BROWNLOW MEDAL PREDICTOR
ROUND 2
Round 2 Brownlow Votes and Article
| HAW V SYD | |
| JAI NEWCOMBE | 2 |
| DYLAN MOORE | 2 |
| TOM BARRASS | 1 |
| CHAD WARNER | 1 |
Hawthorn co-captain – Jai Newcombe stepped up in the midfield with a game high- 31 disposals and nine clearances to go with his 12 contested possessions and a goal, bringing his elite 2025 finals series form to this season.
Dylan Moore responded well after a slow start to the season with three important goals from 22 disposals, as well as five inside 50s and seven score involvements.
After Charlie Curnow looked hot early in the match with two goals in the opening term, Tom Barrass was sent to shut the two-time Coleman Medallist down with great success. Barrass finished with 15 disposals, 6 marks and an equal game high- 11 intercept possessions.
The Swans best in a depleted midfield was Chad Warner, who kept the Swans in the game with his 27 disposals, 11 contested possessions, six clearances, 513 meters gained and a goal on the run.
| ADE V WB | |
| JOEL FREIJAH | 3 |
| MARCUS BONTEMPELLI | 2 |
| ED RICHARDS | 1 |
Joel Freijah sparked the Bulldogs early with two goals and 12 disposals in the opening term, finishing the game with 24 touches, 3 goals and a game high- 12 score involvements.
Marcus Bontempelli’s scintillating start to the season has shot him up to equal-first in the Brownlow Predictor. The two-time Brownlow Medal runner-up had a game high- 30 disposals and 14 contested possessions, to go with 7 clearances, 6 inside 50s and a goal.
With an enhanced reputation after last season, Ed Richards should attract more umpire attention and poll more votes than 2025. The reigning Best and Fairest had 29 disposals, 12 contested possessions, a game high- 8 inside 50s and 571 meters gained.
| RICH V GCS | |
| BEN KING | 3 |
| TOUK MILLER | 2 |
| BODHI UWLAND | 1 |
Ben King’s accuracy in front of goal has been an important factor in the Sun’s early season form, with the full-forward kicking seven goals straight from 11 disposals.
Touk Miller was Gold Coast’s best performed midfielder with a team high- 31 disposals and equal game high- 10 score involvements including a goal.
Bodhi Uwland played one of the best games of his short career, with 29 disposals, a game high- 10 intercept possessions and 16 marks to help control the game from the back half.
| GWS V STK | |
| JACK SINCLAIR | 3 |
| LACHIE ASH | 2 |
| CLAYTON OLIVER | 1 |
Jack Sinclair’s start to the season has been influential in his first season as a captain of the footy club, picking up a team high- 31 disposals and using the ball 90% efficiency and taking 9 marks in a winning side for the first time this year.
Lachie Ash continues to prove himself as a top-flight half-back in the competition, with 39 disposals and 774 meters gained- both game highs- as well as 8 intercept possessions and 9 score involvements in the narrow loss for the Giants.
Formerly a great Brownlow vote getter- Clayton Oliver is looking to recapture this form with 33 disposals, 15 contested possessions (game high), 13 score involvements (game high) and a goal.
| FRE V MEL | |
| ANDREW BRAYSHAW | 3 |
| SHAI BOLTON | 1.5 |
| JOSH TREACY | 1.5 |
Andrew Brayshaw rebounded really well after a disappointing opening game, getting off the chain with all opposition attention being on Caleb Serong. Brayshaw finished with a game high- 39 disposals and 10 score involvements including a goal.
Shai Bolton was effective in the midfield and in attack with 32 disposals, an equal game high- 15 contested possessions, 9 clearances, a game high- 638 meters gained and 10 inside 50s to go with 2 goals.
Josh Treacy was a force up in the forward line with 17 disposals, 10 marks, 12 contested, 10 score involvements and most importantly kicking 4 goals.
| PORT V ESS | |
| ZAK BUTTERS | 2.5 |
| JASON HORNE – FRANCIS | 2.5 |
| ALIIR ALIIR | 1 |
Zak Butters was allowed to do as he please against the Bombers midfield, collecting 36 disposals, 9 inside 50s, 13 score involvements and 771 meters gained- all being game highs- as well as 7 clearances.
Jason Horne- Francis had a huge impact with his all-round performance, kicking 3 goals from 26 disposals, with 12 of these disposals leading to scores.
