Collingwood’s Steele Sidebottom has risen to the top of the leaderboard in the AFL Coaches’ Association Gary Ayres Award, following his perfect 10 against GWS.
The Pies’ midfield maestro was judged best afield by the coaches after his 31 disposals in the 10-point win over GWS on Saturday night.
Melbourne’s Jack Viney also received maximum coaches votes for his 27 disposals and relentless attack on the contest as the Demons advanced to their first preliminary final since 2000.
Votes for the Gary Ayres Award are issued for every game of the final series by the competing coaches on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis.
The award was introduced by the AFLCA for the 2016 season, with Josh Kennedy (2016) and Dustin Martin (2017) the only recipients, and is named in honour of one of the game’s great finals players.
Gary Ayres won five premierships with Hawthorn between 1983 and 1991, claiming the 1986 and 1988 Norm Smith medals in the process.
The AFL Coaches’ Association votes for the second week of finals (see every vote from all the rounds in 2018 at AFLCoaches.com.au):
HAWTHORN V MELBOURNE
10 Viney (Melb), 6 Gunston (Haw), 6 Jetta (Melb), 6 T. McDonald (Melb), 1 Gawn (Melb), 1 Smith (Haw).
COLLINGWOOD V GWS
10 Sidebottom (Coll), 8 Maynard (Coll), 4 Whitfield (GWS), 3 Coniglio (GWS), 3 De Goey (Coll), 2 Treloar (Coll).
LEADERBOARD
15 — STEELE SIDEBOTTOM (COLL)
10 — DYLAN GRIMES (RICH)
10 — JACK VINEY (MELB)
10 — ELLIOT YEO (WCE)
9 — TOBY GREENE (GWS)
9 — TOM MCDONALD (MELB)
9 — SAM WEIDEMAN (MELB)
8 — PHIL DAVIS (GWS)
8 — JAMES HARMES (MELB)
8 — BRAYDEN MAYNARD (COLL)