Sam Mitchell and Trent Cotchin awarded 2012 Brownlow Medal

The AFL Commission has today announced that Trent Cotchin and Sam Mitchell, who finished equal second, will be named the joint winners of the 2012 Brownlow Medal.

Essendon captain and winner of the award, Jobe Watson, decided to hand the medal back to the league last week, following the Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision to ban 34 Bombers' players, including Watson, for their involvement in the club's 2012 supplements regime.

Sam Mitchell is the first Hawthorn player to win the award since Shane Crawford in 1999, while Cotchin is the first Tiger to win since Ian Stewart in 1971.

The pair will be presented with the medal in Melbourne next month.

The new 2012 Brownlow Medal leaderboard:

1. Sam Mitchell (26 votes)

1. Trent Cotchin (26 votes)

3. Scott Thompson (25 votes)

3. Dane Swan (25 votes)

5. Gary Ablett (24 votes)

6. Patrick Dangerfield (23 votes)

7. Josh Kennedy (19 votes)

7. Lenny Hayes (19 votes)

7. Dayne Beams (19 votes)

10. Matthew Pavlich (15 votes)

10. Kieren Jack (15 votes)

10. Scott Selwood (15 votes)

10. Scott Pendlebury (15 votes)