Brownlow Medal History
The leading individual award in the game is the Brownlow Medal, which has been awarded since 1924 to the Fairest and Best player in the AFL competition each season. The first winner was Geelong star Edward “Carji” Greeves, which was fitting because the award was named in honour of respected Geelong administrator Charles Brownlow, who had died earlier that year.
Voting for the Brownlow Medal is conducted by field umpires, immediately after each home-and-away match, with three votes awarded for the player they believed to have been the best on the ground, two votes for the second best player and one vote for the third best player on the day, in their opinion.
The Brownlow Medal count, traditionally held on the Monday night before the Grand Final, is the social highlight of the AFL calendar with a long tradition of high fashion and dramatic vote-counts.
From 1930, a countback system was used if players tied for the most votes over a season, with the winner decided by who had the most “three vote” games, but in 1980 the countback system was abandoned and players who had tied for the most votes were retrospectively awarded Brownlow Medals. Now, if two or more players finish tied for first, they are joint-winners.
Only four players in the history of the League have won three Brownlow medals. They are Haydn Bunton (Fitzroy), Dick Reynolds (Essendon), Bob Skilton (South Melbourne) and Ian Stewart (St Kilda and Richmond). Another eight players have won two Brownlows.
Brownlow Medallists: 1924 - Present
| Year | Player | Team | Votes | Recruited from |
| 2023 | Lachie Neale | Brisbane Lions | 31 | Glenelg (SA) |
| 2022 | Patrick Cripps | Carlton | 29 | Northampton (WA)/East Fremantle |
| 2021 | Ollie Wines | Port Adelaide | 36 | Echuca (Vic)/Bendigo U18 |
| 2020 | Lachie Neale | Brisbane Lions | 31 | Glenelg (SA) |
| 2019 | Nat Fyfe | Fremantle | 33 | Claremont (WA) |
| 2018 | Tom Mitchell | Hawthorn | 28 | Claremont (WA) |
| 2017 | Dustin Martin | Richmond | 36 | Bendigo Pioneers |
| 2016 | Patrick Dangerfield | Geelong Cats | 35 | Geelong Falcons |
| 2015 | Nat Fyfe | Fremantle | 31 | Lake Grace/Claremont |
| 2014 | Matt Priddis | West Coast | 26 | Subiaco |
| 2013 | Gary Ablett | Gold Coast | 28 | Modewarre/Geelong U18 |
| 2012 | Trent Cotchin | Richmond | 26 | PEGS/Northern U18 |
| 2012 | Sam Mitchell | Hawthorn | 26 | Mooroolbark/Eastern U18 |
| 2011 | Dane Swan | Collingwood | 34 | Westmeadows/Calder U18 |
| 2010 | Chris Judd | Carlton | 30 | Caulf Gram/Sandr U18 |
| 2009 | Gary Ablett | Geelong | 30 | Modewarre/Geelong U18 |
| 2008 | Adam Cooney | Western Bulldogs | 24 | West Adelaide (SA) |
| 2007 | Jimmy Bartel | Geelong | 29 | Bell Park/Geelong U18 |
| 2006 | Adam Goodes | Sydney Swans | 26 | Horsham/Nth Ballarat U18 |
| 2005 | Ben Cousins | West Coast | 20 | East Fremantle (WA) |
| 2004 | Chris Judd | West Coast | 30 | Caulf Gram/Sandr U18 |
| 2003 | Nathan Buckley | Collingwood | 22 | S Dists (NT)/Pt Adel (SA) |
| 2003 | Adam Goodes | Sydney Swans | 22 | Horsham/Nth Ballarat U18 |
| 2003 | Mark Ricciuto | Adelaide | 22 | West Adelaide (SA) |
| 2002 | Simon_Black | Brisbane Lions | 25 | East Fremantle (WA) |
| 2001 | Jason Akermanis | Brisbane Lions | 23 | Mayne (Qld) |
| 2000 | Shane Woewodin | Melbourne | 24 | East Fremantle (WA) |
| 1999 | Shane Crawford | Hawthorn | 28 | Finley (NSW) |
| 1998 | Robert Harvey | St Kilda | 32 | Seaford |
| 1997 | Robert Harvey | St Kilda | 26 | Seaford |
| 1996 | James Hird | Essendon | 21 | Ainslie (ACT) |
| 1996 | Michael Voss | Brisbane Lions | 21 | Morningside (Qld) |
| 1995 | Paul Kelly | Sydney Swans | 21 | Wagga Tigers (NSW) |
| 1994 | Greg Williams | Carlton | 30 | Golden Square |
| 1993 | Gavin Wanganeen | Essendon | 18 | Port Adelaide (SA) |
| 1992 | Scott Wynd | Footscray | 20 | Jacana |
| 1991 | Jim Stynes | Melbourne | 25 | Ireland |
| 1990 | Tony Liberatore | Footscray | 18 | Brunswick City |
| 1989 | Paul Couch | Geelong | 22 | Warrnambool |
| 1988 | Gerard Healy | Sydney Swans | 20 | Edithvale-Aspendale |
| 1987 | Tony Lockett | St Kilda | 20 | North Ballarat |
| 1987 | John Platten | Hawthorn | 20 | Central District (SA) |
