Nick Daicos wins 2026 Brownlow Medal with record 47 votes on Channel 7 – Collingwood star Nick Daicos has claimed the 2026 Brownlow Medal in emphatic fashion, polling a historic 47 votes to become the AFL’s newest champion player.
Daicos secured the game’s highest individual honour in only his fifth AFL season. He polled in 18 of the 22 matches he played, turning years of expectation and near misses into a record-breaking victory.
The result is one of the defining achievements of the 2026 AFL season. It also completes a major personal progression for Daicos after previous third-place and runner-up finishes placed him among the leading contenders before he finally reached the top of the count.
Nick Daicos reacts to historic Brownlow Medal win
Speaking to Hamish McLachlan during Channel 7’s Brownlow Medal coverage, Daicos admitted the moment had not yet fully sunk in.
“I can’t believe I am a Brownlow medallist, to be honest,” Daicos said.
The Collingwood midfielder said receiving the award from Matt Rowell made the occasion even more meaningful. Daicos and Rowell played together at Carey Grammar, giving the presentation a personal connection beyond the result itself.
McLachlan reflected on Daicos’s extraordinary path through the count: repeated favouritism, a third-place result, two runner-up finishes and now a record-breaking victory. Daicos joked that he had learned not to place too much faith in the betting markets.
A record 47 votes across 18 matches
The scale of the win was underlined by the voting numbers. Daicos collected 47 votes and featured in the umpires’ votes in 18 of his 22 games.
McLachlan even asked whether Daicos had been surprised not to receive a vote when he was a late withdrawal against Brisbane. Daicos responded with a joke about hoping the umpires might write down the wrong initial if his brother Josh had played well.
The exchange captured the balance of relief and humour in the aftermath of the count. It also showed how sustained Daicos’s season had been: his total was built through repeated recognition across almost every match he played, rather than a short burst of standout performances.
Preparation behind the Brownlow success
Asked whether his rapid rise at AFL level had surprised him, Daicos said he did not approach the game with self-doubt. However, he stressed that playing at the elite level had never felt easy.
Daicos said he still entered matches with butterflies and nerves. His confidence came from the work completed between games and from knowing he had prepared properly.
“I sort of rely on what I do Monday to Friday to prepare myself for the weekend,” Daicos said. “I just pride myself on stacking weeks on weeks throughout the season and that starts on the training track.”
That emphasis on preparation helps explain how Daicos converted prodigious talent into a record vote tally. The 2026 Brownlow Medal now gives him the award that had remained just beyond reach despite his immediate impact on the competition.
Seven captures the winning moment
McLachlan’s interview formed part of the 2026 Brownlow Medal coverage on Channel 7 and 7plus. The conversation took place shortly after the count and gave Daicos the chance to reflect on the medal, the record and the work that supported his season.
For Collingwood supporters, the victory confirms Daicos’s place among the competition’s leading players. For the wider AFL, 47 votes establishes a new benchmark from a footballer still in the early stages of his career.
Read TV Central’s 2026 Brownlow Medal preview and viewing guide. See Channel 7’s official Brownlow Medal coverage information.