List of Brownlow Medal winners explained

The Brownlow Medal (formally the Charles Brownlow Trophy) is an individual award given to the player judged fairest and best in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the regular season. Determined by votes cast by the officiating umpires after each game, it is considered the highest honour for individual players in the AFL.[1] [2]

The medal has been awarded every year since 1924, with the exception of an intermission from 1942–1945 due to World War II. As of 2023, the Brownlow Medal has been awarded 110 times to 90 different players in 95 medal counts.

Winners by season

YearPlayerTeamVotes
1924 #7
1925 §9
1926 (1/2)9
1927 7
1928 (2/2)8
1929 #6
1930 4
4
4
1931 (1/3)26
1932 (2/3)23
1933 18
1934 (1/3)19
1935 (3/3)24
1936 26
1937 (2/3)27
1938 (3/3)18
1939 23
1940 32
32
1941 23
1942No medal awarded due to World War II
1943
1944
1945
1946 20
1947 20
1948 24
1949 23
23
1950 21
1951 23
1952 (1/2)21
(1/2)21
1953 (2/2)26
1954 (2/2)29
1955 21
1956 22
1957 24
1958 20
1959 20
(1/3)20
1960 20
1961 21
1962 28
1963 (2/3)20
1964 27
1965 20
(1/3)20
1966 (2/3)21
1967 24
1968 (3/3)24
1969 19
1970 25
1971 (3/3)21
1972 25
1973 (1/2)27
1974 (2/2)27
1975 20
1976 48
1977 59
1978 22
1979 (1/2)22
1980 23
1981 22
22
1982 23
1983 24
1984 (2/2)24
1985 22
1986 17
(1/2)17
1987 20
20
1988 20
1989 22
1990 18
1991 25
1992 20
1993 18
1994 (2/2)30
1995 21
1996 21
21
1997 (1/2)26
1998 (2/2)32
1999 28
2000 24
2001 23
2002 25
2003 22
22
(1/2)22
2004 (1/2)30
2005 20
2006 (2/2)26
2007 29
2008 24
2009 (1/2)30
2010 (2/2)30
2011 34
2012 26
26
2013 (2/2)28
2014 26
2015 (1/2)31
2016 35
2017 36
2018 28
2019 (2/2)33
2020 § (1/2)31
2021 36
2022 Carlton29
2023 (2/2)31
Notes:

As a mark of respect to soldiers fighting overseas in World War II, the medal was not awarded during 1942–1945.

Ineligible players who polled the most votes

A player guilty of an offence deemed worthy of a suspension by the AFL's disciplinary tribunal for serious on-field offences is ineligible to win the Brownlow Medal. Suspended players have tallied the highest number of votes for the award on three occasions. In the third of those cases, Jobe Watson, who won in 2012, was later found guilty of breaching WADA's anti-doping code in the 2012 season, and was retrospectively ruled ineligible by the AFL Commission in November 2016.[3]

Player Team Year Votes Outcome
199621Suspended; would have been joint winner with Hird and Voss.
199727Suspended; would have won outright, beating Harvey by one vote.
201230Awarded the medal in 2012, beating Mitchell and Cotchin by four votes. In 2016 he was retrospectively ruled ineligible because of his involvement in the Essendon supplements saga.

Multiple winners

The following players have won the Brownlow Medal multiple times.

Medals Player Team Seasons
31931, 1932, 1935
1934, 1937, 1938
1959, 1963, 1968
Ian Stewart1965, 1966, 1971
21926, 1928
1952, 1953
1952, 1954
1973, 1974
1979, 1984
1986, 1994
1997, 1998
2003, 2006
2004, 2010
Geelong / Gold Coast2009, 2013
2015, 2019
2020, 2023

Voting systems

Since 1924, the voting system for the Brownlow has changed three times.

1924–1930One vote per game
1931–1975, 1978–presentSix votes per game: 3 votes, 2 votes, and 1 vote
1976–1977Twelve votes per game: 3 votes, 2 votes, and 1 vote from each of the two field umpires

From 1930 to 1980, a countback system was used to determine the winner in the event of a tie. In 1930, Judkins was awarded the medal as he had played in the fewest games.

From 1931 to 1980, with the introduction of 3–2–1 voting, the winner was the player with the most three-vote games.[2] In 1980, the countback system was removed, and in the event of a tie, players have been considered joint winners.[2] In 1989, the then VFL awarded retrospective medals to all players who had tied but lost on countback prior to 1980.[4]

Brownlow wins by clubs

!Team!Wins!Years Won
South Melbourne/Sydney141940, 1949, 1955, 1959, 1963, 1968,1970, 1977, 1981, 1986, 1988, 1995

2003, 2006

Footscray/Western Bulldogs101930, 1941, 1956, 1960, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1992, 2008
St Kilda10
Collingwood9
Fitzroy81931, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1936, 19501969, 1981
Essendon81934, 1937, 1938, 1952, 1953, 19761993, 1996
Richmond71930, 1948, 1952, 1954, 1971, 2012,2017
Melbourne71926, 1928, 1946, 1982, 1984, 1991, 2000
Geelong71924, 1951, 1962, 1989, 2007, 2009,2016
Hawthorn61949, 1986, 1987, 1999, 2012, 2018
Carlton61947, 1961, 1964, 1994, 2010, 2022
North Melbourne51965, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1983
Brisbane Lions42001, 2002, 2020, 2023
West Coast32004, 2005, 2014
Fremantle22015, 2019
Gold Coast12013
Brisbane Bears11996
Adelaide12003
Port Adelaide12021
GWS0

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: What makes the Brownlow so special?. 15 November 2008. Sean Miller. Premier Media Group.
  2. Web site: Brownlow Medal – AFL Brownlow Medal. https://web.archive.org/web/20080612040419/http://afl.com.au/AFLHQ/Awards/Brownlow/tabid/263/default.aspx. dead. 12 June 2008. 15 November 2008. Australian Football League.
  3. Web site: AFL Commission statement on 2012 Brownlow Medal. 15 November 2016. 15 November 2016. Australian Football League.
  4. Web site: 1980–1989 . https://archive.today/20120716152913/http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=36355 . dead . 16 July 2012 . AFL BigPond Network . 11 December 2006 . 10 July 2011.