Bulldog Jason Akermanis, 32, and Port Adelaide’s 30-year-old Warren Tredrea each polled the maximum 10 votes for stunning performances against Melbourne and Richmond respectively. Both individual efforts saved their sides from upset defeats and the coaches reflected that view.
Two players on our leaderboard failed to front for their matches last week due to injury but one of those, Gary Ablett, remains the undisputed leader on 43 votes. He is still five clear of St Kilda’s Nick Dal Santo, who failed to poll in the Saints win over Essendon.
Joining Dal Santo on 38 votes are Chris Judd and Steve Johnson, each coming off great round eight games. Judd polled the maximum for his sublime effort in the Blues demolition of Collingwood while Stevey J nabbed seven votes for another Skilled Stadium showpiece against the Roos.
Dal Santo’s skipper Nick Riewoldt continued his stellar season, again polling four votes to move to 37, just one behind that trio.
Hawthorn skipper Sam Mitchell is another breathing down the neck with 35 votes after a gun game against Fremantle in Perth on Friday night. Mitchell also polled the maximum. In fact, the coaches agreed on the best on the ground in seven of the eight matches this round.
The other absentee was Paul Chapman who pulled out with a back injury on the eve of Saturday’s game. He remains in 7th place with 32 votes.
The AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year is the only award voted for by the coaches themselves.
Coaches vote only on their own matches each week on a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 basis. They may vote for players on the opposing team.
Past winners of the prestigious award include Gary Ablett Jr (2007-08), Simon Goodwin and Adam Goodes (joint winners in 2006), Barry Hall (2005) and Warren Tredrea (2004)
ROUND EIGHT VOTING
Fremantle v Hawthorn
10 Mitchell (Haw)
6 Pavlich (Frem)
4 Lewis (Haw)
4 Bateman (Haw)
2 Sewell (Haw)
2 McGlynn (Haw)
1 Sandilands (Frem)
1 Duffield (Frem)
Melbourne v Western Bulldogs
10 Akermanis (WB)
6 Davey (Melb)
4 Morton (Melb)
4 Moloney (Melb)
4 Boyd (WB)
2 Giansiracusa (WB)
Geelong v North Melbourne
10 Bartel (Geel)
7 S Johnson (Geel)
6 Kelly (Geel)
4 Selwood (Geel)
3 Mackie (Geel)
Brisbane Lions v Adelaide
10 Sherman (Bris)
6 Bradshaw (Bris)
5 Black (Bris)
3 Clark (Bris)
3 Goodwin (Adel)
2 Mackay (Adel)
1 Edwards (Adel)
Sydney Swans v West Coast
10 Goodes (Syd)
5 Cox (WCE)
4 Lynch (WCE)
4 Shaw (Syd)
3 J Bolton (Syd)
3 R O'Keefe (Syd)
1 Hall (Syd)
Port Adelaide v Richmond
10 Tredrea (PA)
6 Pearce (PA)
5 Nahas (Rich)
4 Boak (PA)
3 Cassisi (PA)
2 Tuck (Rich)
Carlton v Collingwood
10 Judd (Carl)
4 Scotland (Carl)
4 Gibbs (Carl)
3 Murphy (Carl)
3 Simpson (Carl)
3 Thornton (Carl)
2 Betts (Carl)
1 Pendlebury (Coll)
St Kilda v Essendon
8 Watson (Ess)
6 Hayes (St K)
4 Koschitzke (St K)
4 Riewoldt (St K)
3 Jones (St K)
3 Dempsey (Ess)
2 S Fisher (St K)
LEADERBOARD
43 Gary Ablett (Geel)
38 Nick Dal Santo (St K)
38 Steve Johnson (Geel)
38 Chris Judd (Carl)
37 Nick Riewoldt (St K)
35 Sam Mitchell (Haw)
32 Paul Chapman (Geel)
31 Matthew Boyd (WB)
31 Warren Tredrea (Port)
29 Aaron Davey (Melb)
