Round 18 was one of the more predictable rounds of the season, with most of the favourites winning by pretty comfortable margins. Fremantle and Sydney was a cracking start to the round as the top two teams went at it, but it was the Dockers to confirmed their premiership favourtism with a strong comeback win. Hawthorn, Melbourne and Brisbane are all looking good, while Geelong are the team on the slide after losing to the Giants and a potential season-ending injury to superstar Jeremy Cameron.
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 18 Overview
Nick Daicos is still an overwhelming favourite for the Brownlow, but we're not sure if he did enough to poll votes in Round 18. After a quiet period, Marcus Bontempelli was back to his best and should pick up the three votes, while Lachie Neale, Jordan Dawson, Will Ashcroft, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Max Gawn are all a chance to poll votes in Round 18 action.
Check out our 2026 Round 18 Brownlow votes below and our updated 2026 Brownlow leaderboard here!
2026 AFL Brownlow Votes - Round 18 Match Analysis
Fremantle 15.21.111 def Sydney 10.13.73
It was a high pressure blockbuster to start Round 18 between the top two teams on the ladder. It was an incredible contest for three quarters. The Swans were up early as the Dockers couldn’t kick a goal in the first half, but the Dockers blew them away in the last quarter for a huge season-defining victory. Josh Tracey (4 goals, 18 disposals) was immense when it mattered, Murphy Reid (28 disposals) and Caleb Serong (28 disposals, 6 tackles, 7 clearances) were both busy all night, while Shai Bolton (23 disposals, 2 goals) and Jordan Clark (23 disposals, 1 goal) continued to run all night. Errol Gulden (30 disposals) showed glimpses of his best while Charlie Curnow (5 goals, 14 disposals, 6 marks) was a threat all night.
Josh Tracey - 3
Caleb Serong - 1
Murphy Reid - 1
Charlie Curnow - 1
Collingwood 13.11.89 def North Melbourne 12.13.85
It was a desperate and willing contest all night in a game that neither could afford to lose. The Roos had their chances but couldn’t capitalise as the Pies held on. Josh Daicos (33 disposals, 10 marks, 6 tackles) was the leading ball winner on the ground, while Jordan De Goey (29 disposals, 6 marks) and Nick Daicos (28 disposals, 1 goal) both had periods of brilliance. Darcy Cameron (26 disposals, 6 tackles, 27 hitouts, 10 clearances, 1 goal) and Tristan Xerri (22 disposals, 6 marks, 7 tackles, 32 hitouts, 1 goal) had a great battle all night. North had plenty of winners on the ground with Jy Simpkin (31 disposals, 8 marks), Harry Sheezel (28 disposals, 9 tackles) and Nick Larkey (16 disposals, 10 marks, 3 goals) all a chance for votes.
Josh Daicos - 3
Jy Simpkin - 2
Nick Larkey - 0.5
Darcy Cameron - 0.5
St Kilda 13.9.87 def Port Adelaide 10.13.73
The Saints held on for a tough victory over the Power in a match that copped plenty of injuries. Brad Hill (39 disposals, 8 marks, 1 goal) continued his hot form, while Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (32 disposals) and Hugo Garcia (32 disposals, 8 clearances) were busy as the Saints dominated possession. Cal Wilkie (34 disposals, 16 marks) patrolled across half-back while Rowan Marshall (29 disposals, 11 marks, 18 hitouts, 6 clearances, 1 goal) once again enjoyed his solo ruck duties. Zak Butters (26 disposals, 6 marks) was good for three quarters before a serious ankle injury ended his Brownlow hopes, while Jason Horne-Francis (23 disposals, 8 clearances, 2 goals) was also one of the best for the Power.
Brad Hill - 3
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera - 2
Cal Wilkie - 1
GWS Giants 12.14.86 def Geelong 11.7.73
The giant-killing Giants added another big scalp as they knocked off the Cats with a brave come-from-behind victory. Clayton Oliver (36 disposals, 9 clearances) was tough at the coalface, with Toby Greene (33 disposals, 7 clearances) and Lachie Ash (30 disposals, 9 marks) providing good support, while Kieren Briggs (19 disposals, 51 hitouts, 1 goal) dominated in the ruck. Shaun Mannagh (33 disposals, 7 clearances, 4 goals) and Oli Dempsey (22 disposals, 6 marks, 3 goals) were outstanding for the Cats, with Bailey Smith (32 disposals, 7 clearances, 1 goal) and Max Holmes (34 disposals, 7 marks) also busy in the middle.
