2022 treated us to one of the closest and unexpected Brownlow counts in recent times, with the winner still unknown when Gil McLachlan started the count for Round 23's votes. However, a best-on-ground performance in the final weekend against Collingwood saw Patrick Cripps narrowly win by a singular vote over Lachie Neale.
This year's Brownlow night is looming to be even more interesting than last year's.
Nick Daicos was the clear favourite to win the Brownlow Medal coming into Round 21, having played the most tantalising season out of all the contenders. However, a knee injury sustained against Hawthorn is expected to keep him out until halfway through September, leaving the door wide open for other contenders.
With three games to play out for the season, the race is on to see if Daicos holds on to his lead or if another player can catch up. Marcus Bontempelli and Christian Petracca both loom as the biggest threats to Daicos currently, but gaps in their performances, as well as other teammates anticipated to earn votes, may jeopardise their chances.
According to our MVP leaderboard, there are nine players who will poll heavily on Brownlow night.
We assess how Daicos, Botempelli and Petracca could fare come the AFL's 'night of nights' and which dark horses could still be in the running.
5. Lachie Neale
Since winning the Brownlow Medal in 2020, Neale has often loomed as a chance to win a second 'Charlie' in the following seasons. Last year, Cripps only just pipped him by one vote and this year he could be in contention for winning, or at least close to winning once again. Neale's form from Rounds 9-17 will see him poll strongly, particularly with standout performances against Richmond and West Coast.
However, his form across Round 18-21 has been a lot less consistent, and it seems highly unlikely that he will poll across any of these games, with his unusually quiet performances against Melbourne and Gold Coast to play a part.
Brisbane will host Adelaide and St Kilda and travel to Marvel Stadium to play Collingwood as they head toward finals, and votes won't be easy to earn in these games given the rivalling personnel includes Jack Steele, Brad Crouch, Jordan Dawson and Jordan De Goey. Neale has a tough three games, but should bounce back to poll a few extra Brownlow votes.
