According to the combined wisdom of victorious Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley and Carlton mentor Mick Malthouse, three inexperienced small forwards were among the top five players on the ground.
As expected, the maximum 10 votes for the AFL Coaches Association Award went to 20-year-old Magpie Jamie Elliott, who bagged five goals, including the sealer in the dying stages, and had a hand in two others among his 20 possessions.
Blues speedster Jeff Garlett was next-best with six votes for a blistering 20-disposal, three-goal, eight-tackle, nine-inside-50 performance that took his side to the brink of victory.
Then came perhaps the biggest surprise packet: Collingwood's 26-year-old second-gamer Sam Dwyer.
After spending eight seasons with VFL club Port Melbourne, Dwyer was rookie-listed by the Pies in December, earned elevation to the primary list in March, and on Sunday was lauded by his coach as "clearly one of the cleanest and most effective players on the ground".
Dwyer had 23 disposals (a team-high 14 contested) and kicked a goal, and received three votes (equal with Carlton defender Michael Jamison).
Besides Elliott, in round two the coaches awarded four other perfect 10s – to Richmond spearhead Jack Riewoldt, Swans co-captain Jarrad McVeigh, Fremantle star Nathan Fyfe and Port Adelaide big man Justin Westoff.
Riewoldt has performed completely different roles in the opening two games, but both times has achieved the same result: rich praise from his coach.
In the season-opener against the Blues, Riewoldt managed just four behinds but he was a key role player in a narrow win, virtually sacrificing his own game to drag his opponents away from the goalface to create space for tall teammates Ty Vickery and Luke McGuane, who contributed five goals between them.
It was an effort that Tigers coach Damien Hardwick described as one of Riewoldt's best games in 12 months.
This time it was a more typical great game from Riewoldt, who revelled in once again being the centre of attention. He magnetised the ball, hauled in big marks, nailed clutch goals (seven of them in fact – half his team's output) and, all the while, energised his teammates and the Richmond faithful.
Among other notable features in the coaches' votes:
• Essendon pair Dyson Heppell and Jobe Watson shared best-afield honours with nine votes apiece after amassing a combined 74 possessions (31 contested), 15 clearances and 5.4 against Melbourne.
• Former Saints star Brendon Goddard received his first votes (two) for the Bombers.
• Gold Coast young gun Jaeger O'Meara, who has been compared to a young Chris Judd and is widely touted as a future superstar, earned his first vote – a significant feat against the reigning premier at a wet SCG.
• Josh Jenkins, the Adelaide forward/ruck replacement for Swans recruit Kurt Tippett, received three votes after a powerful two-goal effort in the win over Brisbane Lions at the Gabba.
• Irishman Pearce Hanley continued his development as one of the most exciting talents in the game, gathering 30 touches for the Lions and being awarding eight votes to share best-afield honours with tough Crows midfielder Rory Sloane.
• Hawthorn skipper Luke Hodge, in his return from a knee injury, was awarded four votes against West Coast after many questioned the decision to bring him back on a fast track at the Patersons Stadium 'House of Pain'.
• Sydney Swans' first-year co-captain Kieren Jack (18) heads the AFLCA Award, followed by Watson (17). Young Bulldog Tom Liberatore, who is equal third on 13 votes with superstars Trent Cotchin and Joel Selwood, continues to show the benefits of heeding the wake-up call he received last year when he copped a season-ending, club-imposed suspension for an off-field incident.
St Kilda v Richmond
10 Jack Riewoldt (Rich)
6 Reece Conca (Rich)
4 Ben McEvoy (St K)
4 Nick Riewoldt (St K)
3 Trent Cotchin (Rich)
2 Brett Deledio (Rich)
1 Nick Dal Santo (St K)
Sydney Swans v Gold Coast
10 Jarrad McVeigh (Syd)
8 Kieren Jack (Syd)
6 Ryan O'Keefe (Syd)
4 Charlie Dixon (GC)
1 Jaeger O'Meara (GC)
1 Luke Parker (Syd)
Western Bulldogs v Fremantle
10 Nathan Fyfe (Frem)
8 Luke McPharlin (Frem)
5 Tom Liberatore (WB)
3 Adam Cooney (WB)
2 Tendai Mzungu (Frem)
1 Will Minson (WB)
1 Michael Walters (Frem)
Brisbane Lions v Adelaide
8 Pearce Hanley (Bris)
8 Rory Sloane (Adel)
7 Patrick Dangerfield (Adel)
3 Josh Jenkins (Adel)
2 Scott Thompson (Adel)
1 Richard Douglas (Adel)
1 Brent Moloney (Bris)
Essendon v Melbourne
9 Dyson Heppell (Ess)
9 Jobe Watson (Ess)
6 Stewart Crameri (Ess)
2 Brendon Goddard (Ess)
2 David Zaharakis (Ess)
1 Tom Bellchambers (Ess)
1 Patrick Ryder (Ess)
Port Adelaide v GWS
10 Justin Westhoff (Port)
6 Chad Wingard (Port)
4 Travis Boak (Port)
4 Kane Cornes (Port)
3 Callan Ward (GWS)
2 Brad Ebert (Port)
1 Jasper Pittard (Port)
Geelong v North Melbourne
6 Andrew Swallow (NM)
5 Ryan Bastinac (NM)
5 Paul Chapman (Geel)
5 Corey Enright (Geel)
4 James Kelly (Geel)
3 Joel Selwood (Geel)
2 Lindsay Thomas (NM)
Collingwood v Carlton
10 Jamie Elliott (Coll)
6 Jeff Garlett (Carl)
4 Heath Shaw (Coll)
3 Sam Dwyer (Coll)
3 Michael Jamison (Carl)
2 Jarryd Blair (Coll)
1 Quinten Lynch (Coll)
1 Steele Sidebottom (Coll)
West Coast v Hawthorn
9 Grant Birchall (Haw)
5 Sam Mitchell (Haw)
5 Cyril Rioli (Haw)
4 Luke Hodge (Haw)
3 Luke Breust (Haw)
2 Matt Priddis (WCE)
1 Lance Franklin (Haw)
1 Ryan Schoenmakers (Haw)
LEADERBOARD
18 Kieren Jack (Syd)
17 Jobe Watson (Ess)
13 Trent Cotchin (Rich)
13 Tom Liberatore (WB)
13 Joel Selwood (Geel)
12 Grant Birchall (Haw)
12 Andrew Swallow (NM)
11 Will Minson (WB)
11 Ryan O’Keefe (Syd)
10 Gary Ablett (GC)
10 Jamie Elliott (Coll)
10 Nathan Fyfe (Frem)
10 Jarrad McVeigh (Syd)
10 Sam Mitchell (Haw)
10 David Mundy (Frem)
10 Scott Pendlebury (Coll)
10 Jack Riewoldt (Rich)
10 Justin Westhoff (PA)
