The race for the 2017 Shadforth Financial Group AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award has heated up, with Dustin Martin reclaiming his lead from Patrick Dangerfield following Round 18.
Martin polled another 10 votes from the coaches for his 31 disposals, 10 inside 50s, 11 clearances and a goal in the wet against GWS, leaping over Dangerfield to lead by one vote with only five weeks remaining.
Dangerfield failed to receive a vote in Geelong’s loss to Adelaide after gathering 25 touches, 11 tackles and a goal.
The gap between the top two and the rest of the pack has widened slightly, with Tom Mitchell’s seven votes not enough to reduce the lead. Mitchell, who gathered 37 disposals in Saturday night’s win against Fremantle, sits 22 votes behind Dangerfield.
Five players received maximum votes for their Round 18 performance, including Melbourne’s Michael Hibberd (36 touches and nine rebounds), the Western Bulldogs’ Liam Picken (six goals), Callum Sinclair (five goals and eight contested marks) and Hawthorn’s Jack Gunston (35 disposals).
AFL Coaches’ Association votes for Round 18:
adelaide v geelong
9 Sloane (Adel), 6 Jacobs (Adel), 5 M. Crouch (Adel), 4 Douglas (Adel), 3 B. Crouch (Adel), 2 Greenwood (Adel), 1 Bews (Geel)
essendon v north melbourne
9 Z. Merrett (Ess), 7 Brown (NM), 7 Heppell (Ess), 4 Hooker (Ess), 3 Waite (NM)
melbourne v port adelaide
10 Hibberd (Melb), 5 Boak (PA), 4 Gawn (Melb), 4 Oliver (Melb), 3 Hunt (Melb), 3 Viney (Melb), 1 R. Gray (PA)
western bulldogs v gold coast
10 Picken (WB), 6 Biggs (WB), 6 Hunter (WB), 3 Johannisen (WB), 3 McLean (WB), 1 Dahlhaus (WB), 1 Wallis (WB)
sydney v st kilda
10 Sinclair (Syd), 5 Franklin (Syd), 5 Melican (Syd), 4 Grundy (Syd), 3 Dunstan (StK), 2 Heeney (Syd), 1 Kennedy (Syd)
Fremantle v hawthorn
10 Gunston (Haw), 7 Mitchell (Haw), 4 Breust (Haw), 4 Shiels (Haw), 4 Sicily (Haw), 1 Hardwick (Haw)
RICHMOND V gws giants
10 Martin (Rich), 6 Cotchin (Rich), 5 Davis (GWS), 5 Vlastuin (Rich), 4 Ward (GWS)
collingwood v west coast
8 De Goey (Coll), 5 Crisp (Coll), 5 Grundy (Coll), 5 Kennedy (WCE), 3 Greenwood (Coll), 2 Hurn (WCE), 2 Treloar (Coll)
brisbane v carlton
9 Zorko (BL), 7 D. Beams (BL), 6 Rockliff (BL), 4 Lester (BL), 2 Andrews (BL), 2 Murphy (Carl)
LEADERBOARD
92 — DUSTIN MARTIN (RICH)
91 — PATRICK DANGERFIELD (GEEL)
69 – TOM MITCHELL (HAW)
67 – ZACH MERRETT (ESS)
66 — DAYNE ZORKO (BRIS)
62 — RORY SLOANE (ADEL)
61 — GARY ABLETT (GC)
59 — JOEL SELWOOD (GEEL)
58 — SEBASTIAN ROSS (STK)
57 — ELLIOT YEO (WC)