An important part of the Port Adelaide backline, Aliir Aliir was marking everything, with a game high- 19 grabs to make up his 21 disposals- using the ball at an elite 95% efficiency.
| WCE V NM | |
| HARLEY REID | 3 |
| NICK LARKEY | 2 |
| HARRY SHEEZEL | 1 |
Harley Reid looks destined for a breakout season, with his output in the Eagles midfield being instrumental for their upset victory against a Kangaroos side coming off a win. The former number one draft pick collected a team high- 30 disposals as well as 11 contested possessions.
Nick Larkey couldn’t have done much more as the focal point of attack, with the Kangaroos co-captain having an equal game high- 8 score involvements including 6 goals of his own.
Rising star- Harry Sheezel was the Kangaroos best around the ground with a game high- 40 disposals, 612 meters gained and 8 clearances to go with his 14 contested possessions.
ROUND 1
Round 1 – Brownlow Votes and Article
| CARL V RICH | |
| PATRICK CRIPPS | 2 |
| JAGGA SMITH | 2 |
| JAYDEN SHORT | 1 |
| SAM WALSH | 1 |
The Blues midfield were much stronger than their opening round efforts against the Swans, having the three most prolific ball winners and receiving predicted votes. Skipper and two-time Brownlow Medallist Patrick Cripps was the leading contested possession and clearance player with 19 and 9 respectively from his 32 disposals.
Jagga Smith proved once again why he is the short-priced favourite for the Rising Star, having an equal game high- 32 disposals and 11 score involvements in his second game of football.
Sam Walsh was effective with 30 disposals, 6 clearances and 480 meters gained in the Blues first win of the season.
Experienced Tiger- Jayden Short was the most influential player for his side, winning 29 disposals, taking 10 marks and making a game high- 753 meters as well as kicking a goal.
| ESS V HAW | |
| JACK GUNSTON | 2.5 |
| NICK WATSON | 2.5 |
| CONNOR MACDONALD | 1 |
The Hawks responded in a big way back at the MCG, with a 62-point win to get their season back on track. The Hawthorn forward line had a big impact on the match, with three-time Premiership player- Jack Gunton kicking 5 goals and taking 8 marks for the match.
Nick Watson continues to improve year on year, kicking 4 goals from 17 disposals and being involved in 11 scores.
Connor MacDonald has taken on increased responsibilities and picking up 24 disposals, 7 inside 50s, 12 score involvements and kicked 2 goals.
| WB V GWS | |
| MARCUS BONTEMPELLI | 3 |
| AARON NAUGHTON | 2 |
| TOM LIBERATORE | 1 |
Marcus Bontempelli continues to prove himself as one of the very best players in the competition, despite falling short of a Brownlow Medal on multiple occasions. The Bont was at his scintillating best with 33 disposals, 14 contested possessions, 11 inside 50s (all game highs) to go with 3 brilliant goals.
Aaron Naughton was the focal point up forward, kicking 6 goals and taking 11 marks, with 10 of his 15 disposals leading to scores.
Tom Liberatore was important at the coal-face with 29 disposals, 6 clearances, 1 goal and a game high- 12 score involvements.
| GEEL V FRE | |
| MAX HOLMES | 2 |
| BAILEY SMITH | 2 |
| SHANNON NEALE | 1 |
| LUKE JACKSON | 1 |
Geelong revived their season after falling flat in their opening game and conceding eight goals in the first term this week. Max Holmes and Bailey Smith were back to their 2025 form that helped the Cats get to a Grand Final.
Holmes was the most prolific player on the ground with 32 disposals, also having 11 contested, 8 tackles, 7 inside 50s and 10 score involvements. Meanwhile, Smith had 31 disposals, 7 marks, a game high- 673 meters gained and kicked a goal.
Shannon Neale kicked an equal career high- 5 goals against a usually strong Fremantle defence.
Fremantle weapon- Luke Jackson- proved he will be a handful this season with a new role roaming the midfield as well as the ruck, collecting 27 disposals, a game high- 18 contested possessions and 10 clearances, as well as 22 hitouts and a goal.
| SYD V BL | |
| JOEL AMARTEY | 3 |
| ERROL GULDEN | 1.5 |
| TOM MCCARTIN | 1.5 |
Joel Amartey was the main man in the Swans attack despite boasting a two-time Coleman Medallist in the same forward line. Amartey booted 5 goals and took 8 marks for the match.
Errol Gulden was one of the most impactful players on the ground in limited game time due to injury. In just 65% of game time, Gulden had 20 disposals at 85% efficiency, 7 score involvements, 8 tackles and a goal.
