Who has won the most Brownlow Medals? Haydn Bunton Sr, Dick Reynolds, Bob Skilton and Ian Stewart share the record with three each. Here is every Brownlow Medal winner since 1924, with vote tallies, records and the clubs with the most medallists.
Nick Daicos is the reigning Brownlow medallist, and he won it in record-breaking style. The Collingwood star polled a record 47 votes at the 2026 count, finishing 11 clear of Geelong’s Bailey Smith (36) with the Western Bulldogs’ Marcus Bontempelli third on 34. It was Daicos’ first medal after three straight top-three finishes.
Daicos polled in 18 games, including 13 three-vote games and a record six three-vote games in a row. His 11-vote margin equalled Dustin Martin’s record from 2017, and he became Collingwood’s 10th Brownlow medallist and the first since Dane Swan in 2011.
The Magpies’ midfield has since added another one. Dual medallist Lachie Neale joined Collingwood as an unrestricted free agent on a three-year deal after winning three premierships with Brisbane, so the Pies will start 2027 with the winners of three of the past seven Brownlows on their list.
With the off-season in full swing, here is the full honour roll. The Brownlow has been awarded 113 times to 92 different players across 99 counts since Geelong’s Edward “Carji” Greeves won the first one in 1924. No medal was awarded from 1942 to 1945 because of World War II.
Most Brownlow Medals by player
- 3 medals: Haydn Bunton Sr (Fitzroy, 1931, 1932, 1935), Dick Reynolds (Essendon, 1934, 1937, 1938), Bob Skilton (South Melbourne, 1959, 1963, 1968) and Ian Stewart (St Kilda 1965, 1966; Richmond 1971)
- 2 medals: Ivor Warne-Smith, Bill Hutchison, Roy Wright, Keith Greig, Peter Moore, Greg Williams, Robert Harvey, Adam Goodes, Chris Judd, Gary Ablett Jr, Nat Fyfe, Lachie Neale and Patrick Cripps
Read more: Top 25 Collingwood Magpies Players of All Time
Five players have won the medal at two different clubs: Ian Stewart, Peter Moore (Collingwood and Melbourne), Greg Williams (Sydney and Carlton), Chris Judd (West Coast and Carlton) and Gary Ablett Jr (Geelong and Gold Coast). Stewart’s 1971 win for Richmond makes him the last player to win three.
Most Brownlow Medals by club
- South Melbourne/Sydney: 14
- Collingwood: 10
- Footscray/Western Bulldogs: 10
- St Kilda: 10
- Essendon: 8
- Fitzroy: 8
- Carlton: 7
- Geelong: 7
- Melbourne: 7
- Richmond: 7
- Hawthorn: 6
- North Melbourne: 5
- Brisbane Lions: 4
- West Coast: 3
- Fremantle: 2
- Gold Coast: 2
- Adelaide, Brisbane Bears and Port Adelaide: 1 each
- Greater Western Sydney: yet to produce a winner
Read more: Top 25 Brisbane Lions Players of All Time
Brownlow Medal records
- Most votes (3-2-1 system): 47, Nick Daicos (Collingwood), 2026. The previous record was Patrick Cripps’ 45 in 2024
- Most votes under any system: 59, Graham Teasdale (South Melbourne), 1977, when two umpires voted separately
- Biggest winning margin (3-2-1 system): 11 votes, Dustin Martin (Richmond) in 2017 and Nick Daicos in 2026
- Most three-vote games in a season: 13, Nick Daicos, 2026
- Most career votes: 262, shared by Gary Ablett Jr and Patrick Dangerfield
- Youngest winner: Dick Reynolds (Essendon), aged 19, in 1934
- Oldest winner: Barry Round (South Melbourne), aged 31, in 1981
- Three-way ties: 1930 (decided retrospectively in 1989) and 2003, when Mark Ricciuto, Nathan Buckley and Adam Goodes all polled 22 votes
- Back-to-back winners: Haydn Bunton Sr (1931-32), Dick Reynolds (1937-38), Bill Hutchison (1952-53), Ian Stewart (1965-66), Keith Greig (1973-74) and Robert Harvey (1997-98)
How the Brownlow Medal is decided
The Brownlow goes to the fairest and best player in the home-and-away season. From 1924 to 1930 a single umpire gave one vote to the best player in each game. The familiar 3-2-1 system started in 1931. In 1976 and 1977 two umpires voted separately, which is why Graham Moss and Graham Teasdale polled such big totals. Since 1978 the field umpires have decided the votes together, and from the 2026 season they have also been given approved player statistics after each game to assist their deliberations.
