Tom Rockliff became just the third player in the Brisbane Lions’ merged history to receive 20 or more votes at the AFL Brownlow Medal count on Monday night.

Rockliff, who was absent from the count while overseas on holidays, polled a career-best 21 votes to finish equal sixth overall, alongside a couple of the pre-count favourites in Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood) and Daniel Hannebery (Sydney).

The only other two Lions players to poll 20 or more votes since the 1997 merger are past winners Jason Akermanis and Simon Black.

Akermanis polled 23 votes when he claimed the Medal in 2001, while Black has achieved the feat three times – in 2002 (he won the Medal with 25 votes), 2007 (he finished Runner-Up with 22 votes), and 2008 (he finished Runner-Up again with 23 votes).

Rockliff stormed home towards the end of the count after sitting on just two votes after Round 15.

But in the final eight rounds he racked up a remarkable 19 votes – 11 more than eventual winner Gary Ablett over the same period – to claim his first ever top 10 finish.

The late surge even surprised Rockliff himself, who saw the updates from the count via Twitter.

“Wow, well that is a shock…” he tweeted.

“Thanks for all the support guys! Would still rathe rbe playing than win the award though.”

It was the third straight year that Rockliff has topped the Lions’ tally on Brownlow night, after polling eight and nine votes respectively in 2012 and 2011.

His career tally now sits at 38 votes, which is the third most of any current player at the Club – behind seasoned veterans Black (184 votes) and Jonathan Brown (112 votes).

The performance was enough to suggest that Rockliff could very well take out the game’s highest individual honour at some stage in the future.  

2013 BROWNLOW MEDAL LEADERBOARD
1. Gary Ablett (GC) – 28 votes
2. Joel Selwood (GEEL) – 27 votes
3. Dane Swan (COLL) – 26 votes
4. Steve Johnson (GEEL) – 25 votes*
5. Patrick Dangerfield (ADEL) – 22 votes
=6. Tom Rockliff (BL) – 21 votes
=6. Scott Pendlebury (COLL) – 21 votes
=6. Daniel Hannebery (SYD) – 21 votes
=9. Trent Cotchin (RICH) – 19 votes
=9. Kieren Jack (SYD) – 19 votes

*Ineligible