ESSENDON'S Zach Merrett has reduced Isaac Heeney's lead in the race for the AFL Champion Player Award, but the Sydney star is still on record pace at the top of the standings.

Merrett picked up a perfect 10 votes for Essendon's draw against Collingwood on Anzac Day, while Greater Western Sydney star Tom Green, Port Adelaide youngster Jase Burgoyne, Adelaide midfielder Rory Laird, Gold Coast ruckman Jarrod Witts and Geelong star Jeremy Cameron also picked up a perfect 10 votes from round seven.

>> SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL THE VOTES

But Heeney remains 17 votes ahead of Merrett in second spot after picking up seven votes in the win over Hawthorn to move to 54 from seven games this season.

He's just the second player in the history of the award to have more than 50 votes after seven rounds of the season. Nat Fyfe had 58 votes at this point of the 2015 campaign and while the Docker was ultimately run down by Swan Dan Hannebery that season, he did win the Brownlow Medal.

Max Gawn and Caleb Serong both picked up nine votes in round seven to move into the top five.

Richmond v Melbourne

9 Jake Lever (MELB)
9 Max Gawn (MELB)
4 Daniel Turner (MELB)
4 Trent Rivers (MELB)
2 Ed Langdon (MELB)
2 Steven May (MELB)

Essendon v Collingwood

10 Zach Merrett (ESS)
7 Brody Mihocek (COLL)
6 Andrew McGrath (ESS)
4 Kyle Langford (ESS)
3 Darcy Moore (COLL)

Greater Western Sydney v Brisbane

10 Tom Green (GWS)
8 Finn Callaghan (GWS)
5 Harry Himmelberg (GWS)
3 Harry Perryman (GWS)
3 Jack Buckley (GWS)
1 Kieren Briggs (GWS)

Port Adelaide v St Kilda

10 Jase Burgoyne (PORT)
5 Willem Drew (PORT)
5 Dan Houston (PORT)
4 Charlie Dixon (PORT)
4 Zak Butters (PORT)
1 Jack Sinclair (STK)
1 Callum Wilkie (STK)

North Melbourne v Adelaide

10 Rory Laird (ADEL)
8 Jordan Dawson (ADEL)
3 Taylor Walker (ADEL)
3 Josh Worrell (ADEL)
3 Izak Rankine (ADEL)
3 Reilly O'Brien (ADEL)

Geelong v Carlton

10 Jeremy Cameron (GEEL)
7 Gryan Miers (GEEL)
5 Marc Pittonet (CARL)
4 Patrick Cripps (CARL)
2 Max Holmes (GEEL)
2 Sam Walsh (CARL)

Fremantle v Western Bulldogs

9 Caleb Serong (FRE)
9 Nat Fyfe (FRE)
5 Bailey Dale (WB)
3 Andrew Brayshaw (FRE)
3 James Aish (FRE)
1 Liam Jones (WB)

Gold Coast v West Coast

10 Jarrod Witts (GCFC)
8 Noah Anderson (GCFC)
6 Matt Rowell (GCFC)
2 Jake Rogers (GCFC)
2 Touk Miller (GCFC)
2 Elliot Yeo (WCE)

Hawthorn v Sydney

7 Isaac Heeney (SYD)
5 Errol Gulden (SYD)
5 Oliver Florent (SYD)
5 Nick Blakey (SYD)
5 Chad Warner (SYD)
2 Dylan Moore (HAW)
1 Logan McDonald (SYD)

LEADERBOARD

54 Isaac Heeney (SYD)
37 Zach Merrett (ESS)
33 Max Gawn (MELB)
32 Jeremy Cameron (GEEL)
32 Caleb Serong (FRE)
31 Tom Green (GWS)
28 Matt Rowell (GCFC)
27 Noah Anderson (GCFC)
27 Patrick Cripps (CARL)
27 Errol Gulden (SYD)
27 Gryan Miers (GEEL)
27 Elliot Yeo (WCE)
25 Christian Petracca (MELB)
24 Zak Butters (PORT)
24 Connor Rozee (PORT)
23 Harry McKay (CARL)
20 Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
20 Nick Daicos (COLL)
19 Nick Blakey (SYD)
19 Shai Bolton (RICH)
19 Jordan Dawson (ADEL)
19 Jordan De Goey (COLL)
19 Andrew McGrath (ESS)
19 Alex Pearce (FRE)
19 Sam Walsh (CARL)