The Brownlow Medal is an annual award for the AFL's best and fairest player.
It's recognised as the highest individual honour in the AFL.
But how does it actually work?
Here's what to know before tonight's ceremony at 8pm (AEST) on Channel 7.
How does it work?
The Brownlow is voted on by the league's umpires.
After every game during the regular season, the four field umpires who officiated the match meet and must agree on which three players performed the best.
The best player is awarded three votes (effectively points), the second-best two and the third-best one.
This year, the league also introduced a shift in the voting process where the umpires had access to player statistics after the match to assist with their voting.
Previously, they voted based only on what they saw on the field.
During the ceremony, AFL CEO Andrew Dillon will go through all 207 fixtures during the AFL regular season – not the finals games – and read out the three players who received votes.
The top players and captains from every club, past winners, and coaches and officials are invited to the ceremony.
Suspensions
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Players who have been suspended by the AFL Tribunal during the season are ineligible to win the Brownlow Medal.
These players can still tally votes and even finish the night at the top of the leaderboard, but will remain ineligible to collect the award.
In August, the Sydney Swans suspended five players – Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, Riley Bice, and James Jordon – for a breach of standards which included staying out late, drinking, and having people in their hotel room after a match in Melbourne.
Four of the five have spoken to Victoria Police as part of a sexual assault investigation relating to an incident on the same evening.
TDA is not suggesting the players face allegations, only that they have spoken to police.
Given that these players were suspended by their club and not by the league, they will still be eligible to tally Brownlow votes and even win the medal (though that is unlikely).
Heeney, Warner, and Blakey are all likely to receive votes.
Last month, Dillon said the players will not be invited to the ceremony.
Favourite
The favourite to win this year's award is Collingwood midfielder Nick Daicos.
In the past three years, the 23-year-old has finished third once and runner-up twice.
Daicos was also the favourite to win last year's award but finished runner-up to the Gold Coast Suns' Matt Rowell.