Sydney full-back Tom McCartin had a career best- 27 disposals which was the second most of any Swan on the ground. McCartin used the ball at 85% efficiency and had an equal game high- 10 intercept possessions.
| COLL V ADE | |
| NICK DAICOS | 2 |
| WAYNE MILERA | 2 |
| RILEY THILTHORPE | 1 |
| ALEX NEALE – BULLEN | 1 |
Nick Daicos has started the season on fire with predicted votes in the opening two matches. He was the Magpies best performer in a two-goal loss with 33 disposals, 10 inside 50s, 790 meters gained and kicking 2 goals.
Wayne Milera was eye-catching with a game high- 34 disposals and using the ball at 94% efficiency, making 673 meters gained and being involved in 8 scores.
All-Australian forward- Riley Thilthorpe picked up 15 disposals, 6 inside 50s, took 7 marks and kicked 3 goals. Whist Alex Neale- Bullen continues to be a handy pick up over the last 12 months with 26 disposals, 6 inside 50s, a game high- 12 score involvements and kicking a goal.
| NM V PORT | |
| DYLAN STEPHENS | 2.5 |
| HARRY SHEEZEL | 2.5 |
| LUKE PARKER | 1 |
Dylan Stephens had arguably the best game of his career in what could be a breakout season, leading all players for meters gained (536) and score involvements (9) as well as kicking a classy goal from his 29 disposals.
Harry Sheezel was the most prolific player on the ground with 31 disposals, taking 8 marks and having 8 score involvements in the Kangaroos rare win.
Former Swan- Luke Parker was important through the midfield with 24 disposals and using the ball at 100% efficiency as well as taking 8 marks and kicking a goal.
| MEL V STK | |
| MAX GAWN | 3 |
| JACOB VAN ROOYEN | 2 |
| MAX HALL | 1 |
This generations greatest ruckman- Max Gawn- has proved that he is still the benchmark in the competition. The Melbourne captain dragged his side over the line with 22 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 8 score involvements, 36 hitouts and a goal as arguably the best player on the ground.
We may have witnessed a coming-of-age game for Jacob Van Rooyen, who after an ordinary 2025 season, came out of the blocks in 2026 with six goals.
Max Hall was one of the best performed St Kilda players with 26 disposals, 6 clearances, 8 inside 50s, 13 score involvements and kicking 4 goals in a tightly contested loss.
| GCS V WCE | |
| CHRISTIAN PETRACCA | 3 |
| NOAH ANDERSON | 2 |
| JARROD WITTS | 1 |
Christian Petracca couldn’t have asked for a better start to his season in Suns colours, backing up his 3-vote performance in Opening Round with 23 disposals, 12 contested possessions, 8 inside 50s, 14 score involvements, 537 meters gained and 4 goals in what should be another 3 votes!
Noah Anderson was the most prolific player on the ground with 34 disposals, having 12 contested, 11 score involvements and kicking a goal of his own.
Jarrod Witts made an impact in the ruck with 20 disposals, a game high- 16 contested possessions, 7 clearances and 51 hitouts as well as a goal.
ROUND 0
|
SYD V CARL |
|
|
JUSTIN MCINERNEY |
3 |
|
ERROL GULDEN |
2 |
|
BRODIE GRUNDY |
1 |
The Swans took a half of footy to kick into gear and play their traditional style of game, led by elite runners- Justin McInerney and Errol Gulden. McInerney played a career best game with a team high- 31 disposals, game high- 14 score involvements to go with 461 meters gained, 6 inside 50s and 3 goals!
Errol Gulden proved himself as one of the game’s best players, finishing with 27 disposals, 11 tackles, 8 inside 50s, 10 score involvements and picking up 12 possessions in the crucial third term when the Swans were able to establish a massive lead.
Brodie Grundy’s work in the ruck made an impact with 16 disposals, 46 hitouts, 7 score involvements and 1 goal.
|
GCS V GEEL |
|
|
CHRISTIAN PETRACCA |
3 |
|
TOUK MILLER |
2 |
|
BAILEY HUMPHREY |
1 |
Christian Petracca couldn’t have scripted his Suns debut any better, with a clear best on ground performance and proving his best footy is still ahead of him. The four-time All- Australian led the Suns with 34 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 6 clearances, 10 inside 50s, 678 meters gained and most importantly kicking 3 goals and using the ball at 82% efficiency. Already pushed himself into the top handful of Brownlow favourites.
Touk Miller played an important role in the Suns 56-point victory with 30 disposals, 11 contested possessions, 6 tackles and kicking a goal.
Dynamic forward Bailey Humphrey had a major impact on the result of the game, with three first quarter goals from six disposals to set up a strong lead that the Cats couldn’t come back from. Humphrey finished with 4 goals from 15 disposals.
|
GWS V HAW |
|
|
JAKE STRINGER |
3 |
|
FINN CALLAGHAN |
1.5 |
|
CLAYTON OLIVER |
1.5 |
GWS walked away with the four points despite the injury woes and coming into the game as underdogs, largely thanks to Jake Stringer’s impact forward of centre. The Hawks didn’t have a matchup for the All-Australian as he kicked five goals from 14 disposals and was involved in a game high- 11 scores.
