IF ALL goes to plan on Monday night, the AFL will have its third-straight superstar Brownlow medallist, with the umpires voting for the show-stopper ahead of the accumulator.

Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe and Geelong midfielder Patrick Dangerfield showed in 2015 and 2016 that the goalkicking midfielder is king, and Dustin Martin has followed in their footsteps this year. 

There are some remarkable similarities in their seasons, from the game styles and support acts to the record-breaking feats that saw Fyfe and Dangerfield crowned on the Monday of Grand Final week.    

Martin is expected to win the 2017 Brownlow Medal, which will be presented by Dangerfield, continuing the reign of the midfielder-forward. 

Check out the AFL.com.au Brownlow Predictor

Attack wins

Fyfe was a complete offensive player in 2015, dominating one-on-one contests on the ground and in their air, averaging 396.5m gained. It was the attacking nature of his 28.8 disposals a game that made him stand out. Likewise Dangerfield, who averaged 31.8 and a massive 620m gained. He kicked a goal a game. This season, Martin has won more of his possessions in the forward half and averaged 533.5m gained. His 32 goals are more than Dangerfield (23) and Fyfe (17) in their Brownlow years.

Team success

Fremantle won a club record 17 games in 2015, largely due to Fyfe's impact. Likewise, Geelong won 17 games in Dangerfield's Brownlow season on the back of the brilliant onballer. This year the Tigers rode Martin's hot form and finished top four with 15 wins – the equal best tally in Martin's time at the club. 

Support acts 

It feels unfair to describe players like Joel Selwood and Trent Cotchin as support acts. But their seasons in 2016 and 2017 respectively were played in the shadow of their superstar teammates. For Fyfe in 2015, that player was eventual club champion Aaron Sandilands, whose ruck dominance was critical to Fyfe's success. Selwood earned 18 Brownlow votes in Dangerfield's Brownlow year, while Freo midfielder David Mundy earned 19 in 2015. Cotchin should poll well this season as Martin's right-hand man.

Percentage of team's votes 

The trio's dominance can be seen in the percentage of their team's Brownlow Medal votes they attract. In 2015 Fyfe polled 31 votes, which was 32.9 per cent of his team's 94 votes. Dangerfield (35 votes) contributed 41.6 per cent of his team's 84 votes in 2016. The AFL.com.au Brownlow Predictor has Martin polling 38 votes this year. That would be 43.1 per cent of his team's haul.

Consistency

This is where there is a significant difference among the trio. Fyfe polled a record 17 votes in the first eight rounds and 26 in the first 13 rounds. Injury and form saw him drop off, but his lead meant he could not be caught. Dangerfield polled in a record 15 games, including nine best on grounds, matching Fyfe. Martin is tipped to break these records in arguably the most consistent season of all three. The Brownlow Predictor has him polling three votes in a record 10 games. He is tipped to earn votes in 15 games.

So, who had the best year? 

Fyfe was a marvel in 2015, but his run home was quiet. Still, his ability to play on with a broken leg in a preliminary final will go down in finals folklore. It's splitting hairs between 2016 Dangerfield and 2017 Martin, and you need to turn to their goal tallies to find a winner. Dangerfield booted 23 goals in the home-and-away season, while Martin kicked 32 this year. His dominance in every aspect of the game, from centre clearances (AFL No.1), inside 50s (AFL No.1) and contested possessions (AFL No.3) has been breath-taking, and perhaps it is just the freshness of his season that gives him the edge. His acceptance speech will be as anticipated as any on Brownlow Medal night.

Join Australia's best Brownlow coverage

Find out who'll take Charlie home on AFL.com.au on Monday, September 25.

  • Fire up our live blog for the best pics as the celebs hit the red carpet and a full call of the count
  • Watch the count LIVE on the AFL app (subscribers only)
  • Track the votes as they happen on the Brownlow tracker

Our LIVE coverage begins from 4.30pm AEST