COLLINGWOOD star Steele Sidebottom has taken the overall lead in the race for the Gary Ayres Award for the best finals player in the eyes of the coaches.
Sidebottom polled a perfect 10 for his outstanding performance in Saturday's semi-final triumph over Greater Western Sydney. He now has 15 votes after also polling five in last week's qualifying final loss to West Coast
Melbourne co-captain Jack Viney also scored the maximum 10 for his heroics in the Demons' win over Hawthorn on Friday night.
Richmond's Dylan Grimes and West Coast's Elliot Yeo remain in equal second place after their perfect scores in the qualifying finals.
Superstar Tiger Dustin Martin, who won the award last year, remains in the hunt to go back-to-back after polling seven votes last week.
Every round, the AFL coaches vote for the best players from their game. The coaches vote for five players, giving them a mark from 1-5. The maximum a player can score is 10 (with five votes from both coaches).
HAWTHORN v MELBOURNE
10 Jack Viney (MELB)
6 Neville Jetta (MELB)
6 Jack Gunston (HAW)
6 Tom McDonald (MELB)
1 Isaac Smith (HAW)
1 Max Gawn (MELB)
COLLINGWOOD v GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
10 Steele Sidebottom (COLL)
8 Brayden Maynard (COLL)
4 Lachie Whitfield (GWS)
3 Jordan De Goey (COLL)
3 Stephen Coniglio (GWS)
2 Adam Treloar (COLL)
GARY AYRES AWARD LEADERBOARD
15 Steele Sidebottom (COLL)
10 Dylan Grimes (RICH)
10 Jack Viney (MELB)
10 Elliot Yeo (WCE)
9 Toby Greene (GWS
9 Tom McDonald (MELB)
9 Sam Weideman (MELB)
8 Phil Davis (GWS)
8 James Harmes (MELB)
8 Brayden Maynard (COLL)
7 Dustin Martin (RICH)
7 Jack Redden (WCE)
7 Callan Ward (GWS)
6 Jack Gunston (HAW)
6 Neville Jetta (MELB)
5 Taylor Adams (COLL)
5 Max Gawn (MELB)
5 Lachie Whitfield (GWS)
4 Stephen Coniglio (GWS)
4 Harry Himmelberg (GWS)
