WESTERN Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli has won the Leigh Matthews Trophy for a third time, voted by his peers as the AFL Players' Association's Most Valuable Player of 2024.
Bontempelli added to his victories in 2021 and 2023 and now only trails Gary Ablett Jnr, who won five times, as the most prolific winner in the award's 42-year history.
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The only other multiple winners of the award are Greg Williams, Wayne Carey, Michael Voss, Chris Judd and Nat Fyfe.
The 28-year-old has had another stellar season, leading his Bulldogs into the finals while averaging 26 disposals a game, kicking 31 goals and ranking among the top seven in the competition for contested possessions, clearances and goal assists.
He beat 2019 winner Patrick Cripps and dynamic Sydney star Isaac Heeney for the top gong.
Bontempelli was also named Best Captain by his peers for the third time in his career, winning ahead of Cripps and Essendon skipper Zach Merrett.
Only Brisbane champion Voss (four times) has won the award more.
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For the second consecutive season, Port Adelaide vice-captain Zak Butters was crowned Robert Rose Most Courageous Player, ahead of Sydney's James Rowbottom and Richmond's Liam Baker, who tied for second.
It's the first time since Luke Parker in 2015-2016 that a player has won in back-to-back years.
Last year's No.1 draft pick, Harley Reid, was named the Best First-Year Player, joining Daniel Kerr (2001) and Chris Judd (2002) as the only West Coast players to win the award.
2024 AFLPA AWARDS
AFLPA MVP – Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
AFLPA Most Courageous – Zak Butters (Port Adelaide)
AFLPA Best First Year Player – Harley Reid (West Coast)
AFLPA Best Captain – Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
Leigh Matthews Trophy (MVP)
1. Marcus Bontempelli
2. Patrick Cripps
3. Isaac Heeney
4. Nick Daicos
5. Jesse Hogan
Robert Rose Award (Most Courageous)
1. Zak Butters
2. James Rowbottom and Liam Baker
4. Jeremy McGovern
5. Josh Dunkley
Best First-Year Player Award
1. Harley Reid
2. Darcy Wilson
3. Caleb Windsor
4. Colby McKercher
5. Lawson Humphries
Best Captain
1. Marcus Bontempelli
2. Patrick Cripps
3. Zach Merrett
4. Toby Greene
5. Max Gawn
The winners of the MVP, Best First-Year Player and Most Courageous Player are determined by a two-stage voting process.
Players first select three teammates, with those results tallied into a list of 54 nominees across the 18 clubs. All players then vote on a 3-2-1 basis, but they are not able to vote for a player at their own club. The player with the most votes wins.
Every captain is automatically nominated for the Best Captain Award.