The Giants midfield dominated the Will Day-less Hawks, with Clayton Oliver proving his worth as a handy pick up during the off season. Oliver was the leading contested possession and clearance player on the ground with 19 and 10 respectively, also finishing with 26 disposals and kicking a goal.
Finn Callaghan picked up where he left off last season with 26 disposals, – the equal second most on the ground- 9 inside 50s and 735 meters gained- both the most on the ground.
|
BL V WB |
|
|
ED RICHARDS |
3 |
|
LACHIE NEALE |
1 |
|
MARCUS BONTEMPELLI |
1 |
|
CHARLIE CAMERON |
1 |
In what could eventually be the best game of whole 2026 season, the Lions and Bulldogs are sharing the votes in a tightly contested battle.
Ed Richards walked away with best on ground honours, with the Bulldogs Best and Fairest picking up 30 disposals, 10 inside 50s, 7 clearances, 726 meters gained and 16 score involvements including 2 goals of his own in the winning side.
Lachie Neale continues to be the dominant midfielder in a stacked Lions lineup, collecting a game high- 39 disposals, 15 contested possessions and 8 clearances.
Marcus Bontempelli may not have been the midfield maestro he usually is, but made a heavy impact in the forward half with 3 goals, 8 score involvements and 422 meters gained from 19 disposals and always attracts umpire attention.
After saving his best game for last year’s Grand Final, Charlie Cameron started 2026 with a bang- kicking four goals from 15 disposals and taking 7 marks.
|
STK V COLL |
|
|
NICK DAICOS |
3 |
|
JOSH DAICOS |
1.5 |
|
JACK SINCLAIR |
1.5 |
Nick Daicos was allowed to run around unopposed, picking up a game high- 41 disposals, 844 meters gained and 11 score involvements as the most likely to be best on ground. Is correctly rated as the Brownlow Medal favourite after finishing third, second and second in the last three seasons.
Josh Daicos was given plenty of space as well and made the most of his opportunities with 36 disposals at 80% efficiency, taking 13 marks and being involved in 8 scores.
Newly appointed Saints co-captain- Jack Sinclair was their best player on the ground in a 12-point loss, collecting 35 disposals at 94% efficiency, having 7 intercept possessions and making 560 meters in a composed performance.
BETFAIR’S BROWNLOW MEDAL TIPS AND PREDICTIONS
The Brownlow Medal is the AFL’s most prestigious individual prize. The medal, known formally as the Charles Brownlow Trophy, was first presented in 1924, in honour of the former Geelong player and club and league administrator. The Brownlow medallist is recognised as the League’s fairest and best player, as judged by the umpires.
In recent years, the Brownlow Medal count has attracted significant interest as a major event on footy’s social calendar, while also continuing to draw massive patronage from bettors. With wagering interest in the Brownlow skyrocketing, punters are increasingly looking for accurate and updated information and insights to help shape their Brownlow tipping strategies.
Betfair’s unique Brownlow Medal predictor provides expert analysis for each of the 207 AFL home-and-away matches played during the 2024 season including a list of players it predicts will likely have earned the umpires’ votes.
Under the current Brownlow Medal voting system, the three field umpires confer after each game and award six votes to the three players considered the fairest and best, on a 3-2-1 basis. However, under the innovative system that underpins Betfair’s AFL Brownlow predictor, more than three players per match can be identified as predicted vote-winners, ‘earning’ a minimum of 0.5 votes and a maximum of 3 from a six-tier voting scale. Betfair’s data scientists and betting analysts believe this broader vote allocation system better captures more players’ valuable or outstanding performances while simultaneously lessening the impact of the narrow 3-2-1 system than can, by its nature, ignore impactful players who might not necessarily have caught the umpires’ attention, particularly in games dominated by one or two individuals.
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Under contemporary Brownlow rules, multiple winners are declared when two or more players finish with the same number of votes. In 2003, for example, Adelaide’s Mark Ricciuto, Collingwood’s Nathan Buckley and Sydney’s Adam Goodes each polled 22 votes and were declared Brownlow medallists. This element of the award broadens punters’ options and allows for more intricate wagering strategies, particularly when using Betfair’s AFL Brownlow predictor as a guide. It’s also worth noting that although players who have been suspended for on-field indiscretions during a season can still receive votes for their performances, they are ineligible to win that year’s Brownlow Medal.
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