After four rounds of the 2010 home-and-away season, defender Heath Shaw is leading the Collingwood vote tally for the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year.

Third in last year’s Copeland Trophy, Shaw has polled 15 votes (nine in round one and six in round four) and currently is in 11th place in the AFL overall leader board.

In the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year, head coaches vote each week on a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 basis. Coaches vote only on their own matches, but may vote for players on the opposing team.

Past winners of the prestigious award include Gary Ablett Jnr (2007-09), Simon Goodwin and Adam Goodes (joint winners in 2006), Barry Hall (2005) and Warren Tredrea (2004).

Finishing in sixth position overall in 2009 with 78 votes, Dane Swan has continued his good form polling 11 votes from two matches to sit in second spot while Dale Thomas’ 26-disposal and three-goal effort against Hawthorn last week earned him a maximum of ten votes to rank in third position.

Thomas has already surpassed his total number of votes for last year having polled seven from two matches in 2009.

Collingwood leader board for the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year (number of matches the player polled)

Leader board for the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year

Out of a possible 120 votes handed out from Collingwood’s four matches, Magpie players have polled 54% of them (65).

The ladder below supports the view that Collingwood‘s main strength is its evenness across the 22.  Both Carlton and Melbourne have polled more coaches’ votes as a side compared to Collingwood but have one less win each.