| 1986 | Robert DiPierdomenico | Hawthorn | 17 | North Kew |
| 1986 | Greg Williams | Sydney Swans | 17 | Golden Square |
| 1985 | Brad Hardie | Footscray | 22 | South Fremantle (WA) |
| 1984 | Peter Moore | Melbourne | 24 | Eltham |
| 1983 | Ross Glendinning | North Melbourne | 24 | East Perth (WA) |
| 1982 | Brian Wilson | Melbourne | 23 | Braybrook |
| 1981 | Bernie Quinlan | Fitzroy | 22 | Traralgon |
| 1981 | Barry Round | South Melbourne | 22 | Warragul |
| 1980 | Kelvin Templeton | Footscray | 23 | Traralgon |
| 1979 | Peter Moore | Collingwood | 22 | Eltham |
| 1978 | Malcolm Blight | North Melbourne | 22 | Woodville (SA) |
| 1977 | Graham Teasdale | South Melbourne | 59 | Charlton |
| 1976 | Graham Moss | Essendon | 48 | Claremont (WA) |
| 1975 | Gary Dempsey | Footscray | 20 | Footscray Tech OB |
| 1974 | Keith Greig | North Melbourne | 27 | Brunswick (VFA) |
| 1973 | Keith Greig | North Melbourne | 27 | Brunswick (VFA) |
| 1972 | Len Thompson | Collingwood | 25 | Reservoir |
| 1971 | Ian Stewart | Richmond | 21 | Hobart (Tas) |
| 1970 | Peter Bedford | South Melbourne | 25 | Port Melbourne (VFA) |
| 1969 | Kevin Murray | Fitzroy | 19 | Fitzroy United |
| 1968 | Bob Skilton | South Melbourne | 24 | South Melb YCW |
| 1967 | Ross G. Smith | St Kilda | 24 | Hampton Scouts |
| 1966 | Ian Stewart | St Kilda | 21 | Hobart (Tas) |
| 1965 | Ian Stewart | St Kilda | 20 | Hobart |
| 1965 | Noel Teasdale | North Melbourne | 20 | Daylesford |
| 1964 | Gordon Collis | Carlton | 27 | Healesville |
| 1963 | Bob Skilton | South Melbourne | 20 | South Melb YCW |
| 1962 | Alistair Lord | Geelong | 28 | Cobden |
| 1961 | John James | Carlton | 21 | St Patricks, Ballarat |
| 1960 | John Schultz | Footscray | 20 | Boort |
| 1959 | Verdun Howell | St Kilda | 20 | City Sth, Launceston |
| 1959 | Bob Skilton | South Melbourne | 20 | South Melb YCW |
| 1958 | Neil Roberts | St Kilda | 24 | MHSOB |
| 1957 | Brian Gleeson | St Kilda | 24 | Berrigan (NSW) |
| 1956 | Peter Box | Footscray | 22 | Cheltenham |
| 1955 | Fred Goldsmith | South Melbourne | 21 | Williamstown (VFA) |
| 1954 | Roy Wright | Richmond | 29 | North Kew |
| 1953 | Bill Hutchison | Essendon | 26 | Essendon Stars |
| 1952 | Roy Wright | Richmond | 21 | North Kew |
| 1952 | Bill Hutchison | Essendon | 21 | Essendon Stars |
| 1951 | Bernie Smith | Geelong | 23 | West Adelaide (SA) |
| 1950 | Allan Ruthven | Fitzroy | 21 | Ivanhoe |
| 1949 | Ron Clegg | South Melbourne | 23 | Melb Boys' Club |
| 1949 | Col Austen | Hawthorn | 23 | Kew |
| 1948 | Bill Morris | Richmond | 24 | Old Scotch |
| 1947 | Bert Deacon | Carlton | 23 | Preston (VFA) |
| 1946 | Don Cordner | Melbourne | 20 | University |
| 1945 | Voting suspended because of World War II | 0 | ||
| 1944 | Voting suspended because of World War II | 0 | ||
| 1943 | Voting suspended because of World War II | 0 | ||
| 1942 | Voting suspended because of World War II | 0 | ||
| 1941 | Norman Ware | Footscray | 23 | Sale |
| 1940 | Des Fothergill | Collingwood | 32 | Collingwood Tech |
| 1940 | Herbie Matthews | South Melbourne | 32 | Fairfield |
| 1939 | Marcus Whelan | Collingwood | 23 | Darley |
| 1938 | Dick Reynolds | Essendon | 18 | Woodlands |
| 1937 | Dick Reynolds | Essendon | 27 | Woodlands |
| 1936 | Denis 'Dinny' Ryan | Fitzroy | 26 | Albury (NSW) |
| 1935 | Haydn Bunton | Fitzroy | 25 | West Albury (NSW) |
| 1934 | Dick Reynolds | Essendon | 19 | Woodlands |
| 1933 | Wilfred 'Chicken' Smallhorn | Fitzroy | 18 | Brunswick Methodists |
| 1932 | Haydn Bunton | Fitzroy | 23 | West Albury (NSW) |
| 1931 | Haydn Bunton | Fitzroy | 26 | West Albury (NSW) |
| 1930 | Stan Judkins | Richmond | 4 | Northcote (VFA) |
| 1930 | Allan Hopkins | Footscray | 4 | Footscray (VFA) |
| 1930 | Harry Collier | Collingwood | 4 | Ivanhoe |
| 1929 | Albert Collier | Collingwood | 6 | Ivanhoe |
| 1928 | Ivor Warne-Smith | Melbourne | 8 | Wesley College |
| 1927 | Syd Coventry | Collingwood | 7 | Diamond Creek |
| 1926 | Ivor Warne-Smith | Melbourne | 9 | Wesley College |
| 1925 | Colin Watson | St Kilda | 9 | South Warrnambool |
| 1924 | Edward 'Carji' Greeves | Geelong | 7 | Geelong College |
