The AFL’s night of nights has arrived, with the 2025 Brownlow Medallist to be crowned at Crown Palladium on Monday night.
Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos, who finished third in the 2023 and second to Patrick Cripps last season, will enter the count as the red-hot favourite after another stunning season.
Daicos on Saturday was a $2.50 favourite, according to Pointsbet, but his odds had shortened to $2.30 by Monday afternoon to win his first Brownlow.
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Daicos had a hot start to the count with 12 votes from the first six rounds. But he wasn’t as hot as Matt Rowell, who polled 18 of a possible 24 votes across the first seven rounds.
Rowell conjured the full 12 votes from his first four games of the season — the first time any AFL player has started a year with four consecutive best-on-ground performances.
His three-vote games against Adelaide (Round 4), Sydney (Round 7) and Western Bulldogs (Round 9) were unexpected, according to Brownlow predictions.
Star Geelong recruit Bailey Smith is the second favourite at $4.75, followed by club skippers Jordan Dawson and Noah Anderson, who are both $7 chances. Dawson and Anderson’s odds have lengthened after they were as short $6 on Saturday.
All eyes will be on Smith on Monday night ahead of his Grand Final appearance for the Cats on Saturday.
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Smith has had a stellar season, earning All-Australian selection and winning the AFL Coaches’ Association Champion Player of the Year award after averaging a career-high 31.4 disposals, 10.9 contested possessions, 5.8 clearances and 5.0 tackles.
“I don’t have a speech ready,” Smith told Channel 7. “I missed three games, so don’t know.
“I’d be lucky to win it. But I’ll just wing it. At least I’m sober so it’ll be a good speech.”
The 24-year-old, who was traded from the Western Bulldogs to Geelong over the off-season, confirmed to KIIS FM he would not be taking fitness influencer Tammy Hembrow to the Brownlow as his date, adding: “I didn’t want to bore her with footy all night. She’s not a big footy fan. And we’re just mates.”
Smith said he would instead take his Jiu-Jitsu coach.
“He’s a good man, he’s one of my best mates,” Smith told The Kyle and Jackie O Show.
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“And he’ll be blind all night; he’s having a big one.”
Smith linked up with Blues superstar Charlie Curnow for a photo with Brownlow Medallists Neil Roberts and Ross Smith.
Brownlow coverage will kick off from 7.30pm (AEST), with the count to then get underway from 8pm. Expect the winner to be confirmed at around 10:30pm (AEST).
All coverage of the event can be followed on foxfooty.com.au. It’ll include the red carpet, every vote in our live Brownlow Tracker, all the news – including the Rising Star, Goal of the Year and Mark of the Year winners – plus the wash-up the following morning.
Follow all the action in our Brownlow Medal count below.
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