Nick Daicos is the 2026 Brownlow Medallist.
The Collingwood midfielder added the game's highest individual honour to his growing list of achievements on Monday night, winning the medal with a record-breaking 47 votes — the highest total in Brownlow history.
Daicos, who had arrived at the awards evening as the undisputed favourite, was greeted by a media scrum on the red carpet earlier in the night, with journalists eager to hear from the player who has now become just the tenth Magpie to win the medal.
He finished ahead of a formidable field that included Marcus Bontempelli, Zak Butters and Bailey Smith, but ultimately the race was no contest as Daicos pulled away in the latter half of the count, drawing a line through the field with a runaway victory.
The win caps a remarkable season for the 23-year-old, who had been widely tipped for the honour after a brilliant home-and-away campaign. His record-breaking vote tally cements his status as the competition's premier midfielder, and ensures his name is now etched alongside some of Collingwood's greatest players. Fans and teammates alike will hope the Brownlow is just the first of many individual awards in a career already defined by high achievement.