Medal live updates: Major voting change set to shake up the award

The Brownlow Medal’s glamorous red carpet is officially underway, and we have our first look of the night!

Western Bulldogs star Rory Lobb and wife Lexi have kicked things off with a bang! Lexi is wearing a brown and black dress with a dramatic feather hem, while Lobb has opted for a traditional tux.

Nick Daicos is projected to win tonight’s Brownlow by a fair margin, with many of the belief he could set a new all-time record for votes polled.

To do so, he would have to surpass Carlton captain Patrick Cripps, who polled 45 in 2024, ironically beating Daicos’ 38 to win the medal.

The thought of any player polling 45 votes in one season was unheard of even five years ago and yet here we are.

Beyond Cripps, 2025 winner Matt Rowell polled 39 (ironically to beat Daicos again).

Dustin Martin polled 36 in 2017, as did Ollie Wines in 2021 and Patrick Dangerfield polled 35 in 2016.

Daicos’ 38 is the record for most votes without winning the medal.

Confirmed: Lachie Neale will front the AFL Tribunal at 5pm tomorrow.

The Lions will attempt to argue his one-game ban for a gut punch to Jack Ginnivan down to a fine.

His chance to play in this year’s grand final depends on it.

The five players sanctioned by the Sydney Swans are expected to return the club in some capacity this week, AFL Media’s Cal Twomey reports.

Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey and James Jordon were banned from playing after a night out during round 23 and have not been back at the Swans’ headquarters with the group since that tumultuous week.

But as reported by the AFL, it is understood the players are to return to the club this week, with the club still working through how that looks and whether formalised exit meetings will occur.

There is also the possibility of the players addressing the wider playing group before they go on their breaks.

It was previously reported they would not return to the club until November.

In case you missed it, this year’s Brownlow will have a major shift to the voting.

The AFL announced earlier this year that field umpires would receive official player performance statistics.

Umpires are strictly prohibited from accessing outside sources or using mobile devices until their Brownlow Medal votes are submitted after each game, but in 2026, were provided a data set that had information such as kicks, handballs, disposals, marks, contested marks, tackles and other statistics.

The move follows years of controversy surrounding the umpire-voted system.

There was widespread criticism of last year's count, specifically in round 20 when St Kilda's Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was remarkably overlooked for the three votes.

The change itself is a controversial one. 2007 Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel does not like it and believes stats will have too big of a sway on umpire voting calls.

“Look, the Brownlow doesn’t need fixing,” Bartel told 3AW.

"The journos have their template for the year. The Tuesday morning article they have teed up every year saying the Brownlow needs fixing and it's mind boggling that they keep going down that path and they've eventually managed to persuade Greg Swann and his crew down there."

The AFL’s Mark of the Year and Goal of the Year will be awarded tonight alongside the Brownlow Medal, as will the Jim Stynes Community Award.

Mark of the Year finalists:

Kysaiah Pickett (Melbourne) in Round 7

Shai Bolton (Fremantle) in Round 15

Nick Watson (Hawthorn) in Round 24

Goal of the Year finalists:

Bailey Williams (Western Bulldogs) in Opening Round

Kysaiah Pickett (Melbourne) in Round 12

Conor McKenna (Brisbane Lions) in Round 24

Generally speaking, the most coveted accessory at the Brownlow Medal is the event’s namesake 18-carat gold medal – but one attendee is giving it a serious run for its money.

Annalise Dalins, the fiancée of Collingwood star Josh Daicos, will hitting the red carpet tonight in almost $1 million worth of diamonds.

The model and content creator’s Alin Le’Kal gown will be accessorised with 40 carats of custom Temelli diamond jewellery, including earrings and a ring.

Tonight marks Dalins’ fifth time at the Brownlow Medal, and the event comes two months before she and Daicos tie the knot.

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE RED CARPET LOOKS HERE.

Victorian Police have revealed they will be investigating an incident where a bowl of nachos was thrown at a mother and her young son during Saturday’s preliminary final.

Rose and her son, both Brisbane Lions fans, were in attendance for the dramatic clash at the MCG against Hawthorn, where the Lions took victory after a late call.

They alleged that a bowl of nachos was thrown in their faces as they celebrated Brisbane qualifying for a third-straight grand final appearance.

This comes after the Hawks’ narrow loss caused incensed fans to throw water bottles and litter towards the umpires on the field, which has been condemned by the AFL community.

Collingwood star Nick Daicos is such a heavy favourite for the Brownlow Medal that even the AFL’s head of football Greg Swann has declared he will win it, something you don’t expect to hear from the top brass.

But his declaration might have been premature, because heavy Brownlow favourites don’t always salute, which is the beauty of the award.

Let’s go through some history.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

This year’s Brownlow Medal is being written off as a foregone conclusion, with the consensus suggesting Collingwood star Nick Daicos will win and by double-digit votes.

The midfielder is an unbackable favourite with bookmakers, while every online predictor has him running away with the award.

But the Brownlow Medal generally tends to find a way to surprise and catch people off guard and this year could certainly be no different.

The two most likely players to vote above expectation and potentially win the award are Geelong’s Bailey Smith and Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.