* Nick Daicos (Collingwood): Finished second behind Patrick Cripps last year despite beating the previous votes record and has taken his game up another level in an outstanding season. It bodes well that few Magpies teammates will consistently take votes off the man who also won the AFL Players Association MVP award.
* Bailey Smith (Geelong): Fitted in seamlessly with Geelong after sitting out his final year at the Western Bulldogs because of a long-term knee injury. Smith has produced his best AFL season, consistently starring inside and outside the contest despite courting some off-field controversy at stages. Three missed games during the home-and-away season may hurt his chances.
* Jordan Dawson (Adelaide): Not a huge disposal winner compared to the other leading contenders but has had a huge impact with ball in hand. Played a key role in steering the Crows to the minor premiership and managed to hit the scoreboard at crucial moments.
* Matt Rowell (Gold Coast): The biggest hurdle to another Gold Coast player joining Gary Ablett Jnr as a Brownlow medallist this year will be Rowell and close friend Noah Anderson pinching votes from each other. Rowell averaged career-high numbers for disposals, goals, clearances and tackles in a brilliant campaign.
* Noah Anderson (Gold Coast): A joint winner of the AFL Coaches Association player-of-the-year award with Smith, which hasn't been a great omen in recent years. Brisbane's Lachie Neale (2020) is the only man to win the coaches' award and Brownlow in the same season over the past seven years.
THE ROUGHIES:
* Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (St Kilda)
* Caleb Serong (Fremantle)
* Tom Green (GWS)
BROWNLOW MEDAL FAST FACTS
* First awarded in 1924
* Most medals - 3 (Haydn Bunton Sr, Fitzroy; Dick Reynolds, Essendon; Bob Skilton, South Melbourne; Ian Stewart, St Kilda/Richmond)
* Most votes in a season - 45 (Patrick Cripps, Carlton, 2024)
* Youngest winner - 19 years, 91 days: Dick Reynolds (Essendon, 1934)
* Oldest winner - 31 years, 238 days: Barry Round (South Melbourne, 1981)
PAST 10 WINNERS
2024: Patrick Cripps, Carlton, 45 votes
2023: Lachie Neale, Brisbane Lions, 31
2022: Patrick Cripps, Carlton, 29
2021: Ollie Wines, Port Adelaide, 36
2020: Lachie Neale, Brisbane Lions, 31
2019: Nat Fyfe, Fremantle, 33
2018: Tom Mitchell, Hawthorn, 28
2017: Dustin Martin, Richmond, 36
2016: Patrick Dangerfield, Geelong, 35
2015: Nat Fyfe, Fremantle, 31
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