JOBE Watson is this year's Brownlow Medallist, becoming only the sixth Bomber to win the coveted award.
The Essendon captain won with 30 votes, ahead of Tiger Trent Cotchin (26 votes) and Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell (26).
The Essendon midfielder had a barnstorming beginning to the count, polling in 12 of the first 13 rounds to have 23 votes. After another best-on-ground performance in round 14, Watson sat on top of the leaderboard with 26 votes.
Check out the photos of the GIANTS at the Brownlow Medal
But he appeared set to lose grip of the lead late in the count when the Bombers' season nosedived. However, a three-vote game against Adelaide in round 19 pushed Watson back into pole position.
Another one vote against North Melbourne in round 20 gave Watson 30 votes and a seven-vote lead with three rounds remaining. When close contenders Gold Coast's Gary Ablett and Hawk Sam Mitchell didn't poll in round 21, Watson was in an unassailable lead.
He follows Dick Reynolds, Bill Hutchison, Graham Moss, Gavin Wanganeen and James Hird as Brownlow medallists.
Ablett appeared the most likely player to snatch the award from Watson's grasp, and finished with 24 votes. He took only three rounds to establish his position as a contender.
The Gold Coast champion polled three votes in each of his first three games, all of which were losses for the Suns. It was only the second time a player has polled triple best on grounds to start the season (the first was Bomber Paul Salmon in 1994).
Although the Suns came close to pinching the win over Essendon in round three, losing by only 17 points, Ablett claimed best afield honours in heavy defeats. In round one the Suns lost by 69 points to Adelaide, and followed it with a 92-point defeat to St Kilda.
"I didn't expect to start like that," Ablett told Channel Seven. ??
A knee injury in round four, which forced Ablett to miss two games, halted his momentum, leaving the door ajar for Watson to make his move.
Jonathan Giles led the way for the GIANTS at this year's Brownlow Medal, collecting three votes in both of the club's wins for 2012 and picking up a further vote in Round 21.
GIANTS Co-Captain Callan Ward made history becoming the first GIANTS to ever poll a Brownlow Medal vote.
GIANT Votes
Jonathan Giles - 7 votes
Callan Ward - 5 votes
Toby Greene - 4 votes
Will Hoskin-Elliott - 2 votes
Chad Cornes - 2 votes
Luke Power - 1 vote
Stephen Coniglio - 1 vote
THE TOP TEN
1. Jobe Watson - 30 votes
2. Trent Cotchin - 26
Sam Mitchell - 26
4. Dane Swan - 25
Scott Thompson - 25
6. Gary Ablett - 24
7. Patrick Dangerfield - 23
8. Dayne Beams - 19
Lenny Hayes - 19
Josh Kennedy - 19
A highlight of the night was St Kilda veteran Jason Blake collecting the first votes of his 13-year career at the Saints. Blake won two votes against the Gold Coast in round 11, prompting cheers from the Saints table.
Earlier, Gary Ablett walked the Swisse Red Carpet with close friend Jason Davenport, a former player with Geelong and Port Adelaide.
Every round, every vote
Josh Kennedy was one of seven Swans to attend the function in Sydney, along with two-time Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes, Kieren Jack, Lewis Jetta, Jarrad McVeigh and Ryan O'Keefe.
Hawthorn players attended the function in Melbourne without skipper Luke Hodge, who is overcoming illness.
