The Charles Brownlow Trophy is better known as the “AFL Brownlow Medal” or just the “Brownlow Medal.” It is presented to the Australian Football League’s “best and fairest” player. Furthermore, the medal is regarded as the highest individual honor in Australian football rules. Let us look at some information related to the highly sought-after AFL medal.
What is the AFL Brownlow Medal?
The AFL Brownlow Medal is the highest award presented by Australian rules football. The “best and fairest” player in a regular Australian Football League (AFL) season earns it as a prize.
The award’s player criteria are the “best and fairest.” But the actual criterion is “fairest and best.” This is used to express an athlete’s fair play and sportsmanship. The winner of this medal is chosen via the field umpires’ voting.
Traditionally, the Brownlow Medal count happens on Monday night before the Grand Final. It is the AFL’s social highlight, with a lengthy history of high fashion and dramatic vote counts.
History of the Brownlow Medal
The AFL Brownlow Medal was first awarded in 1984. The Victorian Football League (VFL) invented it to honor the former Geelong Football Club footballer, secretary, and VFL president, Charles Brownlow. The first-ever winner of this medal was another then Geelong star, Edward Greeves. The medal has been presented yearly since then, except in 1941-1945, due to World War II.
Previous Winners of the Brownlow Medal
The first AFL Brownlow Medal went to the Geelong star, Edward “Carji” Greeves. The following year’s medal was awarded to Colin Watson, an St Kilda athlete. In 1926, the Melbourne player named Ivor Warne-Smith earned the Brownlow Medal.
Only four players in AFL history have earned three Brownlow medals. They are – Haydn Bunton (Fitzroy), Dick Reynolds (Essendon), Bob Skilton (South Melbourne), and Ian Stewart (St Kilda and Richmond). Additionally, eight more players have won two Brownlows. Five Players have won the Brownlow medal with different clubs. Graham Teasdale of South Melbourne received the most votes of any winner in 1977. He received a total of 51 votes.
The medal was not awarded between 1941 and 1945 because of World War II. Let us take a look at the winners who have achieved the Brownlow Medal over the past 10 years –
| Year | Player | Votes | Team |
| 2021 | Ollie Wines | 36 | Port Adelaide |
| 2020 | Lachie Neale | 31 | Brisbane Lions |
| 2019 | Nat Fyfe | 33 | Fremantle |
| 2018 | Tom Mitchell | 28 | Hawthorn |
| 2017 | Dustin Martin | 36 | Richmond |
| 2016 | Patrick Dangerfield | 35 | Geelong Cats |
| 2015 | Nat Fyfe | 31 | Fremantle |
| 2014 | Matt Priddis | 26 | West Coast |
| 2013 | Gary Ablett | 28 | Gold Coast |
| 2012 | Trent Cotchin | 26 | Richmond |
| 2012 | Sam Mitchell | 26 | Hawthorn |
| 2011 | Dane Swan | 34 | Collingwood |
How Does it Work?
Field umpires cast votes to select a winner for the Brownlow Medal. The management holds the voting event immediately following each home and away match. The player regarded to be the best on the field receives three votes. In addition, they cast two votes for the second-best player and one vote for the third-best player on the day.
In 1930, the management implemented a revised countback system. If two players receive the same number of votes throughout a season, the victor is determined by who received the most “three-vote” games. Following that, the countback method was thrown out in 1980. As a result, players who tied for the most votes were given Brownlow Medals retrospectively. If two or more players finish tied for first, they are now considered joint winners.
How Can I Watch Brownlow Online?
The Brownlow Medal will be available to watch on Channel 7. If you don’t have a TV, you can watch Brownlow online from anywhere.
Conclusion
The Brownlow is the highest individual honor in the AFL. As so, each year, fans all over the world look forward to the event. The ALF premiership season 2022 is currently going on. Once again, fans and experts are debating over player performance this season and who has the highest chance to win this year’s Brownlow medal.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on our website, as we will be regularly updated with the newest AFL 2022 news and scorecards. And let us know in the comments below about your thoughts on who has the highest chance of getting the AFL Brownlow medal this season.
