Night of nights. Glitz and glamour. Footy’s highest honour. Did we get all of the cliches out of the way?
It’s time for the most exciting televised dinner of the year, with six clear contenders to claim Charlie.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 Brownlow Medal.
Watch Fox Footy’s massive line-up of Grand Final week coverage on Kayo including live pre-game, halftime and post-game coverage with full analysis from the best team in the business. New to Kayo? Try 14 days free >
WHEN IS THE BROWNLOW MEDAL?
The Brownlow Medal has been moved to Sunday September 18, avoiding the Monday due to a clash with the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
The medal count begins at 7pm AEST, with live coverage and every vote as they’re revealed on Foxfooty.com.au.
WHERE IS THE BROWNLOW MEDAL HELD?
The Brownlow Medal count will be held at Crown Casino in Melbourne.
It’s the first time it’s been held in Victoria since 2019. Last year the Brownlow was held in Perth, while in 2020 it was split across TV studios in different cities.
HOW CAN I FOLLOW THE BROWNLOW MEDAL COUNT?
Foxfooty.com.au will have all the coverage from the event including the red carpet, every vote in our live Brownlow Tracker, all the news – including the Goal of the Year and Mark of the Year winners – plus the wash-up from the morning after.
You can watch the Brownlow Medal on TV, but it’s understood you cannot stream it. It will be aired on Channel 7 from 7pm AEST, or likely on 7Mate if you’re not in Melbourne.
The Brownlow Medal winner should be announced between 9:30pm and 10pm AEST.
HOW IS THE BROWNLOW MEDAL DECIDED?
Umpires vote 3-2-1 for the best and fairest players in every match. The player who receives the most votes at the end of the home and away season is declared the winner.
In the event that two or more players tie, multiple winners are crowned.
Players who are suspended are deemed ineligible.
HOW MANY VOTES DO YOU NEED TO WIN THE BROWNLOW?
Just like in society, inflation has hit the Brownlow, with winners polling more and more votes over the past decade.
Of the past seven winners, six polled 31 votes or more – with only Tom Mitchell (28 votes in 2018) the exception.
The mark you need to hit is 30 votes. It was remarkable when four players reached the mark in 2021 – winner Ollie Wines (36) plus Marcus Bontempelli (33), Clayton Oliver (31) and Sam Walsh (30).
Bontempelli, Oliver and Walsh joined Patrick Dangerfield (33 in 2017) and Sam Mitchell (30 in 2011) as the only players to poll 30+ votes and not win the medal under the current voting format.
Over the last three seasons to win you needed to average at least 1.64 votes per game, with Lachie Neale polling an absurd 1.82 votes per game in 2020.
Recording 31 votes from 17 matches, in a normal-length 2020 season he would have threatened 40 votes.
WHO ARE THE BROWNLOW MEDAL FAVOURITES?
It’s a race in six for this year’s medal, with only a sextet of players rated as any realistic chance of taking home Charlie.
Lachie Neale is the narrow favourite to win his second Brownlow, the 2020 winner bouncing back from a difficult 2021 campaign and producing an outstanding 2022 to help push Brisbane into the preliminary finals.
Neale has an advantage over fellow favourite Clayton Oliver because the Lions superstar has fewer teammates likely to take votes off of him – with only Hugh McCluggage also likely to reach double-figures.
Meanwhile at Melbourne Oliver (the second-favourite) must compete with Christian Petracca (sixth-favourite), plus Max Gawn, who had some clear best-on-ground performances throughout the year.
Carlton’s Patrick Cripps has come close to winning the award before, but was doing it in a bottom-six side. After winning more games than he lost for the first time, the Blues star’s return to form has him in the mix, especially if he starts well.
There’s every chance Cripps will be on nine votes after three rounds, and was arguably best-on in six of the first eight games.
In contrast Andrew Brayshaw proved uber-consistent for Fremantle and is likely to make his push just before his club’s Round 14 bye. Like Neale, the AFL players association’s MVP winner had the advantage of being the standout midfielder in his side, with Nat Fyfe barely playing this year.
The sixth and final contender is Gold Coast’s Touk Miller, who nearly propelled his side into September for the first time. Miller polled 17 votes last year when he was also an All-Australian but sometimes players don’t get recognised by the voting umpires until a year after their breakout season.
BROWNLOW MEDAL WINNER ODDS
Lachie Neale (Brisbane Lions) $3.00
Clayton Oliver (Melbourne) $3.75
Patrick Cripps (Carlton) $5.50
Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle) $6
Touk Miller (Gold Coast Suns) $7.50
Christian Petracca (Melbourne) $8
Rory Laird (Adelaide Crows) $51
Callum Mills (Sydney Swans) $67
Sam Walsh (Carlton) $101
Others available
All odds via Pointsbet, correct as of 12pm Tuesday
DOES THE BROWNLOW FAVOURITE USUALLY WIN?
Typically yes, but this is just the second time since 2012 the favourite is not at a shorter price than $3, suggesting an open field and exciting race.