Any player suspended by the tribunal during the season is ineligible. That rule cost North Melbourne’s Corey McKernan a share of the 1996 medal and the Western Bulldogs’ Chris Grant the 1997 medal, after both polled enough votes to win. In 2016 the AFL Commission ruled 2012 winner Jobe Watson ineligible, and the 2012 medal was awarded jointly to Sam Mitchell and Trent Cotchin.
Ties were once split on countback, but that rule was dropped in 1980. In 1989 the countback was scrapped retrospectively, and every player who had lost on countback was named a joint winner. The list below includes those players, and vote totals are checked against the AFL Tables Brownlow records.
Brownlow Medal winners: 2020s
- 2026: Nick Daicos (Collingwood), 47 votes
- 2025: Matt Rowell (Gold Coast), 39 votes
- 2024: Patrick Cripps (Carlton), 45 votes
- 2023: Lachie Neale (Brisbane Lions), 31 votes
- 2022: Patrick Cripps (Carlton), 29 votes
- 2021: Ollie Wines (Port Adelaide), 36 votes
- 2020: Lachie Neale (Brisbane Lions), 31 votes
Brownlow Medal winners: 2010s
- 2019: Nat Fyfe (Fremantle), 33 votes
- 2018: Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn), 28 votes
- 2017: Dustin Martin (Richmond), 36 votes
- 2016: Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong), 35 votes
- 2015: Nat Fyfe (Fremantle), 31 votes
- 2014: Matt Priddis (West Coast), 26 votes
- 2013: Gary Ablett Jr (Gold Coast), 28 votes
- 2012: Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn) and Trent Cotchin (Richmond), 26 votes each (awarded in 2016 after Jobe Watson was ruled ineligible)
- 2011: Dane Swan (Collingwood), 34 votes
- 2010: Chris Judd (Carlton), 30 votes
Brownlow Medal winners: 2000s
- 2009: Gary Ablett Jr (Geelong), 30 votes
- 2008: Adam Cooney (Western Bulldogs), 24 votes
- 2007: Jimmy Bartel (Geelong), 29 votes
- 2006: Adam Goodes (Sydney), 26 votes
- 2005: Ben Cousins (West Coast), 20 votes
- 2004: Chris Judd (West Coast), 30 votes
- 2003: Mark Ricciuto (Adelaide), Nathan Buckley (Collingwood) and Adam Goodes (Sydney), 22 votes each
- 2002: Simon Black (Brisbane Lions), 25 votes
- 2001: Jason Akermanis (Brisbane Lions), 23 votes
- 2000: Shane Woewodin (Melbourne), 24 votes
Brownlow Medal winners: 1990s
- 1999: Shane Crawford (Hawthorn), 28 votes
- 1998: Robert Harvey (St Kilda), 32 votes
- 1997: Robert Harvey (St Kilda), 26 votes
- 1996: James Hird (Essendon) and Michael Voss (Brisbane Bears), 21 votes each
- 1995: Paul Kelly (Sydney), 21 votes
- 1994: Greg Williams (Carlton), 30 votes
- 1993: Gavin Wanganeen (Essendon), 18 votes
- 1992: Scott Wynd (Footscray), 20 votes
- 1991: Jim Stynes (Melbourne), 25 votes
- 1990: Tony Liberatore (Footscray), 18 votes
Brownlow Medal winners: 1980s
- 1989: Paul Couch (Geelong), 22 votes
- 1988: Gerard Healy (Sydney), 20 votes
- 1987: John Platten (Hawthorn) and Tony Lockett (St Kilda), 20 votes each
- 1986: Robert DiPierdomenico (Hawthorn) and Greg Williams (Sydney), 17 votes each
- 1985: Brad Hardie (Footscray), 22 votes
- 1984: Peter Moore (Melbourne), 24 votes
- 1983: Ross Glendinning (North Melbourne), 24 votes
- 1982: Brian Wilson (Melbourne), 23 votes
- 1981: Bernie Quinlan (Fitzroy) and Barry Round (South Melbourne), 22 votes each
- 1980: Kelvin Templeton (Footscray), 23 votes
Brownlow Medal winners: 1970s
- 1979: Peter Moore (Collingwood), 22 votes
- 1978: Malcolm Blight (North Melbourne), 22 votes
- 1977: Graham Teasdale (South Melbourne), 59 votes (two umpires voting separately)
