Nick Daicos is out to become the first Collingwood Brownlow Medallist in 15 years on Monday night when the 2026 count takes place.
Not since Dane Swan in 2011 has a Magpie taken out the league’s top honour, with Daicos aiming to become the 10th player in the Club’s history to win the award.
Ahead of the league’s night of nights, here’s everything you need to know about the award and the coverage.
Where can I watch?
The 2026 Brownlow Medal will be streamed for free on 7+ Sport and broadcast live on Channel Seven from 7:30pm.
Who are the contenders?
Daicos is one of the leading contenders for this year’s award, with AFL.com.au’s Brownlow Predictor having him on 47 votes – 13 ahead of the next best predicated player.
Geelong’s Bailey Smith, Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli and Melbourne Captain Max Gawn loom as the Pies Vice-Captain’s biggest competitors on the night, having all had All Australian seasons.
Brisbane duo Will Ashcroft and Lachie Neale could both challenge, however, will likely take votes off each other, while St Kilda star Nasiah Wanganeen-Millera is also expected to poll well.
Neale is a two-time winner and pipped Bontempelli and Daicos at the post in 2023, while Carlton’s Patrick Cripps (45 votes) and Gold Coast’s Matt Rowell (39 votes) are the past two winners in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Daicos has polled a remarkable 109 votes across just four seasons, and has collected tallies of 32, 38 and 28 in the past three years.
He averaged 34.9 disposals and a goal across the home and away season, on top of 5.7 clearances and four marks per game.
Some standout performances include his 41-disposal Opening Round effort against the Saints, 39 touches and a goal to beat Carlton in Round 6 and 37 touches and three majors against Richmond in Round 16.
Who are the Pies’ past winners?
Nine Magpie have taken out the league’s top honour since it was first awarded back in 1924, with some of the Club’s greatest players ever on the honour roll.
Syd Coventry became the first back in 1927, before the Collier brothers brothers took the league by storm, with Albert collecting the medal in 1929 and Harry following him in 1930.
Marcus Whelan (1939) and Des Fothergill (1940) continued the successive years winner trend a decade later, before Len Thompson broke a 32-year drought for the Pies in 1972.
Peter Moore took out the gong in 1979 as the last Magpie to win in the VFL era, with Nathan Buckley breaking through for the black and white for the first time in the 21st century via three-way tie in 2003.
Swan is the most recent winner in 2011, with Steele Sidebottom (2018) and Daicos’ (2024 and 2025) runners up finishes the closest the black and white have come since.
