THEY began the season at astronomical odds, but Robbie Gray and Jordan Lewis will start Monday night's Brownlow Medal count as two of the favourites.

Both men opened betting paying $501 to win, but TAB.com.au now has Port Adelaide's Gray ($6) as the outright third favourite and Hawthorn's Lewis ($9) the fourth.

Gray has already taken out the AFLCA player of the year award, while Lewis has vaulted into calculations after the best season of his career.

Lewis would be one of the worst results for bookmakers if he were to win, with one punter putting $5000 on the prolific Hawk when he was paying $10.

Gray and Lewis will start the night behind favourite Joel Selwood ($2.50) and dual winner Gary Ablett ($3.50).

Despite missing the final seven games of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery, Ablett is still rated a huge chance to add to his 2009 and 2013 victories.

At the time of his injury in round 16 against Collingwood, he was a raging favourite at $1.60 and is expected to have a substantial lead at that stage of the count.

Essendon's Dyson Heppell would be another poor result for the bookies, with the Bomber rated an $11 chance, and one punter having put $1100 on him to win at $9.

Aside from Lewis, Sydney Swans pair Josh Kennedy ($10) and Lance Franklin ($21) are both highly-fancied chances of starting off their big Grand Final week with the game's most prestigious individual honour.

Despite the multitude of options, history shows the smart money goes with the favourites.

Six of the past 11 winners have started the night as the favourite.

Winning the AFLCA award historically has meant little on Brownlow night. 

Adam Goodes won the award in 2003 and then shared the Brownlow with Mark Ricciuto and Nathan Buckley, but since then only Ablett, in 2009, has taken out both prizes.

Some of TAB.com.au's biggest bets have been on exotics.

One punter placed $50,000 on Selwood at $1.22 to finish in the top five, while another punter placed two separate bets - $20,000 at $1.28 and $30,000 at $1.22 - on Heppell to poll the most votes for Essendon.

Gray attracted a $100 each-way bet at $101/26 on May 25, and a $1000 bet at $34/9.25 on August 18.

One big bet apparently destined for failure was $1000 on Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands to win at $21 on April 3. He is now $81 to win the Brownlow.