Rory Sloane, Eddie Betts and Daniel Talia have been nominated by their teammates for the AFL Players’ Association Most Valuable Player award.
The star trio was unveiled on Tuesday as the Crows’ contenders for the prestigious peer-voted award just days after earning All Australian honours.
All AFL players were asked to nominate their three most valuable teammates in the first stage of the selection process.
The top three nominees from each club were then presented and put to a vote by players from rival clubs. Individuals were unable to vote for their teammates in this stage of the ballot.
The winner of the AFL Players’ Association MVP Award will claim the coveted Leigh Matthews Trophy. Fremantle’s Nat Fyfe earned the honour for a second-straight season last year. Gold Coast captain Gary Ablett has won the award a record five times.
Andrew McLeod (2001) is the only Crow to win the award.
Brave defender Rory Laird is Adelaide’s nominee for the Robert Rose Award recognising the AFL’s most courageous player.
Sydney’s Luke Parker was last year’s winner. Adelaide assistant coach David Teague claimed the award in 2004 while playing for Carlton. A Crow is yet to win the award.
Taylor Walker could win the Best Captain gong. ‘Tex’ was voted into third place last season. Brownlow Medallist Mark Ricciuto won the award back-to-back in 2005 and 2006.
Wayne Milera Junior is in the running for the AFLPA’s Best First-Year Player.
All winners will be revealed at the AFLPA Awards ceremony on Tuesday, September 13.
ADELAIDE’S AFLPA AWARD CONTENDERS
MVP Nominees
Rory Sloane
Eddie Betts
Daniel Talia
Robert Rose Most Courageous Player
Rory Laird
Best First-Year Player
Wayne Milera Junior
Captain
Taylor Walker
