Carlton young star Patrick Cripps has capitilised on Nat Fyfe’s injury by claiming the lead in the 2018 Shadforth Financial Group AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award.
Fyfe went down with an apparent hamstring strain not long into the Dockers loss to Brisbane on Sunday, polling no coaches votes after having the bye the previous week.
Cripps, on the other hand, played a solid role in Carlton’s brave defeat in Kade Simpson’s 300th game, recording four votes from the coaches for his 33 disposals and one goal, to lead Fyfe by a solitary vote.
Hawthorn’s Tom Mitchell threw himself back into contention with an eight-vote game in the loss to the Giants on Saturday. Despite collecting 50 disposals, Mitchell’s performance was deemed inferior to Giants skipper Callan Ward, who polled maximum coaches’ votes for his 32 disposals, 11 clearances and two goals.
Five players received maximum votes from the coaches for their Round 15 efforts, including Ward, Jack Riewoldt (seven contested marks and three goals), Kade Simpson (37 touches), Max Gawn (seven contested marks and 25 disposals) and Orazio Fantasia (four goals).
The AFL Coaches’ Association votes for Round 15 (see every vote from all the rounds so far at AFLCoaches.com.au):
richmond v sydney
10 Riewoldt (Rich), 7 Lambert (Rich), 6 Vlastuin (Rich), 5 Kennedy (Syd), 1 Lloyd (Syd), 1 Nankervis (Rich)
western bulldogs v geelong
9 J. Selwood (Geel), 8 Dunkley (WB), 7 Dahlhaus (WB), 2 Dangerfield (Geel), 2 Hawkins (Geel), 2 McLean (WB)
carlton v port adelaide
10 Simpson (Carl), 7 C. Curnow (Carl), 5 Wingard (PA), 4 Cripps (Carl), 4 Westhoff (PA)
adelaide v west coast
9 Jacobs (Adel), 9 Walker (Adel), 6 Gaff (WCE), 3 Laird (Adel), 2 M. Crouch (Adel), 1 Hutchings (WCE)
gold coast v collingwood
9 Adams (Coll), 9 Thomas (Coll), 3 Lyons (GCS), 3 Phillips (Coll), 2 Mayne (Coll), 2 Weller (GCS), 1 Pendlebury (Coll), 1 Stephenson (Coll)
gws giants v hawthorn
10 Ward (GWS), 8 Mitchell (Haw), 5 Coniglio (GWS), 5 Haynes (GWS), 2 Whitfield (GWS)
melbourne v st kilda
10 Gawn (Melb), 7 Carlisle (StK), 6 Gresham (StK), 3 Sinclair (StK), 3 Steele (StK), 1 Viney (Melb)
essendon v north melbourne
10 Fantasia (Ess), 8 Z. Merrett (Ess), 4 Heppell (Ess), 4 Higgins (NM), 4 McKernan (Ess)
fremantle v brisbane
9 D. Beams (BL), 6 Berry (BL), 6 Martin (BL), 4 Hipwood (BL), 2 McCluggage (BL), 2 Rayner (BL), 1 Taylor (BL)
LEADERBOARD
60 — PATRICK CRIPPS (CARL)
59 — NAT FYFE (FREM)
58 — TOM MITCHELL (HAW)
55 — MAX GAWN (MELB)
53 — STEELE SIDEBOTTOM (COLL)
49 — SHAUN HIGGINS (NM)
45 — TRENT COTCHIN (RICH)
43 — ANDREW GAFF (WC)
42 — JACK DARLING (WC)
40 — JACK MACRAE (WB)