Hawthorn midfielder Tom Mitchell has underscored his Brownlow Medal favouritism with a comfortable victory in the AFL Players’ Association most valuable player award.
Mitchell (773 votes) polled ahead of Carlton young gun Patrick Cripps (529) and Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn (412) to claim the Leigh Matthews Trophy at a ceremony in Melbourne on Thursday night.
Last year’s winner Dustin Martin and Sydney superstar Lance Franklin rounded out the top five with players voting for shortlisted candidates on a 3-2-1 basis.
Mitchell averaged a league-high 35.7 disposals and 7.9 clearances per game during the home-and-away season and ranked third for contested possessions.
The prolific ball-winner is a $1.65 favourite for the Brownlow Medal with bookmakers Sportsbet ahead of Cripps, Gawn and Martin.
In each of the past three years, the players’ MVP has gone on to win the Brownlow.
Gawn earlier this week took out the other major individual award when he was named the AFL coaches’ player of the year.
Mitchell’s phenomenal ball-winning ability, best demonstrated by his AFL-record 54 touches against Collingwood in round one, has caused headaches for opposition coaches all season and should play a big part in Hawthorn’s finals assault.
Debate has raged all season about Mitchell’s “hurt factor” so it was unsurprisingly satisfying for him to receive the endorsement of his peers.
“If the players are voting on that it means a lot to me,” Mitchell said.
“I try not to get caught too much in the external noise of people’s opinions and things like that. As long as I’m pleasing my teammates and doing the things that the team requires, that’s what I’m trying to do each week.”
AFLPA president Patrick Dangerfield said Mitchell had been a huge factor in Hawthorn’s unexpected surge into premiership contention.
“Tom has been in rare touch this year, highlighted by his incredible ability to get from contest to contest and win a truckload of footy throughout the season,” Dangerfield said.
“He may seem like an unassuming figure off the field but he is as competitive as anyone on the park.”
Geelong’s mature-aged sensation Tim Kelly was voted best first-year player ahead of Collingwood’s Rising Star favourite Jaidyn Stephenson.
Richmond premiership skipper Trent Cotchin was voted best captain and GWS midfielder Callan Ward was recognised as the AFL’s most courageous player.
Western Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli was named captain of the under 22 team, earning selection in the public-voted side for the fifth straight year.
AFL PLAYERS’ ASSOCIATION MVP
* 1) Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn, 773 votes)
* 2) Patrick Cripps (Carlton, 529)
* 3) Max Gawn (Melbourne, 412)
* 4) Dustin Martin (Richmond, 304)
* 5) Lance Franklin (Sydney, 291)
BEST FIRST-YEAR PLAYER
* Tim Kelly (Geelong)
BEST CAPTAIN
* Trent Cotchin (Richmond)
MOST COURAGEOUS
* Callan Ward (GWS).
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