Anticipation is high heading into Monday night's Brownlow Medal count, which will be held at Crown Melbourne.
With TABtouch's medal favourites all looking for their maiden win, chances are high that we'll see a new great of the game anointed at the end of the vote. Here are the bookmaker's top five chances.
Nick Daicos (Collingwood)
TABtouch Odds: $2.30
This would be somewhat of a crowning glory for Nick Daicos on Brownlow night. After three seasons of fighting for the mantle, a Brownlow Medal would secure Daicos the title of the game's best player. The 22-year-old phenom is the near even-money favourite to take out the award, confirming his status as one of the greatest Collingwood players of all time.
He has form in the voting, as well, finishing second last year (behind Patrick Cripps) and third the year before (behind winner Lachie Neale and runner-up Marcus Bontempelli), which has seen him garner 66 votes in that two-year window process, averaging a phenomenal 33 per season. That number would see him win the award five of the last seven seasons, albeit splitting the honour with Nat Fyfe in 2019.
This season, Daicos led the competition in disposals, with 699 in the home-and-away season, and would be expected to poll in nearly all of Collingwood's 16 victories. With a career-best year for a generational talent, it is no wonder that he is so heavily favoured.
Bailey Smith (Geelong)
TABtouch Odds: $5.00
Bailey Smith is box office. When not fronting underwear campaigns, hogging social media feeds and making headlines in a variety of ways, he's dominating at Kardinia Park and beyond for the Geelong Cats.
Since crossing from the Western Bulldogs in last year's trade period – for a bargain basement price of Pick 17, it must be said – Bailey has blasted expectations out of the water in 2025. The Geelong Cats won 17 matches in 2025, and Smith was joined in the All-Australian team with Jeremy Cameron, whose heroics ensure he'll figure heavily in votes despite being a key forward.
The 24-year-old Smith averaged 31.2 disposals per game in a season highlighted by a 43-disposal, three-goal masterpiece in Round 20 during a 101-point win over the North Melbourne Kangaroos. Smith would be pushing Daicos harder for outright favouritism, but with the gut-busting runner missing three games through injury, it leaves him with little margin for error in the count.
Jordan Dawson (Adelaide)
TABtouch Odds: $6.50
Ten years since being drafted with Pick 56, Jordan Dawson has blossomed into an elite captain in the AFL, leading the Adelaide Crows to a minor premiership in 2025. While it is hard for fans to ignore a sour September for the Crows, it is always worth remembering that it will have no bearing on the Brownlow Medal. Quite simply, Dawson was the best player on the best team during the home-and-away season.
The eye-catching 192cm midfielder boasted numbers of 23.4 disposals per game, and was particularly damaging, leading the league in inside 50s. Dawson also kicked 18 goals for the season and was seventh in tackles per game. Dawson was joined in the All-Australian team by Riley Thilthorpe, who, although dominant at times, is not thought to be a significant vote-stealer on Brownlow Medal night.
In a year where the Crows ultimately went empty-handed in finals football, West Lakes faithful could be forgiven for cheering on a potential Dawson Brownlow Medal win like an on-field September victory.
Noah Anderson (Gold Coast)
TABtouch Odds: $7.00
Noah Anderson has been "off Broadway" at the Gold Coast Suns during his five-year career, but for those looking for a comparison, former captain Jarrod Witts painted a telling picture earlier in the season. “He's got Scott Pendlebury-type abilities to see the game and understand what needs to happen at different times," Witts told AFL.com.au. “He makes in-game adjustments as good as anyone I've played with.”
Not only is Anderson a dashing player with smarts, but he is also an accumulator, averaging a touch over 30 disposals this season. The Suns finished only a game inside the top eight; however, the 15 wins they recorded still represent an impressive feat. Anderson aims to be the club's second Brownlow Medal winner, following in the footsteps of Gary Ablett Jr., who achieved the honour in 2013. Anderson will face some in-team competition for votes from the likes of Matt Rowell and Touk Miller.
With a bit of luck going his way in the count, casual footy fans may learn a whole lot more about Anderson come the later stages of Monday night's count.
Matthew Rowell (Gold Coast)
TABtouch Odds: $13
The No. 1 pick from the 2019 National Draft is the second Carey Grammar graduate in this top five list, sharing the field with Noah Anderson in his schoolboy years. The 24-year-old famously burst on the scene in 2020, vaulting into Brownlow betting after a mere few games.
However, struck down by injury, this has been the season Rowell has made his most significant charge at “Charlie”. Named All-Australian for the first time during this campaign, in the same season his Suns first played, and won, finals football, the bullish midfielder has really come of age in 2025. He led the league in clearances per game and was second in centre clearances per game, performing strongly under the noses of the umpires.
Those with a ticket on Rowell can also take confidence into the very final game of the year, when Rowell produced one of his best performances (a 31-disposal, two-goal game) in the finals-clinching win against the Essendon Bombers. His strong finish to the year will also be aided by a memorable 37-disposal performance in the QClash with the Brisbane Lions in a huge 66-point win in Round 20.
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