Collingwood star Nick Daicos was on track for the Brownlow last year when a knee injury sidelined him for the final three games, causing him to drop from leading the count to finishing in third place. In 2024, the Brownlow Medal race appeared to be a contest between him and Patrick Cripps. However, it turned out to be a landslide victory for the Carlton star, who achieved a record tally on Monday night.
Cripps amassed 45 votes, including 12 three-vote games across the 24 rounds, outpacing Daicos by seven votes. Despite this, Daicos’ tally of 38 votes would have secured him victory in any previous Brownlow count. However, there are concerns that Daicos’ tally should have been one vote lower due to a possible case of mistaken identity during the Pies’ King’s Birthday clash.
In that match, Collingwood’s Jack Crisp received the three votes as anticipated, following his 10 coaches’ votes. John Noble was awarded two votes, while Daicos received one. Both of these choices raised eyebrows, especially Daicos’ vote, which many believe was likely a mix-up with his brother Josh.
Josh finished the match with a game-high 34 disposals and was deemed the second-best player by the coaches, earning seven coaches’ votes. Despite this, he didn’t receive any votes.
When the votes for the King’s Birthday clash were announced on Monday night, Nick was visibly shocked when his name was called for the one vote. He immediately glanced over at his brother Josh, who pointed to himself, questioning whether he had heard correctly that it was Nick who received the point instead of him. The AFL community shared in the astonishment over what seemed to be a case of mistaken identity.
Should the Brownlow Medal voting system be changed?
The potential Daicos mix-up was just one of several puzzling votes revealed on Monday night, prompting renewed discussions about whether the voting system needs reform. It’s widely acknowledged that the Brownlow system, which relies solely on umpires’ votes, tends to favor midfielders and places greater emphasis on players who frequently get their hands on the ball, like Daicos and Cripps.
However, after Cripps amassed the most votes in Brownlow history, calls for change intensified, as his record-breaking total of 45 votes suggests he had the greatest season in AFL history—an assertion that seemingly no one in the AFL community agrees with. His impressive tally reflects a combination of standout performances and some contentious voting decisions.
For instance, in Round 13, the Carlton star received two votes for his performance against Essendon, even though he was ranked as the 11th-best player on the field according to the AFL’s Player Ratings. In that match, he only had a kicking efficiency of 14 percent and recorded 19 disposals, yet the umpires still rated him as the second-best player on the ground.
Overall, there were 17 cases where a player received three Brownlow votes but none from the coaches. Many believe that the AFL Coaches Association Award is a more accurate reflection of the best player of the year, highlighting a clear disparity between what coaches and umpires prioritize in their evaluations.
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