PATRICK Dangerfield has capped a memorable season by winning the prestigious Gary Ayres Award as the best player of the 2022 finals series.
Dangerfield polled 12 votes from the coaches for his impressive performance in the Cats' Toyota AFL Grand Final thrashing of Sydney on Saturday.
CROWNING MOMENT Superstar Cat's brilliant career finally gets a premiership
The superstar, who finished second to Isaac Smith in Norm Smith Medal voting, had 27 disposals, nine clearances and six goal assists for Geelong as he claimed a maiden premiership.
With Grand Final votes receiving a 1.5 times loading, Dangerfield claimed the award with 22 votes, finishing clear of Collingwood's Jack Crisp on 16 votes, one ahead of teammate Jordan De Goey, Brisbane's Lachie Neale and the Cats' Smith on 15 - all from his magnificent Grand Final display.
An eight-time All-Australian and the 2016 Brownlow medallist – among many other individual honours – Dangerfield added a breakthrough flag in his 303rd AFL game.
Check out all the Grand Final votes and the final leaderboard below.
For every final, 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).
Geelong v Sydney
Isaac Smith (Geel) - 15 votes
Patrick Dangerfield (Geel) - 12
Tom Hawkins (Geel) - 9
Tyson Stengle (Geel) - 6
Mark Blicavs (Geel) - 1.5
Sam De Koning (Geel) - 1.5
Leaderboard
Patrick Dangerfield (Geel) - 22 votes
Jack Crisp (Coll) - 16
Jordan De Goey (Coll) - 15
Lachie Neale (Bris) - 15
Isaac Smith (Geel) - 15
Tom Hawkins (Geel) - 14
Luke Parker (Syd) - 13
Caleb Serong (Fre) - 12
Callum Mills (Syd) - 11
Darcy Moore (Coll) - 11
Scott Pendlebury (Coll) - 11
Steven May (Melb) - 10
Jarrod Berry (Bris) -9
Eric Hipwood (Bris) - 9
Gary Rohan (Geel) - 9
Hugh McCluggage (Bris) - 8
Gryan Miers (Geel) - 8
Marcus Bontempelli (WB) -7
Michael Walters (Fre) - 7
Tyson Stengle (Geel) - 6
Zac Bailey (Bris) - 4
Previous winners
2016 Josh Kennedy (Sydney)
2017 Dustin Martin (Richmond)
2018 Steele Sidebottom (Collingwood)
2019 Dustin Martin (Richmond)
2020 Dustin Martin (Richmond)
2021 Jack Macrae (Western Bulldogs)