The 2025 Brownlow Medal - AFL's biggest social event of the season - wasn't a night without controversy, but nor did it disappoint as players swapped guernseys for black ties and excellent watches.
The controversy in question wasn't simply that Matt Rowell beat hot favourites Nick Daicos and Bailey Smith: when the votes were called for round 20, Jack Viney was awarded three votes, snubbing an unforgettable performance by St Kilda's Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. In that game, Wanganeen-Milera notched 34 disposals and four goals, including two in the final 10 seconds to clinch the win.
As surprising as the moment was, some of the watches we spotted at the Brownlow Medal left our jaws equally on the floor. Let's get into it.
Daicos might not have walked away with the Brownlow this year, but his second place reflects the exceptional season of football he's been playing. On his wrist was a Breitling B01 Navitimer Chronograph on the five-link bracelet - a watch whose black and white dial worked nicely with his suit.
Bailey Smith turned plenty of heads on the red carpet thanks to the Oakley Juliet X Metal Plasma Ruby Iridium sunglasses he had on, but hidden beneath the sleeve of his bespoke YSG Tailors jacket was a TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph.
Petracca is one of the few lucky AFL players to have enjoyed a relationship with the watch industry, having previously been the face of Kennedy's sponsorship of the league. In a past interview with him about his favourite watches, the Demons star revealed he also wore a Cartier to complement his outfit at the Brownlow Medal in 2023.
Wanganeen-Milera might have been robbed a vote at the Brownlow Medal 2025, but he was still rocking one of the best watches in the building with a clean blue dial Rolex Datejust.
Callum Mills – Patek Philippe Calatrava Travel Time Ref. 5034J
Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images
While most AFL players elect for modern watches, it was a treat to spot this Patek Philippe Calatrava Travel Time Ref. 5034J from the early 2000s on the wrist of Callum Mills. It's unclear if it's a watch he owns or was loaned to wear for the evening, but the Sydney player was married recently. So it could well be a tasteful wedding gift.
You can't actually see the watch Darcy Moore was wearing under the cuff of his bespoke Oscar Hunt jacket, but I did spot his watch on Instagram a couple of hours before the event kicked off.
On loan from the team at The Smiling Second, Moore was wearing a Rolex Datejust 36 from 1985 in solid yellow gold, with particularly rare "boiler gauge" dial. An excellent choice.
Western Bulldog's cult hero Buku Khamis was dressed to the nines for the Brownlow Medal 2025, sporting an elegant and affordable option from Tommy Hilfiger.
Photo by James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images
Last year's record-breaking Brownlow Medal winner Patrick Cripps was spotted wearing a dive watch from Tissot, with the 43mm timepiece looking almost small compared to his 195cm frame.
Finn Callaghan – Breitling Avenger B01 Chronograph
Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images
The second – significantly sportier – Breitling spotted on the red carpet this year was on the wrist of Finn Callaghan, who opted for the Breitling Avenger B01 Chronograph with a beige dial. His form in 2025, however, was anything but beige, delivering a season where he averaged more than 28 touches a game.
If you enjoyed this wrap-up of the best watches of the Brownlow Medal 2025, check out a few of Boss Hunting's other celebrity and pop culture watch guides below:
