Matt Rowell turns into the second Gold Coast participant to win the distinguished AFL award, as a questionable voting name leaves the room shocked.
Rowell completed with 39 votes, the second highest tally of all time, seven forward of the second-placed Nick Daicos (32 votes) and Geelong’s Bailey Smith (29 votes).
Rowell was among the many favourites for the award however blew the sphere away from the start of the season, changing into the primary participant to ever document most votes from his first 4 video games of the yr.
“I all the time needed to play AFL. I knew from a younger age that’s all I needed to do,” Rowell stated after being awarded the medal.
“It’d sound just a little bit conceited, however I knew I needed to be an AFL participant and I had a sense that I used to be going to get there.
“There was nothing actually that I considered doing aside from enjoying AFL footy, that was the purpose rising up. I lived and breathed it, actually.
“I suppose fascinated with that now it’s fairly cool to be standing up right here.”
Matt Rowell turned the primary participant to ballot excellent votes in his first 4 appearances of the AFL season. (Getty Photos: Josh Chadwick)
Essentially the most gorgeous second of the night time got here when the spherical 20 votes got here in, and revealed St Kilda’s Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera polled solely two for his efficiency towards Melbourne.
Wanganeen-Milera had 34 disposals and kicked 4 targets in that sport, together with two within the closing 10 seconds of the match to finish an historic comeback.
It was extensively seen as one of the best particular person efficiency of this season and plenty of seasons prior, however was not sufficient to obtain full votes from the umpires.
Collingwood’s Daicos completed runner-up for the second yr operating having missed out to Patrick Cripps in 2024.
Comply with all of the build-up and discover out who takes out footy’s largest award in our stay weblog beneath.
Key Occasions
Ultimate leaderboard
- Matt Rowell (Gold Coast) – 39
- Nick Daicos (Collingwood) – 32
- Bailey Smith (Geelong) – 29
- Jordan Dawson (Adelaide) – 27
- Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle) – 26
That is it from the weblog tonight
That was one I reckon we’ll be speaking about for fairly some time. Complete congratulations to Matt Rowell, who’s a freakish participant and a price winner of the 2025 Brownlow.
However just a few sideshows and curious choices will take the headlines from this depend. These are headlines you’ll be able to learn proper right here on ABC Sport, so examine again in tomorrow morning for all of the wash up and evaluation from tonight.
Plus! It is grand closing week! We’re formally on the countdown now to Saturday afternoon and Geelong vs Brisbane, a grand closing I feel may find yourself changing into a basic. We’ll have all of the construct up via the week after which full protection on the day.
Hope to see you then, and thanks on your firm tonight.
A particular night time for the Suns
Matt Rowell has turn out to be the second Gold Coast participant to win a Brownlow Medal. The primary? Gary Ablett Jr. Honest firm.
Rowell and Noah Anderson mixed for 64 Brownlow votes tonight, which I consider is a document for 2 gamers from the identical crew.
A humorous previous night time
Simply questioning what you suppose the largest difficulty with voting is at the moment?
To me, it looks like the umpires simply decide somebody they determine in all probability had a very good sport and go together with that!
– Leon
I feel the umpires have already got an insanely laborious job attempting to officiate the sport and are underneath sufficient strain as it’s. I feel the proof has stacked up that they aren’t in one of the best place to guage affect inside a sport because of this, and it is not likely truthful to anticipate them to have the ability to precisely.
I additionally do not suppose stats are the be-all, end-all in the case of this type of factor however they do inform some a part of the story. Umpires both must have entry to statistical data once they register their votes, or any person else must be doing the voting. I do not know who, however I feel the time has come for that dialog.
The Wanganeen-Milera factor has fried my mind so completely I do not suppose I will ever recuperate.
Matt Rowell displays on Gold Coast’s first finals win
“It was an incredible expertise that first closing, clearly, to make finals for the primary time as a footy membership was actually particular.
“There have been lots of people earlier than me which have gone to the membership which have performed numerous work, guys like Dave Swallow, Touk Miller. I may title lots of people.
“They’d been via numerous laborious work and did not have numerous success and possibly bought slandered a good bit. To see the happiness and pleasure within the room after profitable that and what it meant to lots of people, I feel I made the fitting resolution and I actually love enjoying with this crew.”
Matt Rowell speaks about ‘greatest mate’ Noah Anderson
A fearsome duo. Anderson himself completed up with 25 votes tonight.
“It’s sort of cool going via the entire journey with him. I feel I may need pinched just a few votes off him that he ought to have gotten.
“Simply to undergo the entire journey which with him and go to Carey and to be drafted collectively was cool. It made it lots simpler I suppose to transition into the AFL.
“I like enjoying with him however I like him as a mate as effectively. That friendship means lots to me and it isn’t fairly often that you simply get to go to an AFL membership along with your greatest mate.”
Matt Rowell speaks as a Brownlow Medallist for the primary time
He shakes off some early nerves as he launches into some solutions and a few thank yous.
“I all the time needed to play AFL. I knew from a younger age that’s all I needed to do. You understand, it would sound just a little bit conceited, however I knew I needed to be an AFL participant and I had a sense that I used to be going to get there.
