Five-goal forward Josh Jenkins shared best-on-ground honours in Adelaide’s win over Carlton.
Coaches Phil Walsh and John Barker couldn’t split Jenkins and Blues captain Marc Murphy, who each received nine votes in the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award.
Jenkins bagged an equal-career best five goals, including the sealer, at the MCG on Saturday. The athletic Crow also took eight marks, including three contested, and had 18 possessions. Murphy collected a game-high 36 possessions, to go with six clearances, five tackles and four inside 50ms.
In-form utility Rory Laird was adjudged the next-best player in the tight match. Laird gathered an equal-team high 26 touches, including 11 intercept possessions. He ranked No.2 in the League for combined inside 50m and Rebound 50ms (11) in Round 10, as well as taking seven marks and laying five tackles.
Laird also assisted in two goals including Jenkins’ match winner in the dying minutes. The courageous Crow has polled coaches votes in five games this season – more than any Adelaide player with the exception of Patrick Dangerfield, who has also collected votes in five matches.
Reliable midfielder Scott Thompson earned three votes from the coaches. Thompson, who finished with 22 possessions, was strong around the contest, finishing with a game-high 10 clearances and 10 tackles.
The remaining votes were shared by Carlton players. Impressive young onballer Patrick Cripps, who gathered 25 touches and eight clearances before getting injured late in the match, collected two votes along with veteran Kade Simpson, who was instrumental particularly early in the game.
Defender Zac Tuohy also received one vote for holding dangerous forward and former teammate Eddie Betts to a solitary goal from only eight possessions.
Sydney Swans star Dan Hannebery reduced Nat Fyfe’s lead at the top of the overall leaderboard with a perfect 10 in his team’s win over Gold Coast. Fyfe, who remains in first place on 80 votes, only polled two votes in Fremantle’s first loss of the season to Richmond on Friday night. Hannebery is in outright second on 61 votes ahead of St Kilda ball magnet David Armitage and GWS dynamo Dylan Shiel, who are tied on 42.
Hannebery was one of seven players to earn maximum votes in Round 10. Tiger Dustin Martin, Geelong veteran Harry Taylor, Port Adelaide midfielder Ollie Wines, Giants co-captain Callan Ward, Hawthorn star Sam Mitchell and Collingwood spearhead Travis Cloke all polled perfect 10’s.
Patrick Dangerfield and Eddie Betts are the best placed Adelaide players. The pair has is equal on 25 votes ahead of Rory Sloane, who has missed three games through injury, on 21.
Carlton v Adelaide
9 – Josh Jenkins (Adel)
9 – Marc Murphy (Carl)
4 – Rory Laird (Adel)
3 – Scott Thompson (Adel)
2 – Patrick Cripps (Carl)
2 – Kade Simpson (Carl)
1 – Zac Tuohy (Carl)
Overall Leaderboard after Round 10
80 – Nat Fyfe (Frem)
61 – Dan Hannebery (Syd)
42 – David Armitage (StK)
42 – Dylan Shiel (GWS)
40 – Scott Pendlebury (Coll)
40 – Matt Priddis (WCE)
32 – Shane Edwards (Rich)
31 – Josh Kennedy (WCE)
31 – Sam Mitchell (Haw)
30 – Dayne Beams (Bris)
Crows Leaderboard after Round 10
25 – Patrick Dangerfield
25 – Eddie Betts
21 – Rory Sloane
18 – Rory Laird
14 – Taylor Walker
13 – Sam Jacobs
13 – Scott Thompson
10 – Brodie Smith
10 – David Mackay
9 – Josh Jenkins
4 – Daniel Talia
3 – Nathan van Berlo
2 – Matt Wright
2 – Richard Douglas
1 – Ricky Henderson
Full Crows voting
Round Nine
Round Eight
Round Seven
Round Six
Round Five
Round Four
Round Three
Round Two
Round One
