Geelong superstar Gary Ablett was in fine form against his old side in Round 11 and was duly rewarded by the coaches in the 2018 Shadforth Financial Group AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award.
Ablett, who collected 37 disposals and kicked three goals in the 85-point win, recorded eight votes from the coaches, with teammate Mitch Duncan receiving maximum coaches votes for his 32 touches and six inside 50s.
Incredibly, the top seven players on the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award leaderboard didn’t poll a single vote between them, with Steele Sidebottom, Andrew Gaff and Dustin Martin the only three players inside the top 10 to poll votes from Round 11, while Brodie Grundy re-enters the table.
Seven players received maximum votes from the coaches, including Duncan, Callum Sinclair (22 disposals and two goals), Shane Edwards (32 touches and two goals), Josh Kennedy (six goals), Shaun Higgins (38 disposals and one goal), Tom Phillips (36 touches and three goals) and Dylan Shiel (30 disposals and one goal).
Here are the top three vote-getters from each game in Round 11 (see the full AFL Coaches’ Association votes at aflcoaches.com.au):
sydney v carlton
10 Sinclair (Syd), 8 Heeney (Syd), 4 Hewett (Syd)
western bulldogs v melbourne
9 T. McDonald (Melb), 8 Jetta (Melb), 6 Hogan (Melb)
hawthorn v port adelaide
9 Burgoyne (Haw), 9 Sicily (Haw), 3 Gunston (Haw)
gold coast v geelong
10 Duncan (Geel), 8 Ablett (Geel), 3 Blicavs (Geel)
essendon v richmond
10 Edwards (Rich), 6 Rance (Rich), 5 Vlastuin (Rich)
west coast v st kilda
10 Kennedy (WCE), 8 Membrey (StK), 5 Hurn (WCE)
north melbourne v brisbane
10 Higgins (NM), 7 D Beams (BL), 6 Cunnington (NM)
collingwood v fremantle
10 Phillips (Coll), 5 Sidebottom (Coll), 5 Hoskin-Elliott (Coll)
adelaide v gws giants
10 Shiel (GWS), 6 Coniglio (GWS), 6 Griffen (GWS)
LEADERBOARD
51 — NAT FYFE (FREM)
46 — PATRICK CRIPPS (CARL)
45 — TRENT COTCHIN (RICH)
45 — MAX GAWN (MELB)
42 — JACK DARLING (WC)
40 — JACK MACRAE (WB)
40 — TOM MITCHELL (HAW)
38 — STEELE SIDEBOTTOM (COLL)
37 — ANDREW GAFF (WC)
35 — DUSTIN MARTIN (RICH)
35 — BRODIE GRUNDY (COLL)