The dust has settled after the 2026 Brownlow Medal and despite not taking home the main award, it still proved to be a successful night for a number of Geelong players. 

Bailey Smith mounted a challenge at the top end of the leaderboard, Patrick Dangerfield earned another slice of history and some young talents featured in the votes for the first time in their career. 

Throughout the evening, 13 different Geelong players polled at two votes or more, recognising some of the top moments from the Cats' campaign. 

Take a look through a full breakdown of how Geelong fared at the 2026 Brownlow Medal. 

The Top Cat

For the second straight year, superstar on-baller Bailey Smith topped the table for the Cats en route to a runner-up finish in the Brownlow Medal. 

Finishing with three consecutive three-vote games, Smith ended the count with 36 votes and placed behind only Nick Daicos, polling the most votes of any Geelong player in the history of the award. 

The brilliant midfielder finished with nine three-vote games, finishing clear for the Cats ahead of Max Holmes (10 votes) and Shaun Mannagh (nine votes).

Most Team Votes

After polling the most combined votes of any team in 2025, Geelong backed it up with a third-place finish on the team leaderboard in 2026. 

Led by Smith, the Cats polled a total of 87 votes for the season, only finishing behind the top two teams on the AFL ladder in Sydney and Fremantle. 

The 13 Geelong players to poll a vote in this year's count highlights the outstanding and well-spread contributions from the team this year. 

Top Team Votes

Career Best Votes

Bailey Smith: 36 Votes

• Previous Best: 29 Votes
• Three-Vote Games: Nine

Shaun Mannagh: Nine Votes

• Previous Best: Two Votes
• Three-Vote Games: Two

Ollie Dempsey: Six Votes

• Previous Best: Three Votes
• Three-Vote Games: One

Shannon Neale: Five Votes

• Previous Best: Two Votes
• Three-Vote Games: One

Danger Equals the Record

With three votes on the night, Cats skipper Patrick Dangerfield tied Gary Ablett Junior for the most votes polled in Brownlow Medal history. 

The champion on-baller has now polled a total of 262 votes across his career, which includes winning the AFL's top honour in 2016. 

Dangerfield tied Ablett with two votes in Geelong's Round 17 clash with Brisbane, where he collected 17 disposals and kicked five goals. 

Brownlow Medal Career Totals

The First Timer

Lawson Humphries

• Two votes in Round 11
• 33 Disposals, Nine Intercepts, Eight Score Involvements v Sydney

Cats Full Leaderboard