Predicted most votes: Jobe Watson. A certainty to lead his club count, the Essendon skipper could lead the overall count by the half-way mark, such was his dominance in a dominant Bombers side. We expect him to amass 10 votes in the opening five rounds, and 16 by round 14. Missed three games with a broken collarbone and is expected to struggle for recognition late as his team faltered.
Consider: Fellow midfielders David Zaharakis, Dyson Heppell and Brendon Goddard are expected to be the best of the rest at Bomberland. They will also do most of their damage early, but are likely to be simply fighting over the scraps as Watson takes top billing.
Roughie: Oft-injured half-forward Jason Winderlich played just 12 games but had a purple patch with 10 goals in three games from round 14-16.
Ineligible: Jake Carlisle, Dustin Fletcher, Heath Hocking, Leroy Jetta, Nick Kommer, Jake Melksham, Patrick Ryde
Where: Crown Palladium, Melbourne
When: Monday September 23, 8:15pm
The Red Carpet: The night is almost as much about the fashion as the Brownlow Medal itself. Partners of AFL players have the chance to dress up and strut their stuff on the red carpet, prior to the count at about 7:30pm.
What is the Brownlow? The Brownlow Medal is the AFL's highest individual honour, awarded to the best and fairest player of any given home and away season. The Charles (Chas) Brownlow Medal was first instituted in 1924 to perpetuate the memory of Charles Brownlow – the Geelong administrator who died aged 62 on January 23, 1924.
How the voting works: At the end of each home and away game across the AFL season, the three field umpires reach a consensus on who they believe are the most influential players on the ground. They then enter their votes on a 3, 2, 1 basis.
Where the votes are stored: The umpires have to deliver their votes to AFL House when lodging the matchday paperwork. The votes are then stored at Armaguard head office in a locked safe. On the night, the envelopes are delivered by Armaguard truck and are only opened once the count begins.
Who attends: Past winners and their partners, AFL Commission members, and then each club invites five players – including the captain. The past winners from those teams are also given the option of attending, in addition to the five players.
The medal: The Brownlow Medal is made by Melbourne-based company Cash's – which also constructs the premiership cup and Norm Smith Medal. The AFL has three Brownlow Medals on hand on the night, while the League has already flown a medal over to Perth and Sydney (in case a Swan, Giant, Eagle or Docker wins). Once the winner receives his medal, he is allowed to hold onto it.
Eligibility: Players who are eligible to win the medal must not receive more than 100 points in an incident assessed by the Match Review Panel during the year. If suspended for a game, a player is ineligible to win the award.
Past winners:
2012: Jobe Watson (Essendon) – 30 votes
2011: Dane Swan (Collingwood) – 34 votes
2010: Chris Judd (Carlton) – 30 votes
2009: Gary Ablett (Geelong) – 30 votes
2008: Adam Cooney (Western Bulldogs) – 24 votes
2007: Jimmy Bartel (Geelong) – 29 votes
2006: Adam Goodes (Sydney Swans) – 26 votes
2005: Ben Cousins (West Coast) – 20 votes
2004: Chris Judd (West Coast) – 30 votes
2003: Nathan Buckley (Collingwood), Adam Goodes (Sydney Swans), Mark Ricciuto (Adelaide) – 22 votes
Most wins:
3 – Haydn Bunton – Fitzroy (1931, 1932, 1935)
3 – Dick Reynolds – Essendon (1934, 1937, 1938)
3 – Bob Skilton – South Melbourne (1959, 1963, 1968)
3 – Ian Stewart – St Kilda/Richmond (1965, 1966, 1971)
Essendon Brownlow Medallists:
3 – Dick Reynolds (1934, 1937, 1938)
2 – Bill Hutchison (1952, 1953)
1 – Graham Moss (1976)
1 – Gavin Wanganeen (1993)
1 – James Hird (1996)
1 – Jobe Watson (2012)
