Adelaide co-captain Chelsea Randall is the joint-winner of the 2018 Shadforth Financial Group AFL Coaches AFLW Champion Player of the Year award.

Randall, who polled votes in every game, finished level with Western Bulldogs midfielder Emma Kearney on 42 votes.

Randall was the outright leader of the coveted award heading into the final round of the season, and managed to hold on despite being concussed against Collingwood on Sunday.

The fearless defender was the dominant player on the ground in the first half at Olympic Park, amassing 14 disposals and five marks before being ruled out of the game.

The performance was enough to earn her four votes from coaches Bec Goddard and Wayne Siekman.  

Sitting in third place leading into Round Seven, Kearney polled a perfect 10 votes in the Bulldogs’ win over Melbourne to leapfrog teammate Ellie Blackburn and join Randall at the top of the leaderboard.

Blackburn finished in third place on 35 votes with Brisbane Lions defender Kate Lutkins and Fremantle star Dana Hooker rounding out the top five.

Randall, 26, backed up a premiership-winning and All Australian 2017 with another brilliant season.

The West Australian recruit was No.1 for Champion Data ranking points (173.4) in 2018 ahead of Kearney (166.4) and teammate Ebony Marinoff (148.5).

Playing in the backline with stints up the ground, Randall led the competition for rebound 50ms, and was top five in contested possessions, intercept possessions and effective kicks.

Voted by her peers as the AFLW’s Most Courageous Player last season, the respected Randall’s bravery remained a feature. She was one of the best intercept markers in the competition, regularly putting herself between the ball and oncoming traffic to support teammates and repel opposition attacks.

Randall’s mark going back with the flight of the ball against the Dockers is a finalist in Mark of the Year.

Final leaderboard
42 – Chelsea Randall (Adelaide)
42 – Emma Kearney (Western Bulldogs)
35 – Ellie Blackburn (Western Bulldogs)
34 – Kate Lutkins (Brisbane Lions)
32 – Dana Hooker (Fremantle)
31 – Daisy Pearce (Melbourne)
30 – Courtney Gum (GWS)
26 – Kara Donnellan (Fremantle)
26 – Elise O’Dea (Melbourne)
24 – Ebony Antonio (Fremantle)

Round Seven voting, Adelaide v Collingwood
10 – Jaimee Lambert (Collingwood)
5 – Jasmine Garner (Collingwood)
5 – Erin Phillips (Adelaide)
4 – Jess Duffin (Collingwood)
4 – Chelsea Randall (Adelaide)
2 – Moana Hope (Collingwood)

Round Six voting, Adelaide v Fremantle
9 –  Dana Hooker (Fremantle)
6 – Erin Phillips (Adelaide)
4 – Angela Foley (Adelaide)
3 – Ebony Antonio (Fremantle)
3 – Kara Donnellan (Fremantle)
3 – Chelsea Randall (Adelaide)
2 – Alicia Janz (Fremantle)