Simon Simoudis: Brownlow Medal 2025: Matt Rowell Shines as Nick Daicos Misses Out Again

First things first, if,  by any chance,  you are not familiar with AFL, and if you are reading this blog from a country where people do not know what Australian Football is all about, I, Simon Simoudis, will tell you about Brownlow. The Brownlow Medal, also known as the Charles Brownlow Trophy and informally as Charlie, is an award given to the best player in the Australian Football League, who is also the fairest among all. 


Their points are calculated for all the matches they have played during the home and away seasons. At the end of each game, four officiating field umpires give their votes. The Brownlow Medal is considered the most prestigious award for any individual player. 


On Monday, September 22, this year’s Brownlow Medal was held at its usual venue, that is, the Crown Palladium in Melbourne, at 7.30 pm (AEST). This award is traditionally presented at the start of the week preceding the finals. I must tell you, this award involves lots of pomp and show, and is a much-awaited one. A coveted one for every AFL player. 


I, Simon Simoudis, too, kept my Monday evening free for this event. No, I wasn’t present in the venue, but I decided to watch it from the comforts of my home. The event lasts approximately 3 hours, starting at around 7.30 pm, and the winner is announced at around 10.30 pm. And I remained glued to the screen from start to the end.


This year, Nick Daicos, the Collingwood superstar, was considered the frontrunner. Last year, too, he was expected to win; he had garnered a record 38 points, when Patrick Cripps emerged out of nowhere with a stupendous 45 votes. Since the start of this award, on average, you need around 30 votes to win the medal, but some years have been aberrations.


Since his debut, Nick Daicos has always been a promising candidate for “Charlie”. This year, too, Nick Daicos got unlucky, and Matt Rowell won the Brownlow Medal with 39 votes. This is the second-most votes a player has received in the history of the awards. Nick Daicos, for the third time in a row, found himself in the second spot, despite being the top-rated. Bailey Smith, the Geelong star, got third place with 29 votes, and the Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson secured the fourth spot. 


The award, like most times, had its share of controversy. Lots of doubts have been raised about the fairness of the voting system and the impartiality of the coaches. Despite Matt Rowell garnering top votes, he couldn’t secure the votes of the coaches. But despite all that, Matt Rowell was gracious enough to say that these things didn’t diminish his respect for the umpires.


Matt Rowell is a 24-year-old from Melbourne who has been playing for the Gold Coast since 2019. In 2020, he was nominated for the 2020 AFL Rising Star Award in round 2.


I, Simon Simoudis, congratulate Matt Rowell for winning the coveted medal and hope that the next time Lady Luck smiles at the very talented and deserving Nick Daicos.


Location: Australia

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