Another exciting round is in the books with Fremantle now jumping to the top of the ladder after Round 11 with another strong win as the Swans suffered defeat to the Cats. The Hawks, Giants and Dogs all landed important wins while the Kangaroos had a comeback for the ages as they finally claimed a big scalp by knocking off the Suns with a kick after the siren. In a battle for the wooden spoon, the baby Tigers had too much passion for the Bombers, which would ultimately lead to the sacking of Essendon senior coach Brad Scott.
As usual, we’ll share our thoughts from every match of the AFL season, along with our Brownlow vote predictions and projections using our own system which has a proven profitable history over many years. For full details on how it works, see the section at the bottom of the page. We hope you'll use our free Brownlow tips to help you find value during the season and built a green book before the big night.
For links to every round of the season and full count, head to our 2026 Brownlow Medal Leaderboard page and check out the latest Brownlow Odds.
2026 AFL Brownlow Round 11 Overview
It's shaping to be a very exciting Brownlow count with a number of players in genuine contention to win half-way through the season. Nick Daicos has once again firmed in the Brownlow betting markets after a clear best-on-ground performance in Round 11. Others in the votes this round include Marcus Bontempelli, Max Holmes, Patrick Cripps, Jason Horne-Francis, Shai Bolton, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Matt Rowell and Jordan Dawson.
Check out our 2026 Round 11 Brownlow votes below and our updated 2026 Brownlow leaderboard here!
2026 AFL Brownlow Votes - Round 11 Match Analysis
Hawthorn 10.15.75 def Adelaide 9.12.66
It was a strange decision to have prime time Thursday night footy at a chilly, slippery and half-developed Launceston oval, but the Hawks continued their home ground dominance as they were challenged all the way by the Crows. Blake Hardwick was the difference as he filled a spot up forward with 4 goals from 14 disposals and 6 marks. Jarman Impey (21 disposals, 780 metres gained) provided great run, while Nick Watson (12 disposals, 2 goals) was the spark that got the Hawks going. Jordan Dawson was superb for the Crows with 28 disposals, 9 tackles and a goal and could even pinch the three in a losing effort. Wayne Milera (32 disposals, 768 metres gained) and Sam Berry (27 disposals, 10 tackles) were also good for the Crows.
Blake Hardwick - 2.5
Jordan Dawson - 2.5
Jarman Impey - 1
Richmond 10.14.74 def Essendon 7.14.56
A bottom-of-the-table battle didn’t reach any great heights as the Tigers picked up their second win of the season to jump Essendon on the ladder. Tim Taranto (30 disposals, 8 marks, 7 tackles, 8 clearances), Patrick Retschko (27 disposals, 8 marks) and Jayden Short (30 disposals, 7 marks, 1 goal) were best for the Tigers, while Jack Ross (24 disposals, 1 goal) was also important. In a strange twist, it was Essendon’s Darcy Parish who was awarded the Medal for best afield in a losing effort for his 41 disposals, 7 marks and 9 clearances, even though none of the award voters actually put him on top as best on the ground. We normally don’t try and go against the Medal winner, but this is one situation where it might be warranted. Zach Merrett (36 disposals, 12 marks, 1 goal) was also busy.
Tim Taranto - 3
Darcy Parish - 2
Patrick Retschko - 1
Fremantle 16.8.104 def St Kilda 11.8.74
Freo are on top of the ladder after defeating St Kilda for their 10th win in succession. Murphy Reid (30 disposals, 1 goal), Shai Bolton (25 disposals, 1 goal) and Andy Brayshaw (25 disposals, 7 clearances) won the midfield battle, while Josh Tracey (19 disposals, 11 marks, 2 goals) was impressive up forward. Max Hall (25 disposals, 6 marks, 9 clearances, 2 goals) and Jack Sinclair (29 disposals, 6 marks) were best for the Saints.
Murphy Reid - 3
Shai Bolton - 2
Josh Tracey - 1
North Melbourne 17.9.111 def Gold Coast 16.9.105
A crazy comeback by the Roos saw them recover from a 43-point deficit, kicking six of the last seven goals to pinch the win with a kick after the siren. Luke Davies-Uniacke (30 disposals, 7 marks, 8 tackles, 7 clearances, 1 goal) was superb, with good support from Harry Sheezel (32 disposals, 6 marks, 6 tackles, 6 clearances), Finn O’Sullivan (26 disposals, 9 marks, 6 tackles) and Jy Simpkin (29 disposals, 9 marks, 1 goal). Brownlow Medal winner Matt Rowell (31 disposals, 7 tackles, 14 clearances, 1 goal) was back to his best while Sam Collins (15 disposals, 9 marks) was huge in defence.
