Aussie Rules

The top Brownlow vote-getter from every AFL club

Carlton midfielder Patrick Cripps took home the big prize, but who took home the most votes from your club?

Adelaide Crows

Taylor Walker 14 votes

Rory Laird and Ben Keays were expected to poll big for the Crows, but it's hard to give the midfielders the love they deserve in a season where the team won just eight games.

Everyone loves a big goal, including the umpires who looked at Taylor Walker's 47 goals through 18 games played and awarded him 14 votes. Walker benefitted from performing in the wins taking the three votes in four of those eight wins.

Brisbane Lions

Lachie Neale

Once again, everyone slept on Brisbane through the season, especially those in the Melbourne media, and they go so close but couldn't quite get to the last Saturday in September. Hugh McCluggage and Jarryd Lyons polled well, but it was their superstar teammate who almost took home the little medal.

Lachie Neale fell just one vote short of Patrick Cripps at the night's end, with the lead changing plenty of times. Neale averaged 30 disposals, proving he is still one of the best in the game. Unfortunately for Brisbane, their massive loss in the final game meant that Cripps pipped Neale at the post.

Carlton Blues

Patrick Cripps

Carlton started the season off beautifully before falling off towards the end of the year, and while it didn't allow them to make finals, it was enough for Cripps to take home the Charlie. Through the middle rounds, it appeared that Sam Walsh, who finished with 14 votes, was going to cannibalize some of the Carlton votes, but in the end, Cripps brought it home.

Throughout the season, Cripps averaged 28 disposals with 2.6 marks while being dominant in the middle with 7.7 clearances per game. He will undoubtedly go down as a Carlton great, but the question now is if he can bring a premiership back to a club that has waited so long.

Collingwood Magpies

Jack Crisp, Nick Daicos 11 votes

It's a testament to Craig McRae and the team-orientated game plan of Collingwood that their best players only received 11 votes, yet they still got within one point of making a grand final. It's that kind of selflessness and ability to play as a team that saw them be successful in 2022.

Fifteen players secured at least one vote, including the young Nick Daicos, who will be an absolute superstar after polling first in his first season. It might be a while until we see Collingwood win another Brownlow based on these numbers, but a premiership looks much closer.

Essendon Bombers

Zach Merrett 17 votes

It was another tough season for Bombers fans, but thankfully for them, Zach Merrett provided some relief early in the season. Nic Martin also offered some hope for the Bombers in his first match, polling two votes at the very start of the season to begin his career.

Merrett, though, put on one of the best late-season runs to bring himself from three votes in the first 15 rounds to finish with 17 overall. He took 14 of 15 votes in rounds 16-20. His 10th overall finish was excellent, giving the Bombers plenty to hope for next season.

Fremantle Dockers

Andrew Brayshaw 25 votes

With Nat Fyfe out of much of the 2022 season, it was Brayshaw who showed that he is the real A-lister in what is a dangerous Dockers lineup. He led going into the final round of counting but was pipped at the post by Cripps.

Will Brodie and Rory Lobb finished second and third for the Dockers, being rewarded for good consistent performances throughout the season. Brayshaw averaged 29 disposals for the year with four clearances while kicking 12 goals to go along with it. A fantastic year for a player whose stocks are only rising.

Geelong Cats

Jeremy Cameron 19 votes

While the Brownlow is second to a much bigger event this week for the Cats, it was good to see some reward for an excellent season. Once again, the experienced men for Geelong polled well, with Tom Hawkins, Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood all polling votes through the season.

Cameron, though, came within only a few votes of being the highest key forward vote-getter since Lance Franklin's 19-vote season. He's averaged 2.7 goals through the season, but there is more to his game than that. His ability to get the ball and find other men up front has been more impressive.

Gold Coast Suns

Touk Miller 27 votes

The best Gold Coast player since Gary Ablett came close to winning the second Brownlow for the expansion club. It would appear that Noah Anderson, who finished with 14 votes, took some votes off Miller, who is quickly becoming one of the best in the game.

One more vote would have seen Miller share the medal with Cripps, but he was just pipped at the post. Miller finishes with an average of 28.5 disposals while doing plenty of the hard work in the middle with 7.8 clearances.

Greater Western Sydney Giants

Josh Kelly 13 votes

It was a very quiet night for the Giants, who have gradually gone downhill after making the grand final not too long ago. Josh Kelly remains one of the best for them, winning 13 votes in a season where the Giants won just six matches.

It was a fast start for Kelly, with 12 of his votes coming in the first half of the season. It would appear he plays his best football under Leon Cameron, but that remains to be seen. Jesse Hogan was the other standout, getting five votes in a solid season from the forward.