In the last seven counts only Nat Fyfe ($7 in 2019) has upset the pre-count favourite, as analysts and oddsmakers get better at predicting the likely winner.
2021: Winner and favourite Ollie Wines ($3.20)
2020: Winner and favourite Lachie Neale ($1.20)
2019: Winner Nat Fyfe ($7), favourite Patrick Dangerfield ($2.40)
2018: Winner and favourite Tom Mitchell ($1.50)
2017: Winner and favourite Dustin Martin ($1.05)
2016: Winner and favourite Patrick Dangerfield ($1.16)
2015: Winner and favourite Nat Fyfe ($2)
2014: Winner Matt Priddis ($17), favourite Joel Selwood ($2.50)
2013: Winner and favourite Gary Ablett ($1.90)
2012: Winner Jobe Watson* ($5.50), favourite Gary Ablett ($4)
2011: Winner Dane Swan ($11), favourite Chris Judd ($1.90)
2010: Winner Chris Judd ($17), favourite Dane Swan ($2.25)
WHO’S INVITED TO THE BROWNLOW MEDAL COUNT?
TBA
BROWNLOW MEDAL EXPERT PREDICTIONS
Winner (including ties): Lachie Neale 9 votes, Clayton Oliver 7, Patrick Cripps 2, Andrew Brayshaw 1
Dermott Brereton (Fox Footy)
Clayton Oliver
Jonathan Brown (Fox Footy)
Lachie Neale
Ben Cotton (Foxfooty.com.au)
Clayton Oliver
Ben Dixon (Fox Footy)
Lachie Neale
Catherine Healey (foxfooty.com.au)
Patrick Cripps
Anthony Hudson (Fox Footy)
Clayton Oliver
Drew Jones (Fox Sports News)
Andrew Brayshaw
David King (Fox Footy)
Clayton Oliver
Jordan Lewis (Fox Footy)
Lachie Neale
Kath Loughnan (Fox Footy and Fox Sports News)
Lachie Neale
Max Laughton (Foxfooty.com.au)
Lachie Neale
Alastair Lynch (Fox Footy)
Tie – Lachie Neale and Clayton Oliver
Leigh Montagna (Fox Footy)
Tie – Lachie Neale, Clayton Oliver and Patrick Cripps
Cameron Mooney (Fox Footy)
Clayton Oliver
Nick Riewoldt (Fox Footy)
Lachie Neale
Ben Waterworth (Foxfooty.com.au)
Lachie Neale
David Zita (Foxfooty.com.au)
Patrick Cripps
WHICH PLAYERS ARE INELIGIBLE? (When they became ineligible)
Adelaide Crows
Nil
Brisbane Lions
Mitch Robinson (Round One)
Oscar McInerney (Round Three)
Noah Answerth (Round 23)
Cam Rayner (Round 23)
Carlton
Liam Stocker (Round Seven)
Will Hayes (Round 18)
Collingwood
Jordan De Goey (Round Three)
Essendon
Mason Redman (Round 10)
Fremantle
Sam Switkowski (Round 10)
Geelong Cats
Tom Stewart (Round 15)
Gold Coast Suns
Nil
GWS Giants
Braydon Preuss (Round Four)
Hawthorn
Sam Frost (Round 11)
Will Day (Round 16)
Changkuoth Jiath (Round 20)
Melbourne
Kade Chandler (Round Nine)
North Melbourne
Ben McKay (Round Six)
Nick Larkey (Round Seven)
Jason Horne-Francis (Round 13)
Lachie Young (Round 13)
Flynn Perez (Round 19)
Port Adelaide
Nil
Richmond
Rhyan Mansell (Round Eight)
Marlion Pickett (Round Nine)
Nick Vlastuin (Round 16)
St Kilda
Paddy Ryder (Round Four)
Brad Crouch (Round 22)
Sydney Swans
James Rowbottom (Round Nine)
Josh Kennedy (Round 10)
Lance Franklin (Round 11)
Peter Ladhams (Round 14)
West Coast Eagles
Liam Ryan (Round Nine)
Jai Culley (Round 20)
Tim Kelly (Round 21)
Western Bulldogs
Bailey Smith (Round 12)
WHO ARE THE PREVIOUS WINNERS?
2010: Chris Judd (Carlton) [30 votes]
2011: Dane Swan (Collingwood) [34 votes]
2012: Trent Cotchin (Richmond) and Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn) [26 votes] (Jobe Watson 30 votes stripped of medal)
2013: Gary Ablett (Gold Coast) [28 votes]
2014: Matt Priddis (West Coast) [26 votes]
2015: Nat Fyfe (Fremantle) [31 votes]
2016: Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong) [35 votes]
2017: Dustin Martin (Richmond) [36 votes]
2018: Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn) [28 votes]
2019: Nat Fyfe (Fremantle) [33 votes]
2020: Lachie Neale (Brisbane Lions) [31 votes, shortened season]
2021: Ollie Wines (Port Adelaide) [36 votes]
