Could this be the year another Docker gets a Brownlow?

At 24, Caleb Serong’s CV is already stacked full of accolades: he’s been a rising star, AFLPA best first year player, AFLCA best young player, has two All-Australian blazers, a dual Doig Medallist and is a four-time Glendinning-Allan Medallist.

Serong’s vice-captaincy shows how highly he’s valued internally, while he’s widely regarded as one of the competition’s best midfielders.

Come September, this may well be formalised by taking home the game’s highest individual honour.

And right now, Serong is making his Brownlow bid.

On the national stage of Thursday night football, the star delivered his most complete performance of the season against Essendon.

Thirty-five touches at 83 per cent efficiency, seven clearances, two goals, 783 metres gained and 10 inside-50s.

It’s a game midfielders dream of – winning the ball at the source and making it count, gaining territory for their team and impacting the scoreboard.

It was the most recent showing of a purple patch which has coincided with Fremantle winning five on the bounce.

Serong has been at the forefront of the Dockers’ winning ways.

The AFL website has listed him as the best Docker in victories over the Bombers and Suns, second most influential against the Giants and third in games against the Kangaroos and Power.

Aiding his cause, he’s a proven vote-getter.

In 2023, he finished seventh with 24 votes, while last year Serong was fourth with 28.

The man many feel toughest to overcome is Magpies maestro Nick Daicos.

In his three years in the game, the 22 year-old has polled a ridiculous 77 votes.

From 11 in 2022, Daicos jumped to 28 then 38 last year, the son of a gun has received votes in 34 of 70 games entering 2025, with half of those banking the full complement.

However, Serong’s numbers well and truly stack up compared to Daicos’ so far this year, with the Docker also leading the competition for clearances.

Nat Fyfe is the only Fremantle player to have won the Brownlow, first in 2015, before adding a second four years on.

But if Serong can maintain the rage, he may just add “Charlie” to his growing honour roll.

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