Ahead of the AFL Players’ Association MVP Awards on Thursday, August 30, each player from the 18 AFL clubs voted for who they consider their Most Courageous player.
The Robert Rose Most Courageous Award, presented by Movember, has been awarded annually since 1991, with Collingwood’s Gavin Brown winning the inaugural accolade.
To highlight how the definition of courage has evolved in the players’ eyes, the AFL playing group has made the decision to evolve the AFL Players’ Most Courageous Award for the first time in 2018 to ensure that courageous off-field acts can be honoured at the end of each season.
Earlier this week, the AFL Players’ Association, in partnership with the Movember Foundation, launched Courageous Conversations, a series where four AFL players shared their personal experiences with mental health.
The Most Courageous Award has featured 14 different winners. Former North Melbourne hard man Glenn Archer has been voted the league’s Most Courageous on six occasions, while ex-Swan Paul Kelly has won five times.
Geelong’s Joel Selwood is third with four Most Courageous titles, while former Brisbane champion Jonathan Brown has three.
THE ROBERT ROSE AWARD FOR MOST COURAGEOUS PLAYER 2018 NOMINEES:
Adelaide: Tom Doedee
Brisbane: Darcy Gardiner
Carlton: Kade Simpson
Collingwood: Taylor Adams
Essendon: Matt Dea
Fremantle: Ed Langdon
Geelong: Joel Selwood
Gold Coast: David Swallow
GWS Giants: Callan Ward
Hawthorn: Ben Stratton
Melbourne: Neville Jetta
North Melbourne: Jed Anderson
Port Adelaide: Tom Jonas
Richmond: Dylan Grimes
St Kilda: Jimmy Webster
Sydney: Isaac Heeney
West Coast: Brad Sheppard
Western Bulldogs: Dale Morris