COLLINGWOOD midfielder Dane Swan has won the 2011 Brownlow Medal, polling a record 34 votes.
Swan, 27, who will play in Saturday's Grand Final against Geelong, won the count by four votes from ineligible Hawthorn onballer Sam Mitchell.
St Kilda midfielder Nick Dal Santo finished third on 28 votes.
Swan's Magpies teammate Scott Pendlebury finished equal fourth on 24 votes with Western Bulldogs captain Matthew Boyd.
Pre-count favourite, dual Brownlow winner and Carlton captain Chris Judd, won 23 votes, while Sydney Swans co-captain Adam Goodes, another dual medallist expected to be among the leaders, managed 19.
Swan stormed home with five best on ground performances after Collingwood's round 13 bye, and polled votes in nine out of 11 matches after his mid-season recuperative trip to Arizona.
His triumph was later described by coach Mick Malthouse as a deserved highlight in what had been a "great story" of a career, which started when Swan was drafted by the Pies with selection No.58 in the 2001 NAB AFL Draft.
Mitchell finished on 30 votes, but was ineligible after pleading guilty to head high contact on Geelong's Steve Johnson in round five and receiving a reprimand.
Swan's 34 votes were the highest recorded under the 3-2-1 system. Essendon's Graham Moss (48 in 1976) and South Melbourne's Graham Teasdale (59 in 1977) recorded their totals in seasons in which both field umpires awarded votes separately.
The record was previously held by St Kilda's Robert Harvey, who polled 32 votes to win his second medal in 1998.
Judd polled 23 with Gold Coast skipper Gary Ablett, and became the first player in VFL/AFL history to poll more than 20 votes in five different Brownlow counts, while Ablett picked up 23 of the Suns' total of 38 votes.
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Swan averaged 31 possessions for the second consecutive season, although he missed one home and away match this year - the Pies' round 12 clash with Melbourne - while he was on his mid-season high-altitude trip.
Last year, he arrived at Crown Palladium as favourite for the medal and placed third with 24 votes behind Judd (30) and Ablett (28).
This time he had no such trouble, and said when interviewed immediately after the count he felt less pressure coming to the night without the burden of favouritism.
"It was great just to come in, nice and relaxed, not expecting to win it and just have a bit of fun and cheer 'Pendles' home," Swan said.
"Favourites don't win Brownlows, obviously.
"You look at the sheet they've got and think I might poll a few here and I hoped I'd poll alright but I certainly didn't expect to win.
"I came here hoping to cheer Pendles home and hoping for one of us to go close and it happened to be me."
The count featured plenty of drama, with former Hawks skipper Mitchell leading for seven of the final 11 rounds and his ineligible teammate Lance Franklin prolific in the first half of the season.
It took Judd a while to make it onto the board, with his first votes - two against Adelaide - coming in round five.
Essendon captain Jobe Watson led going into round eight with 11 votes but his run ended when he strained his hamstring against the Brisbane Lions and missed the next three games - two with the injury and one with a bye.
After round nine, Swan led on 13 with Pendlebury second on 12, but Franklin was the surprise packet with four best on ground votes putting him on 12 votes.
At that mark Judd and Goodes were on six and five respectively.
Franklin's two votes against the Western Bulldogs - and Dale Thomas' second best on ground in a row for Collingwood - meant the big Hawk took over the lead the next week.
At the start of round 12 Swan packed his bags for the US and was absent from the Pies' win over the Demons.
Pendlebury also missed out on votes in that match after he had claimed the lead from Franklin with three votes in round 11 against St Kilda.
Swan hit the front in round 15 after polling two votes against Hawthorn and was neck and neck with Mitchell for a further four rounds until the Hawk edged in front by one after being judged best afield against North Melbourne.
The Magpie returned to the lead in round 22 after earning three votes for his 33 touches against the Brisbane Lions - a round in which Mitchell failed to poll for his 25-disposal match against Carlton.
Swan then picked up a final three against Fremantle before missing out in Collingwood's 96-point loss to Geelong in round 24.
He said later he expected his younger vice-captain to break through at some point in his career to replicate the honour.
"There's no doubt in my mind that Pendlebury will win a Brownlow at some stage," he said.
"He's a super talent and he was a bit unlucky in some games he didn't get votes in tonight and I was probably a bit fortunate."
Swan also said the win would not affect him this week as the Pies prepared for the Grand Final, and still expected to be ordered into the chilly bay at recovery on Tuesday morning despite being crowned the League's best and fairest.
