Running defender Brodie Smith was judged to be Adelaide’s best player in the Club’s 16-point win over Collingwood at the MCG.
Coaches Brenton Sanderson and Nathan Buckley couldn’t split the in-form Smith and Magpies midfielder Dayne Beams on Sunday, awarding each player nine votes in the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year award.
Smith collected 24 possessions at an incredible 100 per cent efficiency rate. Playing across half-back and pushing onto the wing, the damaging 22-year-old gained more metres than any other Crow (557), generating seven rebound 50ms and three inside 50ms. He also took five marks and kicked two goals. Beams was Collingwood’s best-performed player, gathering 29 touches, eight inside 50ms, seven clearances and two goals.
Acting co-captain Patrick Dangerfield and skilful backman Matthew Jaensch were both awarded two votes. Dangerfield was Adelaide’s leading possession-getter, finishing with 26 disposals to go with six clearances, five rebound 50ms, five inside 50ms and four tackles. Jaensch was sound defensively and also generated plenty of drive from defence, amassing 22 touches and a goal. Forward Taylor Walker, who kicked three goals and assisted in four others, collected one vote from the coaches.
Magpies onballer Harry Lumumba earned six votes after winning 26 possessions and six clearances, while the leading possession-getter on the ground, Steele Sidebottom (32 disposals and 10 marks) received one vote.
Despite not polling a vote in the split round, Fremantle star Nathan Fyfe (83) remains on top of the overall leaderboard, seven votes clear of Sydney Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy and Port Adelaide’s Robbie Gray, who are tied for second spot on 76 votes. Dangerfield leads the way for the Crows with 47 votes for the season.
Collingwood vs Adelaide
9 Dayne Beams (Coll)
9 Brodie Smith (Adel)
6 Heritier Lumumba (Coll)
2 Patrick Dangerfield (Adel)
2 Matthew Jaensch (Adel)
1 Steele Sidebottom (Coll)
1 Taylor Walker (Adel)
Round 18 Leaderboard
83 Nathan Fyfe (Fremantle)
76 Robbie Gray Port (Adelaide)
76 Josh Kennedy (Sydney)
72 Gary Ablett Gold (Coast)
60 Lance Franklin (Sydney)
59 Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood)
57 Travis Boak Port (Adelaide)
57 Joel Selwood (Geelong)
56 Matthew Priddis (West Coast)
52 Tom Liberatore (Western Bulldogs)
Past Crows AFLCA voting
Round 17
Round 16
Round 15
Round 14
Round 13
Round 12
Round 11
Round 10
Round Nine
Round Seven
Round Six
Round Five
Round Four
Round Three
Round Two
Round One
