Nat Fyfe has questioned whether the use of stats by umpires in Brownlow Medal voting will make the award "less relevant".
The dual Brownlow winner said the stats reveal could prevent some major oversights, but unlock a completely new set of "wrinkles".
"I think it will potentially help avoid some howlers," Fyfe told Zero Hanger.
"But it could potentially create some wrinkles that we aren't aware of, which will make the award less relevant."
Umpires will be provided 17 key statistical categories to assist in their determination of the three best players.
MORE: The 17 stats umpires will see before voting
Fyfe won his first Brownlow in 2015, and was named as the competition's best player four years later.
He made the comments at the premiere of AFL's new docu-series Final Siren.
Melbourne captain Max Gawn also questioned whether the prestigious award had lost its "aura".
"I think it's lost the whole aura of the Brownlow, but in 15 years that will be the new normal. The initial change is the aura is gone," Gawn said on Triple M.
"They had howlers, but they normally get it right. Daicos still came second. So, they get it normally quite right. They are voting for something230 kinda cool: more how they go about it on the field from the umpire's point of view rather than numbers."
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