It seems a formality.

The Brownlow Medal winner, the player voted the best and fairest player of the entire competition, should go on to take out his club’s best and fairest award, right?

Well, not necessarily.

History shows that over the past 17 years of the award, five players who took home the Charlie did not add a club best and fairest to their swag in the same year.

The most recent example is Matt Priddis, who won the Brownlow with 26 votes in 2014, but finished second to defender Eric Mackenzie in the John Worsfold Medal that same year.

In 2011, Dane Swan set a then-record number of votes in a season with 34 votes, but his heroics were not reflected in the Collingwood count as Scott Pendlebury won his first of five club best and fairest awards.

The list goes on.

Adam Cooney won the Medal in 2008, but teammate Daniel Cross’ season was rewarded with the best and fairest at the Dogs.

While Jimmy Bartel (2007) and Jason Akermanis (2001) were victims of their respective sides’ dominant midfield brigades as Gary Ablett Jnr got the nod over Bartel and Simon Black and Michael Voss were joint winners for the Lions in their first premiership year.

This year’s winner, Tom Mitchell, had an outstanding season, setting a new record for most disposals in a season, averaging 35.3 touches through his 24 games.

Ahead of Saturday’s Peter Crimmins Medal night, you would expect Mitchell to earn a back-to-back best and fairest award.

But he may have the likes of Luke Breust, Jack Gunston and Ben Stratton nipping at his heels more closely than some might think.