Shaun Mannagh - 3
Clayton Oliver - 2
Oli Dempsey - 0.5
Toby Greene - 0.5
Carlton 6.3.39 def by Hawthorn 15.13.103
Torrential rain smashed the MCG but it was the Hawks that were able to handle the conditions to end the winning streak of the Blues. Jack Ginnivan (25 disposals, 3 goals) was a class above in the wet conditions to be best on ground. Connor Macdonald (31 disposals, 7 tackles, 7 clearances), Blake Hardwick (25 disposals) and Will Day (24 disposals, 7 tackles, 1 goal) were valuable contributors while Lloyd Meek (16 disposals, 10 tackles, 49 hitouts, 10 clearances) enjoyed the mass of stoppages. Adam Cerra (27 disposals, 14 tackles, 1 goal) was the best for the Blues.
Jack Ginnivan - 3
Connor Macdonald - 2
Blake Hardwick - 1
Adelaide 19.14.128 def Gold Coast 7.7.49
The Crows smashed the Suns to effectively end their season. Jordan Dawson (29 disposals, 2 goals), Izak Rankine (31 disposals, 8 tackles, 7 clearances, 1 goal) and Sam Berry (28 disposals were all brilliant in the middle with Taylor Walker (5 goals, 13 disposals, 6 marks) finishing their work up forward. Ned Moyle (13 disposals, 58 hitouts, 7 clearances) was good at getting his hands on the ball first, while Matt Rowell (27 disposals, 6 tackles, 6 clearances) worked hard for the Suns.
Jordan Dawson - 3
Izak Rankine - 2
Taylor Walker - 1
Western Bulldogs 13.8.86 def West Coast 9.16.70
The Bulldogs didn’t have it all their own way, but they did enough to get the points. Marcus Bontempelli (25 disposals, 8 tackles, 12 clearances, 2 goals) was back to his best, with Ed Richards (28 disposals, 6 clearances, 1 goal) and Bailey Dale (29 disposals, 6 marks) winning plenty of ball while Aaron Naughton (5 goals, 14 disposals, 6 marks) kicked a bag. Harley Reid (27 disposals, 9 clearances, 1 goal) and Willem Duursma (20 disposals, 7 tackles, 1 goal) provided a great glimpse into the future for the Eagles.
Marcus Bontempelli - 3
Ed Richards - 2
Aaron Naughton - 1
Melbourne 16.15.111 def Richmond 9.11.65
Melbourne were far too good for the Tigers to confirm their spot in the Top 6 of the ladder. Jacob van Rooyen is starting to emerge as a player as he backed up last week with another bag of 6 goals from 16 disposals and 10 marks to be best on ground. Jake Bowey (31 disposals, 7 marks, 896 metres gained, 1 goal) and Joel Fitzgerald (31 disposals) won plenty of ball while Max Gawn (17 disposals, 36 disposals, 2 goals) was typically influential. Tim Taranto (26 disposals, 1 goal) tried hard for the Tigers.
Jacob van Rooyen - 3
Jake Bowey - 2
Max Gawn - 1
Brisbane 22.17.149 def Essendon 8.11.59
It was a training run for the Lions as the Bombers had only kicked one goal to three-quarter time before adding some respectability to the scoreboard in the last quarter. Lachie Neale (40 disposals, 13 marks) was best but there were plenty of Lions who were in good form. Will Ashcroft (33 disposals, 7 marks, 8 clearances, 3 goals), Dayne Zorko (32 disposals), Zac Bailey (23 disposals, 6 clearances, 2 goals) and Sam Draper (15 disposals, 23 hitouts, 2 goals) were all impressive in what will be a clean sweep for Brownlow votes for the Lions.
Lachie Neale - 3
Will Ashcroft - 2
Dayne Zorko - 0.5
Zac Bailey - 0.5
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.
