SAM Mitchell was the best-performed Hawk in Friday night’s 12-point win over Adelaide but the coaches were split as they cast their votes in the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award.
The Hawthorn star polled five votes – the most of any Hawthorn player – but Adelaide midfielders Rory Sloane (seven) and Patrick Dangerfield (six) were the top vote getters.
After each game the coaches award votes in a 5,4, 3, 2, 1 format, with 10 the maximum number of votes a player can earn.
Neither Mitchell, Sloane or Dangerfield was deemed the best or second best afield by Alastair Clarkson and Brenton Sanderson, highlighting the tight and seesawing nature in which the game was played.
Despite the Hawks recording an important victory in the context of their season and Mitchell starring in his second game back from injury, that wasn’t enough for him to be named best on ground.
Mitchell picked up a team-high 28 disposals, eight tackles and three clearances and was named best for Hawthorn but managed just five votes from the coaches.
Sloane picked up 33 touches in his team’s loss, had seven tackles and two goal assists, while Dangerfield was the highest disposal-getter on the ground with 41, nine clearances and seven inside 50s.
Hawthorn forward Jack Gunston picked up just four votes despite being one of the dominant forwards on the ground.
For the second-week running, Gunston proved Hawthorn’s most dangerous forward, booting three goals in the opening term before finishing with four for the game along with 17 disposals and five marks.
Illustrating his running power, Gunston, who has kicked 10 goals in the last two weeks worked up into the midfield and helped out in defence too, when the Crows had momentum.
He was one of Hawthorn’s best.
Captain Luke Hodge was another Hawk to pick up votes as he dominated at the clearances with a game-high 10.
Hodge also had 26 disposals, eight inside 50s, seven tackles and had to goal assists.
He earned four votes from the coaches.
Defener Grant Birchall recaptured the form that had made him one of the most damaging half backs in the league with 25 disposals and three votes.
Crows midfielder Brad Crouch was the other player to pick up a vote as he gathered 29 disposals and had nine clearances.
The votes: Adelaide v Hawthorn
7 Sloane (Adel)
6 Dangerfield (Adel)
5 Mitchell (Haw)
4 Gunston (Haw)
4 Hodge (Haw)
3 Birchall (Haw)
1 B. Crouch (Adel)
Round 17 Leaderboard
83 Nathan Fyfe (Fremantle)
76 Josh Kennedy (Sydney)
72 Gary Ablett (Gold Coast)
68 Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide)
60 Lance Franklin (Sydney)
59 Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood)
57 Travis Boak Port (Adelaide)
52 Tom Liberatore (Western Bulldogs)
48 Dyson Heppell (Essendon)
47 Brent Harvey (North Melbourne)
47 Matthew Priddis (West Coast)
47 Joel Selwood (Geelong)
