Mitchell became just the 29^th player in the 18 counts since the 2000 Brownlow Medal to poll at least 25 votes in a season

In addition to Mitchell, Nick Dal Santo is the only other player in that group of 29 who has not won either a Brownlow Medal, a premiership, or both. 

25 votes would have won Mitchell six of the 18 Brownlow counts since 2000, and 55 of the 85 Medals since the current 3-2-1 voting procedure began in 1931.

Read: Hawthorn's 2017 Brownlow wrap

The only Hawks to have polled 25 votes or more since 2000 are players that have the surname Mitchell. Tom’s performance this season joined the feat Sam achieved in 2011, 2012 and 2015. Since the current voting system has been in place, Shane Crawford is the only other Hawk to have polled at least 25 votes, managing 28 votes in his Brownlow winning year of 1999.

This statistic excludes the 1976 and 1977 seasons’ counts, when the two field umpires voted independently before collating their 3-2-1 votes. In those years, Peter Knights polled 45 to finish runner-up in 1976 and Leigh Matthews was awarded 34 votes in 1977, to 'technically' become the only other Hawks to have exceeded the quarter-century mark.

Two of the past three players who finished with exactly 25 votes (Dustin Martin in 2016 and Nat Fyfe in 2014) went on to win the award the following year. The other, Sydney's Josh Kennedy, went on to play in a grand final the following season, and captain his side the next.

Mitchell became the 17^th Hawthorn player to finish in the top three of a Brownlow Medal count. The previous 16 players are as follows:

Stan Spinks (second in 1938)

Wally Culpitt (third in 1947)

Col Austen (winner in 1949)

Brendan Edwards (second in 1958)

Ian Law (third in 1961)

Phil Hay (second in 1964)

Peter Hudson (second in 1971)

Peter Knights (second in 1976 and 1978)

Terry Wallace (third in 1982)

Leigh Matthews (third in 1973 and 1982)

Robert DiPierdomenico (winner in 1986)

John Platten (winner in 1987 and second in 1989)

Jason Dunstall (second in 1988 and 1992)

Darren Jarman (second in 1995)

Shane Crawford (winner in 1999 and third in 2002)

Sam Mitchell (second in 2011, winner in 2012 and third in 2015)

Players to have polled 25 or more votes in each year since 2000

2017

Dustin Martin (36)

Patrick Dangerfield (33)

Tom Mitchell (25)

2016

Patrick Dangerfield (35)

Luke Parker (26)

Dustin Martin (25)

2015

Nat Fyfe (31)

Matt Priddis (28)

Sam Mitchell (26)

Josh P. Kennedy (25)

2014

Matt Priddis (26)

Nat Fyfe (25)

2013

Gary Ablett (28)

Joel Selwood (27)

Dane Swan (26)

Steve Johnson (25)

2012

Trent Cotchin (26)

Sam Mitchell (26)

Dane Swan (25)

2011

Dane Swan (34)

Sam Mitchell (30)

Nick Dal Santo (28)

2010

Chris Judd (30)

Gary Ablett (26)

2009

Gary Ablett (30)

2008

nil

2007

Jimmy Bartel (29)

2006

Adam Goodes (26)

2005

nil

2004

Chris Judd (30)

2003

nil

2002

Simon Black (25)

2001

nil

2000

nil