Club best and fairests are usually graded slightly differently to the Brownlow Medal, however the overall premise is still the same: the best on ground is awarded the highest votes.

Therefore comparing the Syd Barker to the Brownlow is an interesting exercise. In North Melbourne’s night of nights, four and five-vote performances are rare.

Over the course of the home and away season, there were just 26 instances of a player being awarded more than three votes in the Syd Barker Medal. On 17 occasions they also received Brownlow votes. The unlucky players to miss out were:

- Scott Thompson (Round 4)
- Leigh Adams (Round 4)
- Todd Goldstein (Round 12, 19, 20)
- Lachlan Hansen (Round 16)
- Drew Petrie (Round 16)
- Andrew Swallow (Round 20)
- Luke McDonald (Round 22)

Conversely, there were three occasions where a Roo received the three Brownlow votes without polling either a four or five in the Syd Barker.

- Lachlan Hansen (Round 7)
- Brent Harvey (Round 12, 13)
- Nick Dal Santo (Round 16)

Here is the complete comparison between the Syd Barker and Brownlow Medal.

Round 2 v Western Bulldogs

Syd Barker

4: Thompson (22 disposals, 6 marks), Brent Harvey (25 disposals, 6 inside 50’s, 3 goals)

Brownlow

3. Brent Harvey
2. Nick Dal Santo (Syd Barker: 3 votes)
1. Scott Thompson

Round 3 v Port Adelaide

Syd Barker

4: Cunnington (30 disposals, 9 clearances, 7 tackles)

Brownlow

3. Ben Cunnington
2. Travis Boak (PA)
1. Nick Dal Santo (Syd Barker: 3 votes)

Round 4 v Sydney

Syd Barker

5: Cunnington (30 disposals, 10 tackles, 11 clearances), Thompson (24 disposals, 9 rebound 50’s, held Franklin goalless)
4: Wells (24 disposals, 3 goals), Adams (29 disposals, 7 tackles, 1 goal)

Brownlow

3. Ben Cunnington
2. Daniel Wells
1. Josh Kennedy (SYD)

Round 6 v Fremantle

Syd Barker

4: Harvey (29 disposals, 5 inside 50’s), Gibson (31 disposals, 2 goals)

Brownlow

3. Brent Harvey
2. Nat Fyfe (FREM)
1. Sam Gibson

Round 7 v Gold Coast

Brownlow

3. Lachlan Hansen (Syd Barker: 3 votes)
2. Gary Ablett
1. Dion Prestia

Round 9 v Brisbane

Syd Barker

4: Harvey (39 disposals, 2 goals), Gibson (35 disposals, 10 marks)

Brownlow

3. Brent Harvey
2. Sam Gibson
1. Lindsay Thomas (Syd Barker: 3 votes)

Round 11 v West Coast

Syd Barker

4: Cunnington (33 disposals, 8 clearances, 6 tackles)

Brownlow

3. Ben Cunnington
2. Nick Dal Santo (Syd Barker: 3 votes)
1. Matt Priddis (WCE)

Round 12 v Richmond

Syd Barker

4: Goldstein (20 disposals, 43 hit-outs)

Brownlow

3. Brent Harvey (Syd Barker: 3 votes)
2. Andrew Swallow (Syd Barker: 3 votes)
1. Dustin Martin (RICH)

Round 13 v Adelaide

Brownlow

3. Brent Harvey (Syd Barker: 3 votes)
2. Brodie Smith (ADEL)
1. Eddie Betts (ADEL)

Round 14 v Melbourne

Syd Barker

4: Greenwood (30 disposals, 8 marks, 2 goals)

Brownlow

3. Bernie Vince (MELB)
2. Scott Thompson (Syd Barker: 3 votes)
1. Levi Greenwood

Round 15 v Brisbane

Brownlow

3. Pearce Hanley (BRIS)
2. Dayne Zorko (BRIS)
1. Sam Gibson (Syd Barker: 0 votes)

Round 16 v Hawthorn

Syd Barker

4: Hansen (28 disposals, 14 marks), Petrie (5 goals)

Brownlow

3. Nick Dal Santo (Syd Barker: 3 votes)
2. Jack Gunston (HAW)
1. Andrew Swallow (Syd Barker: 2 votes)

Round 17 v St Kilda

Syd Barker

4: Goldstein (20 disposals, 39 hit-outs, 2 goals)

Brownlow

3. Todd Goldstein
2. Sam Wright (Syd Barker: 3 votes)
1. Ben Cunnington (Syd Barker: 2 votes)

Round 19 v Geelong

Syd Barker

4: Goldstein (18 disposals, 30 hit-outs)

Round 20 v GWS Giants

Syd Barker

4: Swallow (22 disposals, 7 clearances), Cunnington (29 disposals, 7 clearances, 3 goals), Petrie (18 disposals, 9 marks, 5 goals), Goldstein (20 disposals, 29 hit-outs)

Brownlow

3. Ben Cunnington
2. Drew Petrie
1. Ryan Bastinac (Syd Barker: 2 votes)

Round 21 v Western Bulldogs

Syd Barker

4: Swallow (29 disposals, 11 tackles, 10 clearances)

Brownlow

3. Andrew Swallow
2. Sam Gibson (Syd Barker: 3 votes)
1. Scott Thompson (Syd Barker: 3 votes)

Round 22 v Adelaide

Syd Barker

4: Ziebell (25 disposals, 4 goals), Swallow (24 disposals, 11 clearances), McDonald (tagged Sloane, held him to six kicks)

Brownlow

3. Jack Ziebell
2. Scott Thompson (ADEL)
1. Andrew Swallow

Round 23 v Melbourne

Brownlow

3. Dom Tyson (MELB)
2. Andrew Swallow (Syd Barker: 3 votes)
1. Ben Brown (Syd Barker: 3 votes)