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Coaches’ votes: Darling pounces

West Coast’s Jack Darling has capitilised on his dominant form by surging to second place on the 2018 Shadforth Financial Group AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award leaderboard.

The key forward kicked a career-high six goals and collected 21 disposals and six contested marks in the Eagles’ inspiring victory against Richmond at Optus Stadium and duly collected maximum votes from the respective coaches.

Currently second on the Coleman Medal table and also leading the league in contested marks, Darling joins Max Gawn to sit six votes behind leader Nat Fyfe, who failed to poll in the Dockers’ loss to Sydney.

After Friday night’s performance, Jack Macrae had the chance to launch to the top of the leaderboard but astonishingly didn’t register a vote from the coaches despite collecting 36 disposals – 25 of which were contested – 10 clearances and 13 tackles.

Five players received maximum coaches’ votes from their Round 9 performances including Darling, Eddie Betts (four goals), Cale Hooker (four contested marks and 21 disposals), Jordan De Goey (six goals) and Jake Melksham (five goals).

AFL Coaches’ Association votes for Round 9:

adelaide v western bulldogs

10 Betts (Adel), 7 Seedsman (Adel), 6 Ellis-Yolmen (Adel), 4 Greenwood (Adel), 2 Laird (Adel), 1 Gibbs (Adel)

north melbourne v gws giants

9 Waite (NM), 8 Brown (NM), 5 Goldstein (NM), 4 Anderson (NM), 2 Jacobs (NM), 1 Hopper (GWS), 1 Ziebell (NM)

gold coast v port adelaide

9 Powell-Pepper (PA), 6 Boak (PA), 4 Byrne-Jones (PA), 4 Jonas (PA), 3 Witts (GCS), 2 Wines (PA), 2 Wingard (PA)

essendon v geelong

10 Hooker (Ess), 8 McKernan (Ess), 6 Heppell (Ess), 2 Z. Merrett (Ess), 2 Zaharakis (Ess), 1 Baguley (Ess), 1 Goddard (Ess)

sydney v fremantle

9 Lloyd (Syd), 9 McVeigh (Syd), 6 Parker (Syd), 2 Mills (Syd), 2 Rampe (Syd), 1 Heeney (Syd), 1 Kennedy (Syd)

st kilda v collingwood

10 De Goey (Coll), 6 Phillips (Coll), 5 Pendlebury (Coll), 4 Howe (Coll), 3 Newnes (StK), 2 Sidebottom (Coll)

carlton v melbourne

10 Melksham (Melb), 8 T. McDonald (Melb), 6 Jones (Melb), 2 Gawn (Melb), 2 Lever (Melb), 1 Cripps (Carl), 1 Neal-Bullen (Melb)

brisbane v hawthorn

9 McCluggage (BL), 5 D. Beams (BL), 5 Cutler (BL), 4 Andrews (BL), 4 Zorko (BL), 2 Mitchell (Haw), 1 Hipwood (BL)

west coast v richmond

10 Darling (WCE), 8 Yeo (WCE), 5 Riewoldt (Rich), 3 McGovern (WCE), 3 Naitanui (WCE), 1 Gaff (WCE)

LEADERBOARD

48 — NAT FYFE (FREM)
42 — JACK DARLING (WC)
42 — MAX GAWN (MELB)
40 — JACK MACRAE (WB)
40 — TOM MITCHELL (HAW)
38 — PATRICK CRIPPS (CARL)
37 — TRENT COTCHIN (RICH)
34 — RORY LAIRD (ADEL)
33 — STEELE SIDEBOTTOM (COLL)
31 — BEN BROWN (NM)
31 — DUSTIN MARTIN (RICH)