Western Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli has entered the 2017 Shadforth Financial Group AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award leader board for the first time since Round 9, polling maximum coaches’ votes from the weekend’s play.
Bontempelli collected 23 disposals, six clearances and kicked two goals from six scoring shots as the Bulldogs overcame a spirited Lions’ outfit at the Gabba on Saturday evening. His 10 votes in Round 20 sees the 21-year-old jump into sixth on the leader board.
Ladder leader Dustin Martin capitalised on Patrick Dangerfield’s one-week suspension by increasing his lead over last year’s winner, polling three votes from the coaches for his 32-disposals, two-goal effort against the Hawks on Sunday.
Martin now leads by 10 votes from Dangerfield, with 25 votes separating the Geelong star and the third-placed Tom Mitchell.
Six players received maximum coaches’ votes in Round 20, including GWS’ Josh Kelly (27 disposals and three goals), Essendon’s Dyson Heppell (34 touches and one goal), Fremantle’s Brad Hill (33 disposals), St Kilda’s Jack Steele (26 touches and 12 tackles) and Richmond’s Kane Lambert (30 disposals and eight inside 50s).
AFL Coaches’ Association votes for Round 20:
geelong v sydney
9 Parker (Syd), 6 McVeigh (Syd), 5 Duncan (Geel), 5 Hannebery (Syd), 3 Reid (Syd), 1 Menegola (Geel), 1 Papley (Syd)
gws v melbourne
10 Kelly (GWS), 8 Ward (GWS), 6 Coniglio (GWS), 2 Gawn (Melb), 2 Lewis (Melb), 1 Shaw (GWS), 1 Shiel (GWS)
essendon v carlton
10 Heppell (Ess), 6 McDonald-Tipungwuti (Ess), 4 Kreuzer (Carl), 4 Zaharakis (Ess), 2 Goddard (Ess), 2 Jones (Carl), 2 Murphy (Carl)
brisbane v western bulldogs
10 Bontempelli (WB), 7 Macrae (WB), 5 McLean (WB), 5 Rich (BL), 2 Hunter (WB), 1 Walker (BL)
north melbourne v collingwood
9 Adams (Coll), 8 Treloar (Coll), 4 Sidebottom (Coll), 3 Langdon (Coll), 3 Ziebell (NM), 2 Crisp (Coll), 1 De Goey (Coll)
fremantle v gold coast
10 B. Hill (Frem), 5 Ryan (Frem), 4 Fyfe (Frem), 4 S. Hill (Frem), 4 Neale (Frem), 2 McCarthy (Frem), 1 Hanley (GCS)
st kilda v west coast
10 Steele (StK), 5 Kennedy (WCE), 4 Dunstan (StK), 4 Longer (StK), 3 Billings (StK), 3 Hurn (WCE), 1 Stevens (StK)
richmond v hawthorn
10 Lambert (Rich), 8 Caddy (Rich), 5 Sicily (Haw), 4 Prestia (Rich), 3 Martin (Rich)
adelaide v port adelaide
9 Jacobs (Adel), 7 Sloane (Adel), 5 Walker (Adel), 4 M. Crouch (Adel), 3 Betts (Adel), 1 B. Crouch (Adel), 1 Lynch (Adel)
LEADERBOARD
104 — DUSTIN MARTIN (RICH)
94 — PATRICK DANGERFIELD (GEEL)
69 — TOM MITCHELL (HAW)
69 — RORY SLOANE (ADEL)
67 — ZACH MERRETT (ESS)
66 — DAYNE ZORKO (BRIS)
65 — MARCUS BONTEMPELLI (WB)
62 — CLAYTON OLIVER (Melb)
61 — GARY ABLETT (GC)
61 — JOEL SELWOOD (GEEL)