Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli has finished runner up in a thrilling 2021 Brownlow Medal count.

Bontempelli polled 33 votes – enough to win the AFL’s highest individual honour in most other seasons – but finished three behind Port Adelaide’s Ollie Wines.

Wines’ total of 36 votes equalled the previous highest Brownlow tally, achieved by Richmond’s Dustin Martin.

Bontempelli polled votes in 12 of his 22 games and was adjudged best afield in nine of those matches.

He hit the front in the count in Round 8, lost it briefly in Round 11 but recaptured it one week later.  Wines drew level in Round 21 before taking the lead in Round 22.

Bontempelli’s previous best Brownlow tally in a season was 22, which he recorded in 2019.  At just 25 years of age, he has now earned 130 votes in his career so far.

His midfield sidekick Jack Macrae was the Bulldogs’ second highest vote getter with 14, while Bailey Smith ended with eight votes and Adam Treloar polled seven.

It was an historic count in several ways, with a record four players polling 30 or more votes after Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver finished third with 33 and Carlton's Sam Walsh tallied 30 in fourth.

Brownlow Medal - Top five
Ollie Wines (PA) - 36 votes
Marcus Bontempelli (WB) - 33
Clayton Oliver (Melb) - 31
Sam Walsh (Carl) - 30
Darcy Parish (Ess) - 26
Jack Steele (StK) -26

Western Bulldogs - Top five
Marcus Bontempelli - 33
Jack Macrae - 14
Bailey Smith - 8
Adam Treloar - 7
Josh Bruce - 5

Team votes - Top five
96 – Melbourne
91 – Port Adelaide
85 – Western Bulldogs
85 – Sydney
82 – Geelong