“There was nothing actually that I considered doing, aside from enjoying AFL footy. That was the purpose rising up. I lived and breathed it, actually. I suppose fascinated with that now it’s fairly cool to be standing up right here.”
Matt Rowell has received the 2025 Brownlow Medal
There may be going to be numerous issues stated about this Brownlow depend tonight, however certainly no one will query Rowell’s worthiness of changing into a Brownlow Medallist. Since making a surprising begin to his AFL profession just a few years in the past we have all been ready for this night time, and maybe we should always have seen it coming.
Rowell is the final word midfield bull, more durable than most and virtually not possible to deal with. However what he has added this yr is a operating energy outdoors the competition, which has taken his sport to a different stage and elevated the Suns into the finals for the primary time.
He is a novel footballer, definitely not misplaced among the many checklist of Brownlow winners of the trendy age. At simply 24 years previous, you would be courageous to foretell it will the final one in every of these he wins.
Spherical 23 and 24
Okay, we’re simply racing via the final two spherical now for the enjoyable of it. They butchered that, by the way in which. No one knew what was taking place.
I am unable to sustain with this proper now, Dillon is simply spitting out phrases and numbers.
Extra votes for Rowell, three for Daicos I feel. For one of many video games. Bailey Smith! Forgot about him, he will get just a few extra.
None for Daicos within the final spherical so he finishes on 32.
Yet another for Matt Rowell within the closing sport, so he finishes on a whopping 39 votes.
Spherical 22
Almost there.
Two for Jordan Dawson who’s simply preventing for a spot on the rostrum now.
Three votes for Caleb Serong, however none for Andrew Brayshaw who might be out of it now.
Nothing for Nick Daicos.
Two votes for Matt Rowell, who now has an eight vote lead. I feel he simply received?
He simply received. No one realised. Matt Rowell simply received the Brownlow.
Spherical 21
I am nonetheless so aggressively rattled by that Nas snub I do not understand how I will recuperate.
There you go, three votes towards North for Wanganeen-Milera. That helps.
Nothing for Nick Daicos, yet one more for Matt Rowell. We’re closing in on mathematically not possible areas.
“Two votes: N Wanganeen-Milera”
Truthfully, what are we even doing right here? If something goes to power a rethink as to how this award is set, it’s this second proper right here.
Spherical 20
This was the Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera sport spherical. Highlights nonetheless go off.
Nothing for Jordan Dawson.
Get this. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera solely bought two votes that sport. Jack Viney bought the three. Your complete room has simply burst out laughing in disbelief.
Two votes for Andy Brayshaw.
Three votes for Nick Daicos.
Three votes for Matt Rowell.
5 video games left, I am unable to see them catching him.
Spherical 19
Tim Taranto has quietly amassed 20 votes up to now, which is a few stepping into a struggling Tigers crew.
Dockers vs Pies. One vote for Nick Daicos, two for Caleb Serong and none for Andrew Brayshaw.
The Suns have been completely smashed by Adelaide on this one… however two votes Matt Rowell! Yep, I feel that is over.
It is Matt Rowell’s to lose
On the fee he is been polling tonight, it is laborious to see how he would not win each Brownlow, yearly, perpetually. If he performs effectively, three votes. If he performs simply okay, two votes.
Rowell is such a brute of a participant, probably the most spectacular work he does is all the time proper underneath the umpire’s nostril. He is fairly laborious to overlook and is an apparent candidate for an award like this.
Spherical 18
Andrew Dillon is blitzing via half the video games each spherical now as solely a handful are actually mattering.
One vote for Jordan Dawson right here.
Three extra votes for Andrew Brayshaw! Inform you what, he will give it a go.
Suns vs Magpies, that is large. Two for Matt Rowell, and none for Nick Daicos! We’re getting fairly near this being Rowell’s Brownlow.
Spherical 17
Eight video games left for many of those guys to ballot in. Going to begin getting nervy quickly.
One vote for Jordan Dawson as he cracks the 20s for the primary time in his profession.
Two votes for Andrew Brayshaw.
Three votes for Nick Daicos. He’s, for now, tied for the lead.
Not for lengthy. Two extra for Matt Rowell, proper on cue. He takes his lead straight again.
Naicos will probably be tearing his hair out.
Spherical 16
Transferring proper alongside. Nothing for Brayshaw or Serong this week.
Three votes for Jordan Dawson in a win over Richmond, he is nonetheless protecting them sincere.
N Daicos, three votes. Again to again BOGs for Nick.
However there’s two extra votes for Matt Rowell, who strikes to 25 and retains a three-vote lead over Daicos.
Spherical 15
After just a little break we’re into the enterprise finish of the season now. Right here we go.
Two votes for Caleb Serong however none for Andy Brayshaw in a Freo win.
Nothing for Bailey Smith.
Three for Nick Daicos, now we’re speaking. He is again up there once more.
However there’s three extra for Matt Rowell! In a loss to Gold Coast! Good luck catching him.
Spherical 14
Two votes for Jordan Dawson as he strikes right into a tie for third with Daicos and Smith.
Andrew Brayshaw picks up two extra, to maneuver one vote behind Rowell. Three for Caleb Serong, he isn’t miles off both.
Three for Bailey Smith! He is as much as 19 votes now too.
Issues beginning to get a bit spicy now.