Luke Davies-Uniacke - 3
Matt Rowell - 2
Harry Sheezel - 0.5
Jy Simpkin - 0.5
Geelong 15.17.107 def Sydney 12.8.80
Geelong confirmed their premiership credentials by knocking over the Swans. Lawson Humphries (33 disposals, 9 marks, 1 goal) was a stand out off half-back, with Jeremy Cameron (21 disposals, 10 marks, 3 goals), Max Holmes (35 disposals, 6 marks, 8 clearances) and Bailey Smith (32 disposals, 7 clearances, 1 goal) also very good. Riley Bice (34 disposals) was best for the Swans.
Lawson Humphries - 2.5
Max Holmes - 2.5
Jeremy Cameron - 0.5
Bailey Smith - 0.5
Collingwood 13.14.92 def West Coast 12.10.82
It was Scott Pendlebury’s day as he broke the all-time AFL games record and helped the Pies hold on for a narrow win against a gallant Eagles. Nick Diacos roared back into Brownlow favouritism with 34 disposals, 7 clearances and 3 goals in a best afield performance. Jordan De Goey (25 disposals, 6 marks, 7 tackles) and Jack Crisp (28 disposals, 9 tackles, 6 clearances) were also good. Bailey Williams (20 disposals, 28 hitouts, 12 clearances, 1 goal) again stood tall for the Eagles, while Tom McCarthy (30 disposals, 7 marks) was busy.
Nick Daicos - 3
Jordan De Goey - 1
Jack Crisp - 1
Bailey Williams - 1
Port Adelaide 8.10.58 def by Carlton 13.14.92
The Blues notched up another impressive win under Josh Fraser as they defeated a disappointing Power side. Patrick Cripps (32 disposals, 8 clearances, 1 goal) continued his good form, with support from Sam Walsh (28 disposals, 1 goal), Oli Florent (26 disposals) and George Hewett (26 disposals, 1 goal). The Power would’ve lost by even more if it wasn’t for Jason Horne-Francis (32 disposals, 8 clearances, 3 goals) who was outstanding, while Zak Butters (28 disposals) was somewhat subdued.
Patrick Cripps - 3
Jason Horne-Francis - 2
Sam Walsh - 1
GWS Giants 26.10.166 def Brisbane 13.10.88
The orange tsunami was in full force as a record shattering 14-goal third quarter set up a massive win for the Giants over the Lions. Clayton Oliver (37 disposals, 8 tackles, 11 clearances) led the way in the middle, while up forward it was Toby Greene (21 disposals, 5 goals) and Jake Stringer (13 disposals, 5 goals) who cashed in. Lachie Ash (28 disposals) and Finn Callaghan (31 disposals, 7 tackles, 1 goal) were as solid as ever, while Phoenix Gothard (29 disposals, 10 tackles, 2 goals) played his best game for the club. Lachie Neale (32 disposals, 6 tackles, 10 clearances, 1 goal) could hold his head high on a dark day for the Lions.
Clayton Oliver - 3
Toby Greene - 2
Phoenix Gothard - 1
Western Bulldogs 14.9.93 def Melbourne 13.12.90
The Bulldogs held on for a narrow and vital win in a great finish to the round. Ed Richards (30 disposals, 10 clearances, 3 goals) and Marcus Bontempelli (29 disposals, 6 marks, 6 clearances, 2 goals) were outstanding as they did the job all over the ground. Ryley Sanders (30 disposals, 6 marks) and Aaron Naughton (18 disposals, 2 goals) were also important in the win. Kysaiah Pickett (25 disposals, 9 tackles, 6 clearances) was best for Melbourne.
Ed Richards - 3
Marcus Bontempelli - 2
Kysaiah Pickett - 1
For those who need a refresher on how our Brownlow vote predictor system works, we assign 6 votes per game so that our total votes are the same as the official 3-2-1 system, however we break up those votes as we see fit across potentially more than three players. Some games are really tough to call which way the votes will go, so a better predictive model is to split performances and assign half points to each player where there is doubt. So for example if two players dominate and it's too hard to split their performance, they are given 2.5 votes each, with the remaining 1 vote given to another player(s). This will give us a predictive total closer to their true total, rather than guessing. We can then form a 'range' for each player (i.e. a min and max we think players can poll) with the thinking behind this that the variations from the half votes will even out over the long term.
If you intend on using our Brownlow votes to bet why not consider one of the best Australian sports betting sites which offer some great features for new customers. Also be sure to check out our Twitter page at @Before_You_Bet and continue returning to the site for our AFL tips.
