Brownlow Medal 2026 recap: Nick Daicos wins first Brownlow Medal with 47 votes
History has been made as Nick Daicos finally took home the Brownlow Medal. Recap all the action from the count and the red carpet here.
AFL: The country’s best football players and their partners descended on Melbourne for the AFL’s night of nights on Monday.
Brownlow favourite Nick Daicos was the centre of attention, with all eyes on the Collingwood star and his partner Arlette Armor ahead of his historic night.
Nick’s brother Josh will also attract attention, as fans waited to see what his fiancee and notable queen of the Brownlow, Annalise Dalins, was wearing.
AFL heartthrob Bailey Smith was late, fresh out of a shoulder reconstructive surgery, while Fremantle Dockers and Brisbane Lions players attended virtually, as both teams prepare for their Grand Final appearance on Saturday.
Notably, the five Sydney Swans players who were stood down by their club after the Pullman Hotel saga were not in attendance, including Isaac Heeney who is under police investigation for sexual assault, as well as Chad Warner and Nick Blakey.
Key events
21 Sep 2026 - 09:13 PM
Eagles and Dockers
21 Sep 2026 - 08:57 PM
Brownlow top 10
21 Sep 2026 - 08:30 PM
Your winner!
21 Sep 2026 - 07:48 PM
Leaderboard after Round 15
21 Sep 2026 - 07:39 PM
Jim Stynes Community Award
21 Sep 2026 - 07:24 PM
Promises, promises
21 Sep 2026 - 06:30 PM
Leaderboard after round 5
21 Sep 2026 - 06:07 PM
Bailey Smith makes it to the Brownlow ceremony in the nick of time
21 Sep 2026 - 05:57 PM
Bailey Smith is running late
21 Sep 2026 - 05:34 PM
Hard to look away from Andy and Lizzie Brayshaw
21 Sep 2026 - 05:10 PM
Luke Jackson and partner Kelsey Browne are couple goals at Crown Perth
21 Sep 2026 - 04:49 PM
Bella Petracca sparkles in baby bump pics
21 Sep 2026 - 04:31 PM
Hawthorn co-captain James Sicily arrives after massive umpire abuse fine
21 Sep 2026 - 04:23 PM
Richo, Abbey Holmes arrive on red carpet
21 Sep 2026 - 04:03 PM
Medal favourite Nick Daicos, Arlette Amor post sneak peak
21 Sep 2026 - 03:48 PM
FIRST ARRIVALS: Rory Lobb and wife Lexi Lobb arrive on red carpet
Round 15
Sheezel is approaching the 20-vote mark in a great sign for the Roos.
Jackson moves up to 17 votes on the night for the Dockers.
Bontempelli gets three votes to give Daicos a run by the Pies star grabs three more of his own to shot back ahead.
Round 14
Nas gets three votes and he is having a decent count.
Jack Darling polls a vote against his old club in the clash Waterman hit the post to loss the contest.
Butters is having a stellar run and is just one behind Daicos with Smith.
Jim Stynes Community Award
Fremantle’s Bailey Banfield has won the Community award for his work creating save heavens for families experincing domestic violence.
He also does a lot of the work with the club up in the Kimberley each year.
Justin Longmuir hands him the award in Perth.
Banfield says he just wants to give back because he knows how lucky he is to be an AFL player.
Round 13 - Unlucky?
Voss gets three votes again in Bunbury while Jackson grabs another two.
Bailey Smith has moved to 20 alongside Bont and Butters.
Daicos grabs two against the Dees to lead by three on 23.
Round 12
Watson follows up Mark of the Year with two votes.
Pat Voss gets a three vote game!
Daicos polls two votes and moves to 21 total.
Promises, promises
Josh Treacy says the Dockers will “try not to” give the fans a heart attack in the grand final after a very close call on Friday night.
Treacy also says he would trade the $900,000 diamond ring his partner Nikki has borrowed from the Perth Mint tonight for the flag.
Round 11
Murphy Reid goes back-to-back with three votes while Bolton passes Jackson with two more.
Bailey Smith misses out which hurts as Daicos gets three against West Coast in the Pendlebury games record clash at the ‘G.
But Bont doesn’t miss and moves back within a vote of the lead.
Round 10
Bailey Smith moves closer to the leaders with another two votes.
Last year’s winner Matt Rowell has been nowhere near the running so far with Petracca leading the Suns.
Bontempelli misses out the votes but Murphy Reid pulls in three to get his night underway.
Reid gets three for his efforts against GWS.
Mark of the Year
The mark of the year winner is.... Nick Watson.
He pips Shai Bolton and Kozzie Pickett.
Round 9
Jackson nails three votes for the Wharfie Time win over Hawthorn.
Bont moves level with Daicos with three more votes while Clayton Oliver is polling well in his first season at the Giants.
Daicos missed the votes in a big loss to the Cats.
