Collingwood may be forced to review their best-and-fairest voting system after star midfielder Nick Daicos finished second to ruckman Darcy Cameron in the 2025 Copeland Trophy count, despite being the Brownlow Medal runner-up.
Cameron, who enjoyed a career-best season and earned All-Australian squad honours, edged Daicos by 13 votes to claim the Magpies’ top individual honour.
But the result has raised eyebrows across the AFL world, with many believing Daicos’ consistent dominance throughout the season should have secured him the club’s highest accolade.
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McRae calls for transparency in process
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, coach Craig McRae acknowledged the system could use fine-tuning.
“The process is in place, but I always want to challenge them,” the premiership-winning coach said. “I think Darcy Cameron is a great winner, but I’d look at the process, and there were times where I think Nick probably could’ve got more votes here and there.”
Under Collingwood’s current format, five coaches can each award between zero and four votes per player per game, allowing a maximum of 20 per match. McRae said he intends to “ask the right questions of the right people” to ensure improvements are made where needed.
The conversation around voting fairness intensified after McRae’s on-stage quip to Daicos about “a few more 16-disposal games”, a cheeky reference to Brownlow controversy, was swiftly mocked online by Gold Coast. The fallout has since reignited debate on how clubs and the league measure individual brilliance.