Max Gawn reacts to Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera getting two votes in R20, Nick Daicos during the 2025 count. Pictures: Channel 7/AFL Photos

Take a look at some of the biggest talking points and stranger moments from the 2025 Brownlow Medal.

RISING SUN Record-breaking Rowell storms to maiden Brownlow Medal
YOUR CLUB’S BROWNLOW Total votes, top fives and more
SHOCK RESULTS Nasiah stunner, when Rowell looked destined to win
BROWNLOW TRACKER See every vote from every game
TALKING POINTS Laughter at shock result, Daicos takes unwanted record
RISING STAR In a hurry, but never rushed: The making of Murphy Reid
MOTY/GOTY Towering Bulldog, Suns captain win Mark and Goal of the Year
JIM STYNES AWARD Lions skipper honoured for work with Beyond DV
GALLERY All the pics from the 2025 Brownlow Medal red carpet
BROWNLOW HUB Previews, live leaderboards and more

Shock as Nas gets just two votes
The entire audience, including Melbourne players, were left in shock when Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera missed out on the three votes in the game that cemented his name in St Kilda folklore. In round 20 when St Kilda miraculously came back from a 46-point three-quarter time deficit to win by six points, Wanganeen-Milera orchestrated not only the two late goals that sealed an incredible win, but he collected a game-high 34 disposals to go with his four majors. Instead, Melbourne’s Jack Viney was awarded the three votes for his 23-disposal, 16-tackle game, with the reaction from Melbourne’s table saying it all when the votes were read out. When Wanganeen-Milera was awarded three votes the following round, the audience celebrated with Bronx cheers.

Melbourne players react to Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera missing out on getting three votes. Picture: Channel Seven

Nasiah Wanganeen Milera during the 2025 Brownlow Medal on September 22, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Nick’s unwanted piece of history
Nick Daicos must be wondering what he has to do to win a Brownlow Medal. In the past two seasons, the superstar has polled 70 votes. That’s right, 70 votes. Last year, Daicos was awarded 38 only to be pipped by Carlton captain Patrick Cripps on a record-breaking 45, and this year he again finished in second place with 32, seven behind eventual winner Matt Rowell. Daicos has become just the fourth player in VFL/AFL history to poll 100 or more votes in his first 100 home and away games, joining Haydn Bunton Snr, Dick Reynolds and Nat Fyfe. All three of those players are Brownlow winners and feels like it’s only a matter of time until Daicos joins them.

Nick Daicos during the 2025 Brownlow Medal. Picture: AFL Photos

Merrett breaks his silence
Essendon skipper Zach Merrett has been the talk of the footy world since meeting with rival coach Sam Mitchell to discuss a potential trade to the Hawks. On Monday night on the red carpet, Merrett spoke to the media for the first time since then, conceding the fallout and speculation had been a “difficult time”. Despite the reported angst between Merrett and the Bombers, the five-time club best and fairest said he still “felt the love” from his club and coach Brad Scott and that the two parties will meet in the next few weeks to “work through what’s next for all of us.”

David Barham, President of Essendon, speaks with Zach Merrett during the 2025 Brownlow Medal at Crown Palladium. Picture: AFL Photos

Hogan’s unlucky seven
It was described as a Jesse Hogan masterclass, but the umpires on the day didn’t agree. Against Geelong in round nine, the key forward was overlooked by the officials despite kicking seven goals and helping the Giants get over the line by four points. Hogan had 22 disposals and nine marks to go along with his bag of seven. Instead it was teammate Tom Green who walked away with the three votes, Cat Bailey Smith received two and Finn Callaghan got one. Hogan will likely be wondering what more he could have done to catch the eye of the umpires.

