Every AFL player in the competition voted for the three teammates whose form warranted consideration for the prestigious Leigh Matthews Trophy for Most Valuable Player.
Now all AFL players will vote as to which of the 48 nominees (three from each club) deserves to be this year’s Most Valuable Player. Players cannot vote for their own teammates.
Each player will also vote on the other award categories: Most Courageous Player (Nick Maxwell), Best First Year Player (John McCarthy) and the Best Captain (Scott Burns).
The three nominees from the club have all had outstanding seasons and are a real threat to take out this year’s award.
Dane Swan has backed up his stellar 2007 season with great form leading the team in disposals with 24.7 per game. He also averages seven marks, three tackles and four inside-50s per game. The 24-year old is finishing up his sixth season for the club and is quickly being regarding as one of the best players in the competition. He currently leads the Copeland Watch and will be a main threat in this year’s Brownlow count.
After two full seasons at the club, Paul Medhurst has reinvented himself as small forward who contributes across the ground. Medhurst has kicked a team leading 48 goals, averages 13 kicks and four inside-50s a game. Fresh from signing a new two-year deal with the club, the small-forward is turning into a key match winner for the club.
Alan Didak has been nominated for the second time in his career (the first time in 2006). He finished his season averaging 22 possessions, six marks and one goal per game. Before a club-imposed suspension cut short his season, Didak was leading the AFL competition in total number of kicks. His performance in the first half of the year is a key reason for Collingwood’s position in the top eight.
The AFL Players’ Association Most Valuable Player Awards are the only awards determined by players themselves. The winner will be announced on Monday 8 September at Melbourne’s Grand Hyatt and will be broadcast on Fox Sports.
