Collingwood is in the Grand Final.

The club had two players in the All-Australian team and four nominated in the initial squad of 40.

Surely the Pies will have plenty of players polling big votes in Monday night’s Brownlow Medal count?

Surely All-Australians Brodie Grundy and Steele Sidebottom will be among them?

Surely Grundy and Sidebottom are a chance to place – and maybe even win – the Medal itself?

Let’s take a look at the key factors to keep in mind that may impact the outcome.

How much does a Grand Final berth mean?
In eight of the last 15 Brownlow counts, a winner has played in the Grand Final five days later, including current Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley.

Winding the clock back a little further, 11 of the past 18 counts has witnessed a winner playing in the decider later that week.

Can ruckmen win the Medal?
If Brodie Grundy is to win it, he is going to have to fight history to do so.

Since Jim Stynes (Melbourne) and Scott Wynd (Footscray) won back-to-back Medals in 1991-1992, not a single ruckman has won the award.

Adam Goodes won it in 2006, but was rarely used as a ruckman that season, averaging 2.04 hitouts per game.

How do they poll?
Brodie Grundy only polled nine votes in his first 82 games, but a deeper look gives an indication into his polling capacity.

During his breakout second half of 2016, he polled seven votes in the space of three weeks, including two best-on-grounds in as many weeks against Carlton in round 15 and Greater Western Sydney in round 16.

For Steele, though, he’s been a consistent vote collector without ever stamping himself on a count. In fact, it took until last season for him to poll double figures. But that he polled 14 votes in 2017 does augur well for Monday’s count, as does his newly shaved head. Eye-catching.



Steele Sidebottom and his partner Alisha arrive at the 2017 Brownlow Medal count.

How do the Magpies usually poll?
Collingwood has been blessed with nine winners, including two in the past 15 years (Nathan Buckley in 2003 and Dane Swan in 2011).

Only three clubs – the Swans, Bulldogs and Saints – have had more winners.

Dane Swan holds the record for the most votes polled by a Collingwood player (186), closely followed by Scott Pendlebury (165) and Nathan Buckley (164).

Entering the count, Sidebottom is equal 18th with Ray Gabelich on 58 votes.

Should he poll 14 votes, the same number he polled in 2017, he will move into 14th place, between past winners Peter Moore (73) and Des Fothergill (71).

Collingwood’s Brownlow Medallists
Syd Coventry (1927)
Albert Collier (1929)
Harry Collier (1930)
Marcus Whelan (1939)
Des Fothergill (1940)
Len Thompson (1972)
Peter Moore (1979)
Nathan Buckley (2003)
Dane Swan (2011)