AFL Players' Association Awards

[Axe Man]

Award winners

Leigh Matthews Trophy for the Most Valuable Player
1. Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn) – 773
2. Patrick Cripps (Carlton) – 529
3. Max Gawn (Melbourne) – 412
4. Dustin Martin (Richmond) – 304
5. Lance Franklin (Sydney) – 291

Robert Rose Most Courageous Award, presented by the Movember Foundation
1. Callan Ward (GWS) – 129
2. Dale Morris (Western Bulldogs) – 115
3. Joel Selwood (Geelong) – 77
4. Kade Simpson (Carlton) – 73
5. Ben Stratton (Hawthorn) – 53

Best First-Year Player Award, presented by The Line
1. Tim Kelly (Geelong) – 380
2. Jaidyn Stephenson (Collingwood) – 173
3. Cam Rayner (Brisbane) – 38
=4. Jack Higgins (Richmond) – 25
=4. Ed Richards (Western Bulldogs) – 25

Best Captain, presented by the Vintage Football Jumper Company
1. Trent Cotchin (Richmond) – 249
=2. Shannon Hurn (West Coast) – 68
=2. Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood) – 68
4. Joel Selwood (Geelong) – 51
5. Callan Ward (GWS) – 42

AFLPA 22Under22 team for 2018
B: Alex Witherden (BL), Harris Andrews (BL), Andrew McGrath (Ess)
HB: Conor McKenna (Ess), Tom Doedee (Adel), Jayden Short (Rich)
C: Angus Brayshaw (Melb), Clayton Oliver (Melb, v-capt.), Isaac Heeney (Syd)
HF: Jade Gresham (StK), Charlie Curnow (Carl), Jordan De Goey (Coll)
F: Ben Ronke (Syd), Eric Hipwood (BL), Jaidyn Stephenson (Coll)
Foll: Sean Darcy (Frem), Marcus Bontemptelli (WB, capt.), Zach Merrett (Ess)
I/C: Ed Langdon (Frem), Christian Petracca (Melb), Tom Phillips (Coll), Dan Butler (Rich)

Link

[Bulldog Revolution]

I understand its a strong midfield, but I struggle to believe that Toby McLean was not selected in that Under 22 team - ahead of particularly Ronke and Butler

[Greystache]

Given most players openly boast that they don't watch any football at all (why that's considered cool is absurd for professionals) I don't put too much value in their awards.

[Axe Man]

I understand its a strong midfield, but I struggle to believe that Toby McLean was not selected in that Under 22 team - ahead of particularly Ronke and Butler

Even Damian Barrett agrees with you there.

[Bulldog Joe]

For me the Players Awards are absolutely flawed.

Current players, for the most part are too absorbed in their own careers to have any real understanding. They are most likely swayed heavily by media coverage.

While Tom Mitchell has had a great year, I am not sure how any thinking person could consider him more valuable than Franklin, Gawn and Grundy for starters.

[Flamethrower]

Nothing more than a popularity contest - all hype and no substance.

[Sedat]

The players regularly take the piss when voting on these awards. One of the Lonie twins (can't remember which one, not that it matters) almost won the 'most courageous' award one year because another club's playing group all voted for him.

[Ozza]

Given most players openly boast that they don't watch any football at all (why that's considered cool is absurd for professionals) I don't put too much value in their awards.

Drives me crazy when they regularly say things like this. Its extremely unprofessional, to not have a good knowledge of what your opponents do.

As an example, maybe if they watched a few games, more of them would realise which players are going to turn on their left foot! How many times does everyone in the stadium know what a player is about to do, except for the player on the mark/defending him.

[Ozza]

For me the Players Awards are absolutely flawed.

Current players, for the most part are too absorbed in their own careers to have any real understanding. They are most likely swayed heavily by media coverage.

While Tom Mitchell has had a great year, I am not sure how any thinking person could consider him more valuable than Franklin, Gawn and Grundy for starters.

Absolutely. The favourite for the Brownlow wins the award every year. It’s incredibly lazy.
Tom Mitchell is not the most valuable player in his own team, which is why coaches are split on whether you bother to tag him or not.

[Go_Dogs]

Given most players openly boast that they don't watch any football at all (why that's considered cool is absurd for professionals) I don't put too much value in their awards.

It's bizarre. You'd never hear that from Lebron James about basketball.

[Twodogs]

Given most players openly boast that they don't watch any football at all (why that's considered cool is absurd for professionals) I don't put too much value in their awards.

I heard Soft Floors Cooney on the radio this morning. He was saying that the typical way the votes are allocated is the players sit in a room and somebody says "has anyone actually watched any footy this year?" and if someone pipes up and says that they did then everyone just copys what he puts down.

He didn't mention what they do if nobody said they had watched any footy.

(why that's considered cool is absurd for professionals)

I would suggest it's because they aren't all that professional.

[jeemak]

I can actually understand why those delivering the product don't want to watch what is largely considered one decreasing in quality.

Couple that with amateurish analysis of what is happening during and outside of games, commentators not bothering to get names of players right and continually creaming over only a few and over-hyping others (see BT and THE PACKAGE), just because, and I get why they wouldn't sit down and watch huge minutes of coverage.

Perhaps like the NAB Rising Star awards and pretty much every other AFL individual player awards, we should just acknowledge them for what they are. Flawed, and not worth worrying about too much.

[mjp]

I would suggest it's because they aren't all that professional.

I would suggest it's 'cos they watch so much of it in meetings that doing it at home would feel like work.

[hujsh]

I would suggest it's 'cos they watch so much of it in meetings that doing it at home would feel like work.

That's probably fair. We know that they do opposition analysis so it's not fair to say they're being unprofessional by not watching other matches. It's also probably healthy for them do do other things with their weekend that isn't football related.

Personally I only care to watch 1 game a week so I don't blame them for not wanting to watch more than that.