COLLINGWOOD star Nick Daicos and Adelaide skipper Jordan Dawson have closed the gap to leader Bailey Smith in the race for the Sharp EIT Solutions AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award, while Port Adelaide pair Zak Butters and Connor Rozee have also moved to within striking distance of the lead.
Butters was one of four perfect 10-vote games from round 16, along with young guns Joel Freijah and Daniel Curtin as well as Fremantle’s Jordan Clark.
The Power midfielder has moved to 57 votes in an injury-interrupted season, nine behind Smith, while Rozee’s seven votes from the win over Carlton has seen him move to 59 for the year.
Daicos picked up a game-high six votes in a bizarre spread of votes in Collingwood’s win over West Coast; apart from his six, four other players – Scott Pendlebury, Brady Hough, Liam Baker and Harry Perryman – got five votes each and two players picked up two votes each.
Daicos has moved to 59 votes for the season (equal fifth), while Dawson also grabbed six votes to move to 64 for the year, just two behind Smith.
Every week, the two senior coaches for each game give votes on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis, meaning 10 votes is the maximum a player can get in each round.
The player with the most votes at the end of the home and away season will win the Sharp EIT Solutions AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award.
Port Adelaide v Carlton
10 Zak Butters (PORT)
7 Connor Rozee (PORT)
6 Miles Bergman (PORT)
5 Mitchell Georgiades (PORT)
2 Esava Ratugolea (PORT)
Sydney v Western Bulldogs
10 Joel Freijah (WB)
8 Brodie Grundy (SYD)
6 Isaac Heeney (SYD)
4 Aaron Naughton (WB)
2 Lachie Bramble (WB)
Gold Coast v Melbourne
9 Jake Melksham (MELB)
9 Matt Rowell (GCFC)
4 John Noble (GCFC)
3 Touk Miller (GCFC)
2 Jarrod Witts (GCFC)
2 Kysaiah Pickett (MELB)
1 Sam Flanders (GCFC)
Hawthorn v North Melbourne
8 Jack Gunston (HAW)
8 Karl Amon (HAW)
7 Jai Newcombe (HAW)
4 Mabior Chol (HAW)
2 Conor Nash (HAW)
1 Lloyd Meek (HAW)
Collingwood v West Coast
6 Nick Daicos (COLL)
5 Harry Perryman (COLL)
5 Liam Baker (WCE)
5 Brady Hough (WCE)
5 Scott Pendlebury (COLL)
2 Darcy Cameron (COLL)
2 Jeremy Howe (COLL)
Richmond v Adelaide
10 Daniel Curtin (ADEL)
8 Riley Thilthorpe (ADEL)
6 Jordan Dawson (ADEL)
2 Wayne Milera (ADEL)
2 Max Michalanney (ADEL)
2 Jordon Butts (ADEL)
Fremantle v St Kilda
10 Jordan Clark (FRE)
6 Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (STK)
4 Hugo Garcia (STK)
3 Rowan Marshall (STK)
3 Max Hall (STK)
2 Josh Treacy (FRE)
1 Luke Jackson (FRE)
1 Sean Darcy (FRE)
LEADERBOARD
66 Bailey Smith (GEEL)
64 Noah Anderson (GCFC)
64 Jordan Dawson (ADEL)
62 Caleb Serong (FRE)
59 Nick Daicos (COLL)
59 Ed Richards (WB)
59 Connor Rozee (PORT)
58 Tristan Xerri (NMFC)
57 Zak Butters (PORT)
54 Max Gawn (MELB)
51 Hugh McCluggage (BL)
49 Andrew Brayshaw (FRE)
49 Max Holmes (GEEL)
