Brownlow medal 2016: Club-by-club votes

Check how your club's players polled in the Brownlow medal count on Monday night.

Brownlow Medal 2016: Club vote totals

Check where your club finished on the 2016 Brownlow Medal count ladder.

Never in danger: Dangerfield claims Brownlow Medal

Patrick Dangerfield may remain "bitter" at having been denied the team success he had craved but the Geelong superstar was on Monday night crowned the AFL's best player.

Franklin's football smarts key to Swans' charge

He's been hailed as one of the best athletes to have played the game but it's Lance Franklin's football smarts that are emerging as a major driver behind Sydney's tilt at this year's flag.

Brownlow Medal 2016: Round-by-round votes

Every fixture. every vote. Check how your favourite players polled.

McGuire challenges AFL financial model

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has challenged the AFL's new financial model, suggesting the league has failed to reward the bigger clubs for their role in achieving the historic $2.5 billion broadcast deal which rolls out in 2017.

Time running out for injured Swans to prove fitness

Wednesday is shaping as D-day for Sydney defender Aliir Aliir but even if the youngster misses out on the grand final it may not be enough to give veteran Ted Richards a fairytale finish to his career.

Liberatores share a magic moment

With all the hysteria in the Western Bulldogs rooms at Spotless Stadium on Saturday – with players, coaches, administrators, family and friends celebrating an historic occasion – there was one moment that was somewhat lost.

Frankston lose VFL licence, players learn via Twitter

Frankston Football Club is all but dead, with the club's administrators indicating that AFL Victoria had terminated the club's VFL license on Monday.

Uncontracted Dog says he's staying put

Out-of-contract Western Bulldogs defender Joel Hamling says he expects to be at the club next year despite being linked with a move back to Western Australia.

Dogs defender to sweat on selection

Fletcher Roberts says he doesn't expect to know until after training on Thursday whether he will be playing in a grand final on Saturday, or join the list of those cursed to be dropped for a decider.

Greatest finals heroes: No.5 Gary Ayres

Fairfax experts have picked their greatest AFL finals heroes of the past 50 years. Gary Ayres was so good in finals they named an award after him.

Bulldogs saviour urges players: Win grand final for my ailing mum

Western Bulldogs saviour and fan of more than 60 years Irene Chatfield calls on players to win for her Mum, 91, in hospital.

Stories abound at the Kennel

Where to look? The thing about these Bulldogs is that there are great stories everywhere.

AFL finals 2016: Tom Boyd happy to keep helping out in the ruck

Tom Boyd is prepared to shoulder another heavy load in the ruck should Jordan Roughead not recover from an eye injury in time for Saturday's grand final.

Rohan hopes to end years of pain

Gary Rohan hopes a grand final win this weekend can ease years of pain on and off the field.

It's business as usual for Bob's Bulldogs

The Western Bulldogs will be inspired by captain Bob Murphy's business-as-usual attitude more than the heartbreaking injury that will have him sit out the grand final, according to his stand-in.

Cats close to the mark

Geelong's preliminary final loss to Sydney was hugely disappointing, but shouldn’t be allowed to overshadow a season of positives.

For neutrals, Sharks and Bulldogs promise fairytale endings

For the neutrals, think of the weight of history when hitching a ride on the bandwagon this weekend as the AFL and NRL seasons reach their conclusions.

Merrett a Bomber for the long haul

One of the brightest sparks to rise from Essendon's dark recent history, Zach Merrett, has committed to the Bombers until the end of 2021.

Umps may have missed crucial penalty in Giants-Bulldogs cliffhanger

The Western Bulldogs' stirring preliminary final win over the Giants might have ended differently had a controversial 50 metre penalty been paid.

Rohan Connolly: The Last Word on preliminary finals

Painful selection decisions for both grand finalists, as well-earned good fortune and a proud achievement cap the weekend's action.

Which Brownlow roughies could give Dangerfield a fright?

Dangerfield, then daylight. That's the overwhelming expectation for Monday night's Brownlow Medal count. But could there be a surprise winner? Or at least a smokey capable of giving him a fright?

The dark side of AFL finals, when it all went horribly wrong

The finals is a time when heroes are born and legends are made. But as this list illustrates, the month of September isn't always full of feel-good stories.

Footy fans get free trams for AFL Grand Final

Footy fans lucky enough to have a ticket to Saturday's Grand Final will be able to catch a free tram to the MCG.

'Come on, Foot-a-scray!': Dogs get support from a legend of the west

He's the furniture king of the west, and he's back, with a message for the (so far) all-conquering Western Bulldogs.

Dogs' rebirth baptised in tears

At Spotless Stadium on Saturday night, the Bulldogs might have set a record for non-grand final tears.

Lin Jong stars for Bulldogs in VFL grand final win

Footscray upstage flag fancy Casey to claim their second VFL premiership in three seasons.

20 years in the making: Peel Thunder take premiership crown

Peel Thunder have made history by taking out the 2016 WAFL premiership with a hard-fought win against Subiaco on Sunday.

Roughead to play decider after eye injury

• UPDATED

Bulldogs quietly confident their key ruckman will be fully recovered in time for decider against Giants.

Swans have learnt lessons of 2014: Parker

As the Western Bulldogs come down from the euphoria of breaking their grand final drought, Sydney star Luke Parker says the Swans did not handle the week well in 2014 and it played a part in their horrible performance against Hawthorn.

Injured Aliir still chance to play grand final

Sydney defender Aliir Aliir's grand final dream is still alive.

Bulldogs fans are going to miss out on grand final tickets, and it's not fair

• COMMENT

While many Doggies fans who've been watching their team 50-odd years and never got to see them at the "big dance" miss out, there's still a spot for those with enough money and the lust to be seen at "an event".

Sydney v Western Bulldogs grand final preview

Saturday's grand final will be Sydney's third in the past five seasons and their fifth in the past 12 seasons, surpassing Geelong's four grand finals over the same period, and equal with Hawthorn.

Who got Lade? Port did

Brendon Lade is returning to Port Adelaide after seven years as an assistant coach at AFL rivals Richmond.

Dogs won't be hoodoo gurus

The Western Bulldogs won't look back at their painful history of preliminary final losses in the lead up to their Saturday night clash with GWS Giants.

Hogan departure won't be 'catastrophic': Schwarz

Melbourne great David Schwarz says the potential defection of Jesse Hogan would not be "as catastrophic" now as it would have been last year.

Football romance, or the road to the future?

There’s two very contrasting narratives developing heading into the penultimate weekend of the AFL season. And sentimentally, they’re at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Chris Judd: It's time to deny the top four clubs access to free agents

The thing that AFL fans love about the game is risk and the unknown outcome accompanying it: the risk players take when they commit to a physical contest, when they launch three deep in a pack to stand on someone's shoulders in a marking contest, when they have a shot from the boundary. All are weekly features on highlights reels.