Nick Daicos claims maiden Brownlow Medal in historic count

It's official.

At Round 21, Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos officially claimed the 2026 Brownlow Medal, tallying a record-breaking grand total of 47 votes.

13 three-vote games, Daicos breaks Patrick Cripps' record of 45 for the most votes in the HISTORY of the game.

And it is as deserved as any award in the history of the game.

Entering 2026, the Brownlow Medal was one of the few awards that eluded the game's best player.

Since his debut in 2022, the son of legendary Magpie Peter and brother of current Magpie Josh has achieved almost everything that the game had to offer from both a team and an individual perspective.

In his debut season, the younger Daicos was awarded the Rising Star award after a stellar campaign, averaging 26 disposals and four marks per game playing predominantly off the half-back flank.

It wasn't until his second season that he made the move into the midfield, leaping to 31 disposals and four clearances, earning his first All-Australian nod and leading Collingwood to an almighty premiership in 2023.

2024 marked the first season in which Nick Daicos entered as a Brownlow favourite. After yet another ridiculous season, tallying 31 disposals and doubling his clearance numbers to eight per game, Daicos entered as equal-favourite alongside Carlton's Patrick Cripps.

But it was Daicos' bitter rival that claimed the award, with Cripps polling a record-breaking 45 votes to beat out Nick's tally of 38 - which, incredibly, also broke the record for the most votes in the history of the Brownlow Medal.

That said, '24 wasn't without success for the father-son Magpie, earning his second All-Australian blazer, his first Collingwood best and fairest award and the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year.

2025 felt like Daicos' to lose, once again entering as a favourite for the Brownlow Medal alongside Adelaide's Jordan Dawson, Geelong's Bailey Smith and Gold Coast's Noah Anderson.

But this time around, despite beating out all of Dawson, Smith and Anderson, it was Gold Coast's Matt Rowell coming out of the woodwork to poll 39 votes, handing Daicos his second straight runner-up after finishing seven short of the Sun's tally.

A third straight All-Australian and the AFLPA MVP meant that Daicos didn't walk away empty handed, despite Collingwood's Preliminary Final loss to eventual premiers Brisbane.

But now, in 2026, the award is his, capping off one of the greatest individual seasons our game has ever seen.

After earning his fourth straight All-Australian blazer, Nick Daicos was awarded both the AFLPA MVP and the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year - mounting a record 147 total votes, the most of any player in a single season in history.

He now joins Lachie Neale (2020), Dustin Martin (2017), Patrick Dangerfield (2016) and Gary Ablett Jnr. (2009) as the only player to win all three of the AFLPA MVP, AFLCA Champion Player of the Year and the Brownlow Medal in the same season.

Averaging a career-high 34.6 disposals, 5.7 clearances, 6.6 inside 50's, 9 score involvements and a goal per game, the 23-year-old has written his name in history once more, claiming the all-elusive Brownlow after years of near-misses.

Congratulations, Nick Daicos, the AFL's Brownlow Medallist for 2026.