Rowell’s perfect start
Less than 30 minutes into the count, history was made when Gold Coast midfielder Matt Rowell scored perfect threes in his first four games. It’s the first time in history a player has scored the maximum votes in their opening four matches, with Rowell receiving three votes for his performances against West Coast, Melbourne, Adelaide and North Melbourne. AFL.com.au’s Brownlow Predictor had the hard nut getting votes in three of those four rounds, but the three votes he got against Adelaide in round four were unexpected. Rowell had just 17 disposals in that game, while Riley Thilthorpe (five goals) was the Predictor’s pick but did not get a vote from the umpires. And Rowell continued on, finishing with 39 votes to storm to his first Brownlow Medal.

Matt Rowell during the 2025 Brownlow Medal at Crown Palladium. Picture: AFL Photos

Danger makes history
No name has been read out more times for the maximum votes than Patrick Dangerfield’s. By round eight, Dangerfield had two three-vote games, taking his career total to 56, the most in Brownlow history. Dangerfield took the number one spot from his former teammate Gary Ablett Jnr, who previously held the record with 55 three-vote games. The 2016 Brownlow Medallist polled three votes for his performances in round four against Melbourne, where he kicked three goals, and in round eight, where he collected 29 disposals in the Cats’ three-point win over Collingwood.

Mardi Dangerfield and Patrick Dangerfield arrive at the 2025 Brownlow Medal at Crown Palladium. Picture: AFL Photos

Shady Smith
Not one to shy away from the limelight, Geelong star Bailey Smith turned heads when he walked the red carpet wearing a pair of silver sunnies. The Cats midfielder, who is known for establishing new trends, wore the shades for a large portion of the night, including when he posed for a photo with AFL CEO Andrew Dillon and during Bec Maddern’s introductory speech. Thankfully he took them off for his interview with Hamish McLachlan, but in the same interview Smith made a faux pas when he seemed to forget that Patrick Dangerfield had won a Brownlow, leaving the Geelong skipper with nothing to do but shake his head and smile.

Bailey Smith and Andrew Dillon during the 2025 Brownlow Medal at Crown Palladium on September 22, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Big man flies under the radar
At 202cm, Tristan Xerri is hard to miss. But the North Melbourne ruck was overlooked for his performances in round two, nine and 24, despite receiving maximum coaches’ votes in all three matches. In round two, Xerri had 12 clearances and 20 disposals against All Australian ruck Max Gawn, in round nine he had 36 hit-outs, eight tackles and 12 clearances in North’s draw with reigning premiers Brisbane and in round 24 he had 25 disposals, 12 tackles and seven clearances against Adelaide, but he did not get a Brownlow vote in any of them. Xerri finished the night with seven votes and if the coaches are anything to go by, he should have finished with a few more.

Tristan Xerri celebrates a goal for North Melbourne against Melbourne in R2, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Compare the pair
Oliver and Petracca. Swan and Pendlebury. Cripps and Walsh. And now Rowell and Anderson. The two Gold Coast midfielders, picks 1 and 2 in the 2019 draft, surpassed these famous pairs when they polled the most Brownlow votes by teammates in the same season. Rowell and Anderson received 39 and 25 votes respectively to finish with a combined total of 64, three more than Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh got last year. Anderson finished equal sixth, making it two Suns in the top 10. The only other club with two players in the top 10 was Fremantle, with Andrew Brayshaw finishing fifth and Caleb Serong equal sixth.

Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell during the 2025 Brownlow Medal at Crown Palladium. Picture: AFL Photos

Unsung Sun finally gets his moment
On several occasions, a photograph of Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson and Nick Daicos in their school football jumpers – which has been shared multiple times before – featured in the broadcast. But it wasn’t just those three in the picture. On the far left is a fourth schoolboy, who isn’t as easily recognised. During his interview with Hamish McLachlan, Anderson felt the need to give his former schoolmate a shout out. “Ben Jepson’s the one on the left. He always gets left out. Usually it’s cropped to three.” Jepson is still a teammate of Anderson and Rowell, with the 23-year-old just completing his first season at the Suns.