Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera controversy
The 2025 count is remembered for the votes in the round 20 match between St Kilda and Melbourne. St Kilda's Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera had 34 disposals and four goals, nine score involvements, six clearances, and kicked both the game-tying and game-winning goals inside the last eight seconds of St Kilda's victory – which had come after trailing by 46 points at three quarter time, the highest such deficit ever successfully overcome. [2] His performance in the comeback had been described as "so prolific that it was almost instantly regarded as the best individual game of the season and perhaps of this generation". [3] Wanganeen-Milera polled only two votes, with three going to Melbourne's Jack Viney – causing much surprise and amusement to those at the count, followed by controversy and discussion in the days which followed. [4] In response, the AFL announced that it would consider for the first time providing player match statistics to umpires from the 2026 season to help to inform their voting; a final decision on this is yet to be made. [5]
Voting procedure and eligibility
The four field umpires (those umpires who control the flow of the game, as opposed to goal or boundary umpires) confer after each match and award three votes, two votes, and one vote to the players they regard as the best, second-best and third-best in the match, respectively. The votes are kept secret until the awards night, and they are read and tallied on the evening. [7]
Any suspension throughout the home-and-away season renders a player ineligible to win the award. However, umpires must still award votes to any player they deem worthy, and all votes are tallied regardless of ineligibility.
In the event of an ineligible player receiving the most votes, the next eligible player is awarded the Brownlow Medal.
There is no countback if there is a tie on votes, with joint winners awarded. [8]
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