A 17-disposal and four-clearance effort from the Western Bulldogs’ Ellie Blackburn has propelled her to second place on the Shadforth Financial Group AFLCA AFLW Champion Player of the Year Award leaderboard following Round 5.
The exciting 23-year-old received 10 votes from the coaches in her side’s eight-point win against Collingwood on Sunday and now sits as the likely challenger to Adelaide star Chelsea Randall for the title with two weeks remaining.
Randall continued her dominant form, collecting 15 disposals, seven tackles and nine coaches’ votes as the Crows kept their season alive by comfortably accounting for the Blues on Saturday. Randall sits five votes ahead of Blackburn.
The GWS Giants’ Courtney Gum received maximum coaches’ votes to leap onto the leaderboard with a 16-disposal and eight-tackle performance in Round 5, while Melbourne star Daisy Pearce was also unanimously named best on ground after collecting 24 disposals, five clearances and two goals against the Lions.
AFL Coaches’ Association votes for Round 5:
Melbourne v brisbane
10 Pearce (Melb), 7 Lutkins (BL), 5 O’Dea (Melb), 5 Paxman (Melb), 3 Frederick-Traub (BL)
fremantle v gws giants
10 Gum (GWS), 4 Antonio (Frem), 4 Barclay (GWS), 3 Beeson (GWS), 3 McWilliams (GWS), 2 Cain (Frem), 2 Staunton (GWS), 1 Donnellan (Frem), 1 Farrugia (GWS)
adelaide v carlton
9 Marinoff (Adel), 9 Randall (Adel), 4 Loynes (Carl), 3 Varnhagen (Adel), 3 Wallace (Adel), 1 Harrington (Carl), 1 Moody (Carl)
collingwood v western bulldogs
10 Blackburn (WB), 7 Conti (WB), 4 Edwards (Coll), 4 Garner (Coll), 4 Kearney (WB), 1Molloy (Coll)
LEADERBOARD
35 — CHELSEA RANDALL (ADEL)
30 — ELLIE BLACKBURN (WB)
29 — KATE LUTKINS (BL)
28 — EMMA KEARNEY (WB)
28 — DAISY PEARCE (MELB)
20 — COURTNEY GUM (GWS)
19 — KARA DONNELLAN (FREM)
18 — ALICIA EVA (GWS)
17 — CHLOE MOLLOY (COLL)
17 — EBONY ANTONIO (FREM)