Tonight | Brownlow Medal on Channel 7: Nick Daicos chases his first win – The 2026 Brownlow Medal brings the AFL’s leading players to Crown Melbourne tonight, Monday 21 September. Channel 7’s live coverage begins with the red carpet at 7:30pm AEST; the vote count starts at 8:00pm AEST. Viewers can also stream the event on 7plus Sport.
Collingwood midfielder Nick Daicos enters as the favourite, but the result remains open until the votes are called. Geelong’s Bailey Smith, Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli and Carlton’s dual winner Patrick Cripps are among the other names in contention.
Brownlow night also opens AFL Grand Final week on Channel 7. It brings the season’s individual award into focus before attention turns to Saturday’s premiership decider.
Nick Daicos and the Brownlow Medal count
Daicos has been one of the central figures in the lead-up to this year’s count. His position as favourite does not decide the medal: the result will emerge round by round as the votes are revealed. Smith, Bontempelli and Cripps give the count several other prominent storylines to follow.
The television coverage comes from Crown Melbourne. Hamish McLachlan and 7NEWS Melbourne chief sport presenter Rebecca Maddern host the broadcast. Abbey Holmes leads the Brownlow Medal Red Carpet, joined by Emma Freedman, Dale Thomas and Matthew Richardson as players and their partners arrive.
The presenters will take viewers from the arrivals into the count itself. The red carpet is a separate part of the coverage, so the 7:30pm AEST television start should not be mistaken for the first vote: the count begins at 8:00pm AEST.
How to watch the Brownlow Medal tonight
The broadcast channel varies by city. In Melbourne, red-carpet coverage starts on Channel 7 at 7:30pm AEST. In Sydney and Brisbane, it starts on 7mate at the same time. The count begins at 8:00pm AEST in those markets. 7plus Sport carries the live stream.
In Perth, the red carpet starts at 5:30pm on 7mate and the count at 6:00pm. Channel 7’s Perth coverage begins at 7:00pm. Check the local listing if you are watching outside these markets.
2026 Charles Brownlow Medal
Monday 21 September: red carpet from 7:30pm AEST; count from 8:00pm AEST
Channel 7 or 7mate by market, and 7plus Sport
Read TV Central’s earlier Brownlow Medal preview for more on the contenders and coverage team. See Channel 7’s full city-by-city viewing guide for broadcast details.
