ST KILDA’S Nick Dal Santo continues to lead the standings in the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year voting after polling well again in his club’s round three win over West Coast.

The influential midfielder took six votes from the 97-point win over the Eagles at Docklands, bettered only by teammate Brendon Goddard (10), who was the pick of both coaches as best on ground.

Dal Santo (25) has stretched his lead by one vote over Geelong superstar Gary Ablett (23), while Ablett’s teammate Paul Chapman was the big mover in round three and jumps into third place (20) after taking all 10 votes in the Cats’ win over Collingwood.

Goddard lies fourth (18) after his stand-out effort, ahead of Port Adelaide’s Peter Burgoyne and Carlton star Chris Judd, both on 16 votes.

Some of the competition’s elite are running into form however, with Hawthorn skipper Sam Mitchell, Essendon spearhead Matthew Lloyd and Brisbane Lion Jed Adcock all taking 10 votes from their respective wins over the weekend.

Young Crow Patrick Dangerfield also scored a maximum of 10 votes in Adelaide’s defeat of Fremantle, earning the round three NAB Rising Star nomination for his trouble.

In the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year – the only award voted for by the coaches themselves – coaches vote each week on a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 basis. Coaches vote only on their own matches, but may vote for players on the opposing team.

Past winners of the prestigious award include Gary Ablett Jr (2007-08), Simon Goodwin and Adam Goodes (joint winners in 2006), Barry Hall (2005) and Warren Tredrea (2004).

ROUND THREE VOTING

Collingwood v Geelong
10 Paul Chapman (Geel)
7 Steve Johnson (Geel)
5 Gary Ablett (Geel)
3 Harry Taylor (Geel)
2 Dane Swan (Coll)
2 Josh Fraser (Coll)
1 Scott Pendlebury (Coll)

St Kilda v West Coast
10 Brendon Goddard (St K)
6 Nick Dal Santo (St K)
6 Nick Riewoldt (St K)
5 Leigh Montagna (St K)
3 Sam Gilbert (St K)

Brisbane Lions v Sydney Swans
10 Jed Adcock (Lions)
6 Jonathan Brown (Lions)
6 Josh Drummond (Lions)
4 Joel Patfull (Lions)
2 Darren Jolly (Swans)
1 Troy Selwood (Lions)
1 Justin Sherman (Lions)

Essendon v Carlton
10 Matthew Lloyd (Ess)
8 Chris Judd (Carl)
4 Brent Stanton (Ess)
3 Jobe Watson (Ess)
2 Andrew Lovett (Ess)
2 Courtenay Dempsey (Ess)
1 Brendan Fevola (Carl)

Port Adelaide v Melbourne
8 Warren Tredrea (PA)
8 Peter Burgoyne (PA)
6 Nathan Krakouer (PA)
3 Steven Salopek (PA)
3 Aaron Davey (Melb)
2 Chad Cornes (PA)

Hawthorn v North Melbourne
10 Sam Mitchell (Haw)
7 Jarryd Roughead (Haw)
4 Chance Bateman (Haw)
4 Brent Guerra (Haw)
4 Brendan Whitecross (Haw)
1 Luke Hodge (Haw)

Adelaide v Fremantle

10 Patrick Dangerfield (Adel)
7 Jason Porplyzia (Adel)
4 Michael Doughty (Adel)
4 Michael Johnson (Frem)
3 Paul Hasleby (Frem)
2 David Mackay (Adel)

Western Bulldogs v Richmond
10 Shaun Higgins (WB)
8 Lindsay Gilbee (WB)
4 Jason Akermanis (WB)
3 Brian Lake (WB)
2 Daniel Cross (WB)
2 Nathan Foley (Rich)
1 Ben Hudson (WB)

LEADERBOARD
25 Nick Dal Santo (St Kilda)
23 Gary Ablett (Geelong)
20 Paul Chapman (Geelong)
18 Brendon Goddard (St Kilda)
16 Peter Burgoyne (Port Adelaide)
16 Chris Judd (Carlton)
15 Tyson Edwards (Adelaide)
15 Bryce Gibbs (Carlton)
15 Ryan Griffen (Western Bulldogs)
13 Matthew Boyd (Western Bulldogs)
13 Steve Johnson (Geelong)
13 Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn)