23/09/2026
There are good footballers.
There are great footballers.
And then there are those rare players who are generational, transcending the game.
Nick Daicos is one of them.
Monday night, at the tender age of 23, he added the Brownlow Medal to a career that is already pretty bloody special, and capped off one of the most dominant seasons by a footballer in VFL/AFL history.
The expectations on this kid from the moment he walked through the doors at Collingwood were enormous.
The surname alone guaranteed that.
But he hasn't just lived up to the Daicos name.
He's created his own.
The work rate.
The composure.
The footy IQ.
The ability to find the football when everyone in the stadium knows exactly who they're trying to stop.
And above all, he just looks like he absolutely loves playing footy.
A thoroughly deserved Brownlow Medal for one of the genuine superstars of our game.
As a Collingwood supporter, I was incredibly lucky to watch Peter Daicos.
Then Josh.
And now Nick.
What a bloody football family.
Injury cost him the medal in his second season.
He broke the vote record in his third season but came second.
Last season he was controversially beaten by Rowell.
This year, it was a one-horse race.
🖤🤍🏅
2026 Achievements
* Brownlow Medal
* Leigh Matthews Trophy (AFLPA MVP)
* AFLCA Champion Player of the Year (AFL Coaches Award)
* All-Australian selection
* Lou Richards Medal
* Herald Sun Player of the Year
* ABC Footballer of the Year
* 3AW Player of the Year
* Fox Footy Awards - clean sweep
* Ricahard Pratt Medal
* SEN AFL Player of the Year
* The Age AFL Footballer of the Year