Matt Rowell, Gold Coast Suns midfielder won the Brownlow Medal this year. At Crown casino on Monday night, Rowell became the second Suns player to win the award, joining Gary Ablett Jr, who won in 2013.
Rowell received 39 votes, the second-highest total ever, seven more than Collingwood’s Nick Daicos (32 votes) who finished in second place and Geelong’s Bailey Smith (29 votes).
Rowell dominated the field right from the start of the season and became the first player to ever receive the most votes from his first four games of the year, polling a perfect 12 votes.
“It sounds pretty surreal. I can’t believe I’m standing up here tonight. There are a lot of good players, a lot of boys could be up here tonight. I’m very humbled and very honoured to be up here,” Rowell said.
After 11 rounds, Rowell surged to 20 votes, beating Collingwood star Daicos, who had been one of the primary favourites for three consecutive years.
“I didn’t think I would win, and it is amazing to be standing up here. I am pretty speechless,” he said.
In the final stages of the count, St Kilda’s Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was credited with leading the Saints to an incredible comeback victory over Melbourne in Round 20. Although only receiving two votes, leaving the audience and other players stunned as Melbourne veteran Jack Viney claimed all three.
Having 34 disposals, nine score involvements and six clearances, and kicking four goals, including two in the final 10 seconds. Wanganeen-Milera helped the Saints overcome a 46-point deficit at three-quarter time. Viney had only one goal and 23 touches.
Dane Swan, a former Brownlow Medal winner, was critical of the Wanganeen-Milera Round 20 oversight.
The Collingwood veteran wrote on X, “NAS not getting 3 there might be the worst decision in the history of the Brownlow.”
Football journalist Jon Ralph posted on X. “You didn’t need stats for the umpires to know Nas deserved three votes instead of Viney for the most incredible individual performance we witnessed this season.”
“The Brownlow should be our most important individual award, not the subject of constant ridicule. Time for a review.”
Adding to the night’s highlights, Murphy Reid, young talent from Fremantle, became the fourth Dockers player to earn the Rising Star title after a stellar debut season.
Final leaderboard:
Matt Rowell (Gold Coast) – 39
Nick Daicos (Collingwood) – 32
Bailey Smith (Geelong) – 29
Jordan Dawson (Adelaide) – 27
Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle) – 26
