The ball magnet or the dominant ruckman? Even the coaches couldn’t split Collingwood’s dynamic duo in the 2018 Shadforth Financial Group AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award in Round 4.
Steele Sidebottom and Brodie Grundy were easily the two best players on the ground in the Magpies’ triumph against Adelaide on Friday night, with both players receiving nine votes from the respective coaches.
Sidebottom tore the Adelaide midfield apart, collecting 43 disposals — 26 of which were contested — and 12 clearances, while Grundy put in a monstrous performance in the ruck, amassing 33 touches — 23 of which were contested — 12 clearances and kicking a great running goal during one of footy’s toughest away trips.
The votes elevate Sidebottom to second on the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award leaderboard, only two votes behind leader Tom Mitchell, who failed to poll in the Hawks’ dominant display on Sunday, while Grundy jumped to equal third place.
Mitchell recorded 24 disposals, remarkably his lowest tally since Round 21, 2016, and 13 clearances as the Hawks restricted Melbourne to only one goal after quarter-time.
Four players received maximum coaches’ votes in Round 4, including Nick Haynes (29 disposals and 15 marks), Ben Brown (five goals), Liam Shiels (31 touches and 14 tackles) and Brandan Parfitt (28 disposals and three goals).
AFL Coaches’ Association votes for Round 4:
adelaide v collingwood
9 Grundy (Coll), 9 Sidebottom (Coll), 5 Stephenson (Coll), 4 Treloar (Coll), 3 Pendlebury (Coll)
gws giants v fremantle
10 Haynes (GWS), 8 Deledio (GWS), 3 Shaw (GWS), 3 Ward (GWS), 2 Greene (GWS), 2 S. Hill (Frem), 1 Cameron (GWS), 1 Taranto (GWS)
richmond v brisbane
9 Martin (Rich), 8 Cotchin (Rich), 5 Lambert (Rich), 3 Astbury (Rich), 2 Castagna (Rich), 2 Grigg (Rich), 1 Conca (Rich)
western bulldogs v sydney
8 Heeney (Syd), 5 Macrae (WB), 4 Naughton (WB), 4 Parker (Syd), 3 Rampe (Syd), 2 Franklin (Syd), 2 McLean (WB), 1 Suckling (WB), 1 Williams (WB)
north melbourne v carlton
10 Brown (NM), 7 Higgins (NM), 6 Atley (NM), 5 Thompson (NM), 1 Anderson (NM), 1 Turner (NM)
west coast v gold coast
9 McGovern (WCE), 9 Yeo (WCE), 3 Cripps (WCE), 3 Kennedy (WCE), 2 Gaff (WCE), 2 Masten (WCE), 1 Darling (WCE), 1 Naitanui (WCE)
essendon v port adelaide
8 Hurley (Ess), 6 R. Gray (PA), 6 Heppell (Ess), 5 Myers (Ess), 3 Goddard (Ess), 2 Z. Merrett (Ess)
hawthorn v melbourne
10 Shiels (Haw), 7 Breust (Haw), 7 O’Meara (Haw), 2 Impey (Haw), 2 Smith (Haw), 1 Sicily (Haw), 1 Stratton (Haw)
geelong v st kilda
10 Parfitt (Geel), 7 Menzel (Geel), 7 Stewart (Geel), 2 Dangerfield (Geel), 2 J. Selwood (Geel), 1 Menegola (Geel), 1 Tuohy (Geel)
LEADERBOARD
26 — TOM MITCHELL (HAW)
24 — STEELE SIDEBOTTOM (COLL)
23 — BRODIE GRUNDY (COLL)
23 — RORY LAIRD (ADEL)
23 — DUSTIN MARTIN (RICH)
22 — BEN BROWN (NM)
19 — MAX GAWN (MELB)
18 — STEPHEN CONIGLIO (GWS)
18 — NAT FYFE (FREM)
18 — LANCE FRANKLIN (SYD)
18 — TRENT COTCHIN (RICH)