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Coaches votes: Martin scores perfect 10

LEADERBOARD

10 – Dayne Beams (Bris)
10 – Josh Kennedy (WCE)
10 – Rory Laird (Adel)
10 – Dustin Martin (Rich)
10 – Ollie Wines (PA)
9 – Dyson Heppell (Ess)
9 – Andrew Mackie (Geel)
9 – Zach Merrett (Ess)
9 – Clayton Oliver (Melb)
9 – Scott Pendlebury (Coll)

Richmond’s Dustin Martin has been recognised for his extraordinary Round 1 performance by receiving the full 10 votes for the Shadforth Financial Group AFL Coaches Association’s Champion Player of the Year award.

The midfield dynamo collected 33 disposals and kicked four goals as the Tigers defeated the Blues in the opening game for the 2017 AFL season and was unsurprisingly rewarded by the respective coaches.

A further four players joined Martin as maximum vote-getters for Round 1, with Brisbane’s Dayne Beams, West Coast’s Josh Kennedy, Adelaide’s Rory Laird and Port Adelaide’s Ollie Wines receiving 10 votes from the coaches.

Beams collected 28 touches, 10 contested possessions and six tackles while leading the Lions to a two-point win against the Suns, while Wines collected 33 disposals along with nine clearances in one of the upsets of Round 1.

Kennedy kicked seven goals from 16 disposals as the Eagles comfortably accounted for North Melbourne, while Laird collected a mammoth 40 touches against GWS in a dominant performance.

In other games, former Hawks Jordan Lewis and Sam Mitchell were both recognised by the coaches for their first performances in new colours.

Lewis received four votes for his 32 disposals for the Demons, while Mitchell collected two votes for his 38-touch effort for the Eagles.

AFL Coaches’ Association votes for Round 1:

Carlton v richmond

10 Martin (Rich), 8 Prestia (Rich), 4 Castagna (Rich), 3 Kreuzer (Carl), 3 Murphy (Carl), 1 Butler (Rich), 1 Cotchin (Rich)

COLLINGWOOD v western bulldogs

9 Pendlebury (Coll), 8 Johannisen (WB), 4 Roberts (WB), 3 Hunter (WB), 3 Sidebottom (Coll), 2 Murphy (WB), 1 Bontempelli (WB)

St kilda v melbourne

9 Oliver (Melb), 5 Gawn (Melb), 5 Vince (Melb), 4 Lewis (Melb), 3 Jones (Melb), 2 Hogan (Melb), 2 Riewoldt (StK)

Sydney v Port Adelaide

10 Wines (PA), 4 Ebert (PA), 4 Franklin (Syd), 4 Powell-Pepper (PA), 4 Ryder (PA), 2 Wingard (PA), 2 Young (PA)

Essendon v Hawthorn

9 Heppell (Ess), 9 Z. Merrett (Ess), 5 Fantasia (Ess), 5 Mitchell (Haw), 1 Baguley (Ess), 1 Goddard (Ess)

Gold Coast v Brisbane

10 D. Beams (BL), 6 Ablett (GCS), 5 Miller (GCS), 5 Rockliff (BL), 3 Andrews (BL), 1 Zorko (BL)

North Melbourne v west coast

10 Kennedy (WCE), 8 Yeo (WCE), 4 Le Cras (WCE), 3 Higgins (NM), 2 Mitchell (WCE), 2 Ziebell (NM), 1 Goldstein (NM)

adelaide v gws giants

10 Laird (Adel), 6 Cameron (Adel), 4 Atkins (Adel), 4 Douglas (Adel), 3 M. Crouch (Adel), 2 Betts (Adel), 1 Jenkins (Adel)

fremantle v geelong

9 Mackie (Geel), 5 Duncan (Geel), 5 J. Selwood (Geel), 4 Dangerfield (Geel), 3 Motlop (Geel), 2 Cockatoo (Geel), 1 S. Hill (Frem), 1 Touhy (Geel)