Brownlow Medal

Named after former prominent Geelong administrator Charles Brownlow, the Brownlow Medal is generally regarded as the AFL's highest individual award.

It is awarded to the fairest and best player(s) in the home-and-away series on votes cast by the field umpires.

Players found guilty by the AFL Tribunal of an offence and suspended during the home-and-away rounds are ineligible to win.

The award was instituted in 1924 and - except for a break from 1942 to 1945 during World War II - has continued every year.

A total of six votes - 3, 2 and 1 - are awarded in each game, with the player adjudged best on the ground receiving three votes.

For many years a countback system that operated in the event of a tie for first place allowed only one winner each season. However, the system was changed before the 1981 season and several players who had been beaten on a countback were awarded medals retrospectively.

Four players have won the medal three times - Haydn Bunton (Fitzroy), Dick Reynolds (Essendon), Bob Skilton (South Melbourne) and Ian Stewart (St Kilda/ Richmond).

Year	Winner	Club
2008	Adam Cooney	Western Bulldogs
2007	James Bartel	Geelong
2006	Adam Goodes	Sydney
2005	Ben Cousins	West Coast Eagles
2004	Chris Judd	West Coast Eagles
2003	Mark Ricciuto, Nathan Buckley, Adam Goodes	Adelaide, Collingwood, Sydney
2002	Simon Black	Brisbane
2001	Jason Akermanis	Brisbane
2000	Shane Woewodin	Melbourne
1999	Shane Crawford	Hawthorn
1998	Robert Harvey	St Kilda
1997	Robert Harvey	St Kilda
1996	James Hird	Essendon
	Michael Voss	Brisbane Bears
1995	Paul Kelly	Sydney
1994	Greg Williams	Carlton
1993	Gavin Wanganeen	Essendon
1992	Scott Wynd	Footscray
1991	Jim Stynes	Melbourne
1990	Tony Liberatore	Footscray
1989	Paul Couch	Geelong
1988	Gerard Healy	Sydney
1987	Tony Lockett	St Kilda
	John Platten	Hawthorn
1986	Robert DiPierdomenico	Hawthorn
	Greg Williams	Sydney
1985	Brad Hardie	Footscray
1984	Peter Moore	Melbourne
1983	Ross Glendinning	N. Melbourne
1982	Brian Wilson	Melbourne
1981	Bernie Quinlan	Fitzroy
	Barry Round	S. Melbourne
1980	Kelvin Templeton	Footscray
1979	Peter Moore	Collingwood
1978	Malcolm Blight	N. Melbourne
1977	Graham Teasdale	S. Melbourne
1976	Graham Moss	Essendon
1975	Gary Dempsey	Footscray
1974	Keith Greig	N. Melbourne
1973	Keith Greig	N. Melbourne
1972	Len Thompson	Collingwood
1971	Ian Stewart	Richmond
1970	Peter Bedford	S. Melbourne
1969	Kevin Murray	Fitzroy
1968	Bob Skilton	S. Melbourne
1967	Ross Smith	St Kilda
1966	Ian Stewart	St Kilda
1965	Ian Stewart	St Kilda
	Noel Teasdale	N. Melbourne
1964	Gordon Collis	Carlton
1963	Bob Skilton	S. Melbourne
1962	Alistair Lord	Geelong
1961	John James	Carlton
1960	John Schultz	Footscray
1959	Bob Skilton	S. Melbourne
	Verdun Howell	St Kilda
1958	Neil Roberts	St Kilda
1957	Brian Gleeson	St Kilda
1956	Peter Box	Footscray
1955	Fred Goldsmith	S. Melbourne
1954	Roy Wright	Richmond
1953	Bill Hutchison	Essendon
1952	Roy Wright	Richmond
	Bill Hutchison	Essendon
1951	Bernie Smith	Geelong
1950	Allan Ruthven	Fitzroy
1949	Ron Clegg	Melbourne
	Col Austen	Hawthorn
1948	W. (Bill) Morris	Richmond
1947	Bert Deacon	Carlton
1946	Don Cordner	Melbourne
1942-45	Award suspended during World War 2
1941	Norman Ware	Footscray
1940	Des Fothergill	Collingwood
	Herbie Matthews	S. Melbourne
1939	Marcus Whelan	Collingwood
1938	Dick Reynolds	Essendon
1937	Dick Reynolds	Essendon
1936	Dinny Ryan	Fitzroy
1935	Haydn Bunton	Fitzroy
1934	Dick Reynolds	Essendon
1933	W. "Chicken"Smallhorn	Fitzroy
1932	Haydn Bunton	Fitzroy
1931	Haydn Bunton	Fitzroy
1930	Stan Judkins	Richmond
	Allan Hopkins	Footscray
	Harry Collier	Collingwood
1929	Albert Collier	Collingwood
1928	Ivor Warne-Smith	Melbourne
1927	Syd Coventry	Collingwood
1926	Ivor Warne-Smith	Melbourne
1925	Colin Watson	St Kilda
1924	E. Carji Greeves	Geelong