Matt Rowell wins Brownlow Medal in surprise, triggering debate over voting process

Matt Rowell of the Gold Coast Suns won the Brownlow Medal on Monday night at the Crown Palladium, finishing with 39 votes to claim his first award. The 24-year-old midfielder became only the second Suns player to win the Brownlow and capped a season defined by career-best numbers, including a league-leading 657 disposals and a personal best goal tally. Rowell said he was speechless upon accepting the honour, thanking his family and teammates for their unwavering support.

The ceremony unfolded with Rowell emerging as a surprise victor over a field of leading contenders, notably Collingwood’s Nick Daicos, whose bid to secure a first Brownlow was widely anticipated. Daicos entered the night as a major favourite, having reached the 100-vote milestone in his first 100 games and having posted strong season totals, but ultimately finished seven votes behind Rowell. Other players, such as Bailey Smith and Jordan Dawson, were also in the mix, yet Rowell’s late surge secured the top spot. The win marked only the second Brownlow for a Suns player and underscored Rowell’s breakout season.

The night did not pass without controversy, as debate swirled around the voting process itself. The most cited moment involved Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera of St Kilda, who fans and pundits believed deserved three votes for a standout performance against Melbourne in Round 20. Instead, he was handed two votes, a decision that drew gasps from attendees and social media alike. Wanganeen-Milera finished the season with 23 votes, tying for ninth, while Jack Viney led Melbourne with top votes from that game. The visible astonishment in the Crown Palladium was mirrored by fans on X (formerly Twitter) and by St Kilda’s own social media posts at the moment the votes were announced, which added to the sense of disbelief surrounding the tally.

The controversy extended beyond a single game, as commentators and fans questioned how umpires accumulate votes after each match. Critics argued that the current system—relying on umpire voting after every game—can produce incongruous results, especially when a player turns in a dominant performance but fails to land the maximum three votes. In the wake of the ceremony, observers pointed to cases where Rowell, despite underwhelming moments in some games, still earned three votes, while others delivered standout performances that did not receive the same recognition. The debate intensified on social media, with some calling for a reevaluation of the voting method or a broader role for coaching and statistical data in vote deliberations.

Noah Anderson, Rowell’s Suns teammate, was another name floated as a potential Brownlow recipient, having produced a prolific season of his own, including a Round 10 performance against Hawthorn that featured 35 disposals and seven score involvements. Yet Anderson did not receive votes in the ceremony, underscoring the sometimes uneven distribution of votes across the field and fueling further questions about the system.

Rowell’s acceptance underscored the humility that marked his season, with the midfielder paying tribute to his family and documenting how their support has shaped his journey. His victory comes at a time when fans and opponents alike are calling for greater transparency in how votes are allocated and for mechanisms to ensure that a single outstanding performance is recognized consistently across the league. While the Brownlow remains one of the sport’s most storied honours, the post-ceremony discourse makes clear that the 2025 edition will be remembered as much for its controversy as for its champion.

As the AFL community processes the results, questions linger about whether the voting process can be refined to reflect a player’s influence more comprehensively across a season. With Rowell’s breakthrough season now etched into the history books and the discourse around voting likely to continue, the 2025 Brownlow Medal ceremony may catalyze reform discussions in the months ahead.