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 3
N Daicos - 3 votes. Get used to hearing it!
Serong and Treacy lead the Dockers against Richmond while Waterman gets three votes for the Eagles’ win over Port in Adelaide.
Round 2
Bontempelli moves to six votes which sits him level with Daicos for his bye.
Harley Reid grabs two votes for the Eagles while Shai Bolton leads the WA players with four votes after grabbing three against Melbourne.
Round 1
Cripps is on the board with two votes and Bont briefly jumped to the top.
Jackson gets three votes in the Dockers’ first-up loss to Geelong but Daicos nails three votes again and is out to six after just two matches.
He will have an early-season bye to come though.
West Coast go votless against the Suns.
Opening Round
Petracca gets three votes for his Suns debut while Bontempelli is also off the mark with a vote.
But the star of the night starts with a bang!
Nick Daicos get full votes to start the count and a light applause.
Here we go!
The main event is about to get underway as we relive Opening Round!
It could be the last opening round as it won’t return next year.
Bailey Smith makes it to the Brownlow ceremony in the nick of time
Bailey Smith has rushed to get ready and arrived to the Brownlow in style, donning a monochromatic grey outfit.
Nick Daicos, Josh Daicos, Charlie Curnow and Bailey Smith have posed for a photo together as the ceremony commences.
Bailey Smith is running late
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Geelong Cats star Bailey Smith has taken to his Instagram story to let everyone know he is running late for the Brownlow.
“5 mins to get ready f... me,” he wrote on a photo of himself in an elevator.
Smith was previously reported to not be attending the event by other publications.
Annalise Dalins hits the carpet
Annalise Dalins, partner of Collingwood’s Josh Daicos, has hit the red carpet after being one of the first to preview her look online.
Curnow and Rampe break the mould
Charlie Curnow and Dane Rampe have broken out of the black tux prison to bring us some fresh men’s fashion on the Brownlow Medal red carpet.
Curnow appears to be channeling Peaky Blinders energy in a navy blue pinstripe suit and a newsboy cap.
Stand-in skipper Rampe is rocking a double-breasted jacket, oversize collared shirt, and cream cravat.
Hard to look away from Andy and Lizzie Brayshaw
Georgia Young Couture has done it again for the Freo girls at Optus Stadium tonight, with Lizzie Brayshaw turning heads in a sculptural silver ensemble.
Andy adds to the texture, and steps slightly outside the black tux comfort zone, in a velvet jacket.
Lizzie’s natural curls and delicate jewellery add to the artistic effect of the look.