- 1976: Graham Moss (Essendon), 48 votes (two umpires voting separately)
- 1975: Gary Dempsey (Footscray), 20 votes
- 1974: Keith Greig (North Melbourne), 27 votes
- 1973: Keith Greig (North Melbourne), 27 votes
- 1972: Len Thompson (Collingwood), 25 votes
- 1971: Ian Stewart (Richmond), 21 votes
- 1970: Peter Bedford (South Melbourne), 25 votes
Brownlow Medal winners: 1960s
- 1969: Kevin Murray (Fitzroy), 19 votes
- 1968: Bob Skilton (South Melbourne), 24 votes
- 1967: Ross Smith (St Kilda), 24 votes
- 1966: Ian Stewart (St Kilda), 21 votes
- 1965: Noel Teasdale (North Melbourne) and Ian Stewart (St Kilda), 20 votes each (Noel Teasdale recognised as a joint winner in 1989)
- 1964: Gordon Collis (Carlton), 27 votes
- 1963: Bob Skilton (South Melbourne), 20 votes
- 1962: Alistair Lord (Geelong), 28 votes
- 1961: John James (Carlton), 21 votes
- 1960: John Schultz (Footscray), 20 votes
Brownlow Medal winners: 1950s
- 1959: Verdun Howell (St Kilda) and Bob Skilton (South Melbourne), 20 votes each (Verdun Howell recognised as a joint winner in 1989)
- 1958: Neil Roberts (St Kilda), 20 votes
- 1957: Brian Gleeson (St Kilda), 24 votes
- 1956: Peter Box (Footscray), 22 votes
- 1955: Fred Goldsmith (South Melbourne), 21 votes
- 1954: Roy Wright (Richmond), 29 votes
- 1953: Bill Hutchison (Essendon), 26 votes
- 1952: Roy Wright (Richmond) and Bill Hutchison (Essendon), 21 votes each (Bill Hutchison recognised as a joint winner in 1989)
- 1951: Bernie Smith (Geelong), 23 votes
- 1950: Allan Ruthven (Fitzroy), 21 votes
Brownlow Medal winners: 1940s
- 1949: Col Austen (Hawthorn) and Ron Clegg (South Melbourne), 23 votes each (Col Austen recognised as a joint winner in 1989)
- 1948: Bill Morris (Richmond), 24 votes
- 1947: Bert Deacon (Carlton), 23 votes
- 1946: Don Cordner (Melbourne), 20 votes
- 1941: Norm Ware (Footscray), 23 votes
- 1942-1945: No medal awarded due to World War II
- 1940: Des Fothergill (Collingwood) and Herbie Matthews (South Melbourne), 32 votes each (both recognised as joint winners in 1989)
Brownlow Medal winners: 1930s
- 1939: Marcus Whelan (Collingwood), 23 votes
- 1938: Dick Reynolds (Essendon), 18 votes
- 1937: Dick Reynolds (Essendon), 27 votes
- 1936: Denis Ryan (Fitzroy), 26 votes
- 1935: Haydn Bunton Sr (Fitzroy), 24 votes
- 1934: Dick Reynolds (Essendon), 19 votes
- 1933: Wilfred “Chicken” Smallhorn (Fitzroy), 18 votes
- 1932: Haydn Bunton Sr (Fitzroy), 23 votes
- 1931: Haydn Bunton Sr (Fitzroy), 26 votes
- 1930: Stan Judkins (Richmond), Harry Collier (Collingwood) and Allan Hopkins (Footscray), 4 votes each (Stan Judkins won on countback; Harry Collier and Allan Hopkins were made joint winners retrospectively in 1989)
Brownlow Medal winners: 1920s
- 1929: Albert Collier (Collingwood), 6 votes
- 1928: Ivor Warne-Smith (Melbourne), 8 votes
- 1927: Syd Coventry (Collingwood), 7 votes
- 1926: Ivor Warne-Smith (Melbourne), 9 votes
- 1925: Colin Watson (St Kilda), 9 votes
- 1924: Edward “Carji” Greeves (Geelong), 7 votes
Who will win the 2027 Brownlow Medal?
Daicos will start next season as the man to beat, chasing the first back-to-back Brownlows since Robert Harvey in 1997 and 1998. Before then, catch up on every club’s delisted players, the 2027 AFL fixture and every VFL/AFL premiership winner since 1897. For all the latest footy news, head to TSB’s AFL hub or download the free TSB app on iPhone and Android.
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