We're almost at the halfway mark of the 2024 AFL season, and the race for the Brownlow Medal has certainly narrowed following the opening 11 rounds.
The first half of the year has seen a number of stars of the competition state their claim for the top individual gong, with several first-time winners firming as the best candidates to secure the Brownlow this year.
Here we look at the best options across the AFL for the 2024 Brownlow Medal, while you can find the best football stats at The Punters Page.
Isaac Heeney
The clear favourite and rightfully so, with Heeney having been a dominant force for the Swans after moving into the middle of the field in 2024.
Heeney has been among Sydney's best for some time, but his full-time midfield switch now has him ranked as the best-performing player across the land.
Our MVP voting has him placed on 151 votes from 11 games, holding a lead of 28 votes ahead of the first weekend of byes.
A 5-4-3-2-1 voting process from four panellists has seen Heeney poll in every game he's played this year so far, giving a good indication he'll be right up there for the Brownlow too.
Zach Merrett
The Bombers skipper is enjoying a career-best year in 2024, while his side has soared up the ladder to sit second ahead of Round 12.
With eight wins already on the board, and Merrett often the star of the show for the Dons, it's certainly feasible to think the Essendon onballer will already have a heap of Brownlow votes to his name.
Like Heeney, Merrett has polled MVP votes in all 11 games this year and will likely gain plenty of positive attention from the umpires too.
Zak Butters
The Port Adelaide gun came close to securing his maiden Brownlow Medal last year, polling 27 votes to finish equal fourth and just four votes behind winner Lachie Neale.
Butters was a chance coming into the final round of the 2023 season given his impressive rise, and this year he has continued to be a dominant piece in Port Adelaide's midfield group.
In the recent absence of captain Connor Rozee, Butters has led from the front and should be among the top few names on the Brownlow leaderboard after Round 11.
Nick Daicos
There's a very good chance that Daicos would've taken out last year's Brownlow count had it not been for a knee injury sustained late into the season.
The young Collingwood sensation is following a similar path in 2024 and could be right in the mix for the medal by the end of the home and away campaign.
His last few weeks in particular have been nothing short of exceptional, with the Magpies ball magnet currently sitting second in our MVP race on 123 votes.
Patrick Cripps
The Blues skipper looms as the best chance to pick up another Brownlow Medal from the crop of players who already have at least one Brownlow on their CV.
Cripps has been a consistent star under Michael Voss this year, and with the Blues still underperforming we could see a real rise in votes for Cripps across the back end of the season.
The Blues bull sits sixth in our MVP race, tied with Swans gun Chad Warner - who would also be a good shout for a podium finish at the Brownlow despite the aforementioned dominance of Heeney.
Marcus Bontempelli
Arguably the best current player yet to win a Brownlow, Bontempelli has come so close on a number of occasions across his starring career with the Bulldogs.
The Western Bulldogs skipper has finished second on multiple occasions and will continue to collect votes in any result for the Dogs this year.
Perhaps the No.1 player in the game, Bontempelli's chances for the Brownlow can never be forgotten.
