Fyfe polled 33 votes, prevailing over Geelong's Patrick Dangerfield (27), Brisbane's Lachie Neale and Carlton's Patrick Cripps (26 each) in a dramatic finish to the awards on Monday night.

The superstar Docker is the 15th player in VFL/AFL history to win the award multiple times, having also claimed the honour in 2015.

Fyfe only played 20 games and the Dockers managed just nine wins for the season.

It mattered little for a player who now has more career Brownlow votes than games, a feat only previously achieved by pre-war great and three-time medallist Haydn Bunton Sr.

Fyfe polled maximum votes nine times, including a stunning run of three straight best-afield performances between rounds six and eight.

Dangerfield had been the favourite with bookmakers but unlike the previous two counts, it had been considered an open field this year.

After 17 rounds, Fyfe held a six-vote lead over nearest rivals Cripps and Geelong's Tim Kelly.

Dangerfield predictably came home strong but had votes pinched by star teammate Kelly throughout the night.

Kelly polled 24 votes to finish fifth, ahead of Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy, ineligible Richmond star Dustin Martin and the Western Bulldogs' Marcus Bontempelli.

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Fyfe notably arrived at the 2015 ceremony wielding a cane after breaking his leg during the Dockers' preliminary final loss to Hawthorn.

He also caused a stir the following day when he was photographed shirtless and wearing his medal while being interviewed over the phone.

Fyfe didn't poll a single vote in losing games when he saluted in 2015 but accumulated votes consistently this time around.

Cripps' equal third-placed finish is stunning given the bulk of his votes came during a period in which the Blues couldn't buy a win.

Cripps had three best-afield performances and 13 votes - an unprecedented tally after five rounds in a Brownlow count.

That grew to 18 votes after 11 rounds.

At that point, only two other teammates - Sam Petrevski-Seton and Harry McKay - had polled, managing a combined tally of three votes.

The Blues had won just one game at that point in their season.

Australian Associated Press