Hawthorn Hawks

Jai Newcombe 11 votes

Newcombe, the second pick in the 2021 mid-season draft, was most profitable through the Hawks' eight-win season. He may be an unknown quantity to those who don't follow the Hawks all that closely, but he is an undeniable talent and will play a big part in the Hawks' rebuild going forward.

One man who isn't unknown is Tom Mitchell, who finished with nine votes in a relatively quiet year by the former Brownlow winner. Newcombe averaged 22.6 disposals in the year with 4.3 clearances, as well as some great work on the defensive end.

Melbourne Demons

Clayton Oliver 25 votes

Once again, it was the two big Demons midfielders who shared the votes for the Demons, with Christan Petracca also polling 24 votes. It wasn't to be regarding a premiership, and unfortunately for the Demons, they couldn't quite get their hands on a Brownlow either.

The Demons, though, love that they take votes off each other with their combination with Max Gawn providing some of the best midfield work we have seen in a long time. Oliver averaged 32.7 disposals through the season while Petracca was slightly behind with 28 but averaged almost a goal a game along the way as well.

North Melbourne Kangaroos

Luke Davies-Uniacke 8 votes

It was another tough season for the Kangaroos, but the hope is now there with Alastair Clarkson signing a long-term coaching deal which has already re-invigorated the club. With just two wins in the season, it was always going to be hard to get votes, and the club's 31 vote total shows that.

Davies-Uniacke is the best player at the Kangaroos at the moment, and his eight votes show that. It was a good finish for him, with all of his votes coming in the final seven rounds of the season, where he averaged just under 25 disposals and 4.3 clearances.

Port Adelaide Power

Karl Amon 15 votes

Ollie Wines may have won the Brownlow last season, but that couldn't translate for another victory for the Power. Karl Amon, who is tipped to leave the Power, was the top vote-getter, but the real headline is the rise of Connor Rozee, who finished with 14 votes.

Amon averaged 24 disposals and four tackles in a disappointing season for the Power. Rozee completed his season with a move to the midfield, with him collecting 12 of his 14 votes in the final ten rounds of the season. Port Adelaide is by no means done, and Rozee is a big part of that.

Richmond Tigers

Dion Prestia 19 votes

The move away from Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin being the premier players at the Tigers is complete, with the young guns starting to shine through. Dion Prestia had a great season in the midfield, averaging six clearances amongst 25 disposals per game.

Shai Bolton also provided plenty of run and carry through the year, with him finishing on 12 votes. It would also appear Tom Lynch has taken the number one forward crown at Richmond after he finished with 14 from 18 games played.

St Kilda Saints

Jack Steele 13 votes

It was once again the man with a name like an American action hero who took home the most votes for the Saints. While the season wasn't what the Saints fans wanted or expected, there are definitely some positives to take forward.

Steele became the Saints' top vote-getter for a third time in a row, while the other big names in the squad, such as Jack Sinclair and Jack Higgins, finished second and third after taking out Brad Couch, who was suspended in the season. If the saints are to get back to the finals next year, it will be on the back of these experienced Jacks.

Sydney Swans

Callum Mills 21 votes

The Swans had bigger things to worry about last night as they prepared for yet another Grand Final. That said, Mills was rewarded for taking the team-orientated Swans with 25 disposals being averaged along with four clearances and, more importantly, 6.5 tackles per match.

Mills wasn't the only one of the Swans to poll well, though, with Luke Parker and Chad Warner both finishing in double digits. While Mills never challenged for the top spot, he is clearly getting better and better and will play a huge part if the Swans are to win come Saturday.

West Coast Eagles

Josh Kennedy 6 votes

It was a very different year for the Eagles, who are so used to finishing at the top of the ladder almost every year. Their 15 votes for the club is the lowest of all time, beating the Melbourne team of 2013.

Kennedy goes out on top for the Eagles, polling six votes in a season where he kicked 37 goals from 15 games to finish as the highest goal kicker for the club. Unfortunately for the eagles, it's the last time they will see Kennedy, with it being unclear who steps up in his absence.

Western Bulldogs

Josh Dunkley 14 votes

It feels like it's been a long time since anyone other than Marcus Bontempelli finished on top of the Dogs medal tally. With Josh Dunkley also likely moving on from the Dogs, it could be a sign that the side will fall down the ladder next season.

Jack Mccrare proved to be an absolute ball magnet finishing second for the Dogs after a season where he averaged almost 31 disposals. What's needed from the Dogs is pretty simple: more goal kicking and better pressure around the ball. It's unclear as of yet who will be providing that for them.