After each match, the three field umpires (the ones controlling the game) confer and award 3, 2 and 1 vote to the players they regard as the best, second best and third best in the match respectively. On the awards night, the votes over the 22-round home and away (regular) season are tallied and the eligible player with the highest number of votes is awarded the medal. In the past, ties were decided on a countback system, but nowadays it is possible for multiple medals to be awarded in the event of a tie. In fact, the 2003 season saw a three-way tie.
Players who are suspended at some time during the season by the AFL's disclipinary tribunal for serious on-field offences (for instance, punching another player) are ineligible for the award. Suspended players have tallied the highest number of votes for the award on several occasions.
The awards ceremony has become increasingly elaborate, with footballers and their partners gradually becoming more fashion-conscious and this aspect of the night becoming widely reported by gossip columns.
The method of selecting the Brownlow has occasionally come under scrutiny. The Brownlow winners contain a preponderance of midfield players and relatively few "key-position" players, with some of the game's greatest players (for instance, Wayne Carey) never coming close to winning a medal despite their reputation amongst their peers and coaches. Several prominent coaches, including Kevin Sheedy and Leigh Matthews, have publicly criticised the selection process, proposing that coaches or players votes be used instead. The exclusion of suspended players is also debated, but the AFL's desire to promote a good image for the game makes it unlikely that this aspect of the award will change in the near future.
Some bookmakers offer betting on the winner of the Brownlow. A number of well-publicised "plunges" on unlikely winners has led to increasingly elaborate security measures to ensure the Brownlow votes are kept secret until the vote count.
| Year | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1924 | Edward Greeves | Geelong |
| 1925 | Colin Watson | St Kilda |
| 1926 | Ivor Warne-Smith | Melbourne |
| 1927 | Syd Coventry | Collingwood |
| 1928 | Ivor Warne-Smith | Melbourne |
| 1929 | Albert Collier | Collingwood |
| 1930 | Stan Judkins | Richmond |
| Allan Hopkins | Footscray | |
| Harry Collier | Collingwood | |
| 1931 | Haydn Bunton | Fitzroy |
| 1932 | Haydn Bunton | Fitzroy |
| 1933 | Wilfred Smallhorn | Fitzroy |
| 1934 | Dick Reynolds | Essendon |
| 1935 | Haydn Bunton | Fitzroy |
| 1936 | Dinny Ryan | Fitzroy |
| 1937 | Dick Reynolds | Essendon |
| 1938 | Dick Reynolds | Essendon |
| 1939 | Marcus Whelan | Collingwood |
| 1940 | Des Fothergill | Collingwood |
| Herbie Matthews | South Melbourne | |
| 1941 | Norman Ware | Footscray |
| 1942-45 | Not Awarded | |
| 1946 | Don Cordner | Melbourne |
| 1947 | Bert Deacon | Carlton |
| 1948 | Bill Morris | Richmond |
| 1949 | Ron Clegg | South Melbourne |
| Col Austen | Hawthorn | |
| 1950 | Alan Ruthven | Fitzroy |
| 1951 | Bernie Smith | Geelong |
| 1952 | Roy Wright | Richmond |
| Bill Hutchinson | Essendon | |
| 1953 | Bill Hutchinson | Essendon |
| 1954 | Roy Wright | Richmond |
| 1955 | Fred Goldsmith | South Melbourne |
| 1956 | Peter Box | Footscray |
| 1957 | Brian Gleeson | St Kilda |
| 1958 | Neil Roberts | St Kilda |
| 1959 | Bob Skilton | South Melbourne |
| 1960 | John Schultz | Footscray |
| 1961 | John James | Carlton |
| 1962 | Alistair Lord | Geelong |
| 1963 | Bob Skilton | South Melbourne |
| 1964 | Gordon Collis | Carlton |
| 1965 | Ian Stewart | St Kilda |
| Noel Teasdale | North Melbourne | |
| 1966 | Ian Stewart | St Kilda |
| 1967 | Ross Smith | St Kilda |
| 1968 | Bob Skilton | South Melbourne |
| 1969 | Kevin Murray | Fitzroy |
| 1970 | Peter Bedford | South Melbourne |
| 1971 | Ian Stewart | Richmond |
| 1972 | Len Thompson | Collingwood |
| 1973 | Keith Greig | North Melbourne |
| 1974 | Keith Greig | North Melbourne |
| 1975 | Gary Dempsey | Footscray |
| 1976 | Graham Moss | Essendon |
| 1977 | Graeme Teasdale | South Melbourne |
| 1978 | Malcolm Blight | North Melbourne |
| 1979 | Peter Moore | Collingwood |
| 1980 | Kelvin Templeton | Footscray |
| 1981 | Barry Round | South Melbourne |
| Bernie Quinlan | Fitzroy | |
| 1982 | Brian Wilson | Melbourne |
| 1983 | Ross Glendinning | North Melbourne |
| 1984 | Peter Moore | Melbourne |
| 1985 | Brad Hardie | Footscray |
| 1986 | Greg Williams | Sydney |
| Robert DiPierdomenico | Hawthorn | |
| 1987 | Tony Lockett | St Kilda |
| John Platten | Hawthorn | |
| 1988 | Gerard Healy | Sydney |
| 1989 | Paul Couch | Geelong |
| 1990 | Tony Liberatore | Footscray |
| 1991 | Jim Stynes | Melbourne |
| 1992 | Scott Wynd | Footscray |
| 1993 | Gavin Wanganeen | Essendon |
| 1994 | Greg Williams | Carlton |
| 1995 | Paul Kelly | Sydney |
| 1996 | James Hird | Essendon |
| Michael Voss | Brisbane | |
| 1997 | Robert Harvey | St Kilda |
| 1998 | Robert Harvey | St Kilda |
| 1999 | Shane Crawford | Hawthorn |
| 2000 | Shane Woewodin | Melbourne |
| 2001 | Jason Akermanis | Brisbane |
| 2002 | Simon Black | Brisbane |
| 2003 | Nathan Buckley | Collingwood |
| Adam Goodes | Sydney | |
| Mark Ricciuto | Adelaide |