Five Collingwood players will be in attendance at tonight’s Brownlow Medal count at Melbourne's Crown Palladium.

Skipper Nick Maxwell will be joined by past winner Dane Swan and teammates Scott Pendlebury, Travis Cloke and Harry O’Brien as well as coach Nathan Buckley.

Swan, who is one of Collingwood’s nine past winners, is widely tipped to feature at the top of the leaderboard after the 23 rounds of votes have been counted.

His midfield partner Pendlebury is another to have put in a stellar season and may yet add a Brownlow to his burgeoning trophy cabinet.

The Charles Brownlow Medal was instituted in 1924 and is awarded to the fairest and best player in the home and away season.

It is named after former Geelong administrator Charles Brownlow who passed away in January 1924.

Since 1931, field umpires have allocated six votes per game – three to the best player, two to the second best and one to the third best – and the player (or players) that polls the most votes after the home and away season is awarded the medal.

The 2013 Brownlow Medal will be broadcast around the nation live on Fox Footy from 6.30pm (AEST) while Channel Seven’s coverage will begin at 8.15pm (AEST).

Fans can watch the red carpet on Fox Footy at 6.30pm (AEST). Channel Seven’s coverage of the red carpet will begin at 7.30pm (AEST).

Collingwood’s Brownlow Medallists
1927 – Syd Coventry
1929 – Albert Collier
1930 – Harry Collier (tied with Footscray’s Allan Hopkins and Richmond’s Stan Judkins)
1939 – Marcus Whelan
1940 – Des Fothergill
1972 – Len Thompson
1979 – Peter Moore
2003 – Nathan Buckley (tied with Adelaide’s Mark Ricciuto and Sydney’s Adam Goodes)
2011 – Dane Swan

Collingwood personnel invited to the 2013 Brownlow Medal
Nathan Buckley (coach; past winner), Nick Maxwell (captain), Dane Swan (past winner), Scott Pendlebury, Travis Cloke, Harry O’Brien

Collingwood players ineligible to win the 2013 Brownlow Medal due to suspension
Heath Shaw (suspended for striking Fremantle’s Hayden Ballantyne in round seven)