HB: Nick Maxwell (Collingwood), Nathan Bock (Adelaide), Michael Doughty (Adelaide)
C: Brendon Goddard (St Kilda), Dane Swan (Collingwood), Cameron Ling (Geelong)
HF: Ben Cousins (Richmond), Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda), Leon Davis (Collingwood)
F: Stephen Milne (St Kilda), Jonathan Brown (Brisbane Lions), Jack Riewoldt (Richmond)
FOLL: Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle), Joel Selwood (Geelong), Gary Ablett (Geelong)
I/C: Darren Jolly (Sydney Swans), Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn), Jarrad McVeigh (Sydney Swans), Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle)
BACKS
Heath Shaw (Collingwood) – Shaw was Collingwood's best player for the second week in a row. He set the tone with 10 of his 28 touches coming in the first term against the Blues. His run out of defence was superb with a game-high 12 rebounds.
Simon Prestigiacomo (Collingwood) – Prestigiacomo continued his push for All-Australian selection with another excellent shut-down performance. He kept Brendan Fevola to just one goal from two scoring shots.
Sam Gilbert (St Kilda) – Played a major part in keeping the Bulldogs to their lowest score for the season, regularly chopping off the opposition's forward thrusts. Gilbert accumulated a game-high 12 contested possessions and won 30 touches.
HALF BACKS
Nick Maxwell (Collingwood) – Despite carrying an injury into the game, Maxwell again showed why he was appointed captain this season, providing great leadership down back. He finished with a game-high 10 marks and had 18 disposals.
Nathan Bock (Adelaide) – Bock was duly rewarded with the Showdown Medal for his best-on-ground display against Port Adelaide. Bock claimed 27 disposals, including 15 effective kicks, and he had a game-high five rebounds.
Michael Doughty (Adelaide) – Pivotal in the first half when he claimed 20 of his 27 disposals, Doughty helped Adelaide turn the tide and break away in the second term. His two majors came in the second term when the Crows kicked seven unanswered goals.
CENTRES
Brendon Goddard (St Kilda) – Goddard was best-on-ground and brilliant in the first term when he picked up 15 of his 37 disposals (a career best). He worked tirelessly around the ground and had a game-high 21 effective kicks.
Dane Swan (Collingwood) – Swan continued his stellar season and further pushed his Brownlow Medal prospects with a match-best 38 disposals and eight clearances. He now has 557 touches for the season – No.1 in the competition.
Cameron Ling (Geelong) – Played a huge role in shutting down one of the in-form players in the competition, Hawthorn's Luke Hodge. Ling had 20 disposals but more importantly kept the 2008 Norm Smith Medallist to just 11 touches.
HALF-FORWARDS
Ben Cousins (Richmond) – This game was on a par with Cousins' brilliant round-15 performance against Carlton. He was massive in Richmond's fourth win of the season, claiming 31 disposals and displaying all of his champion traits against the Dons.
Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda) – His stunning season continued with five goals against in-form key defender Brian Lake, giving him 55 majors for the season. Riewoldt picked up 19 disposals and took eight grabs, including five leading marks.
Leon Davis (Collingwood) – Davis lit up the MCG with two brilliant first half goals – a couple of absolute beauties from the boundary line. He finished with three majors from seven scoring shots and also racked up 28 disposals.
FORWARDS
Stephen Milne (St Kilda) – Milne bagged five majors – his best haul of the season – giving him 30 goals in 2009. His three goals in the second term helped the Saints break clear and a couple in the final term ended any chance of a Dogs' comeback.
Jonathan Brown (Brisbane Lions) – The skipper was superb with eight goals, the best of the round and his biggest return for the season. His haul also included his 400th career goal. His marking was again a highlight, with four of his 12 grabs contested.
Jack Riewoldt (Richmond) – Riewoldt broke out of his shell to boot a career-high six goals and take best-on-ground honours. He also took some fine grabs, with three out of his eight marks contested.
FOLLOWERS
Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle) – Returned from a two-match lay-off with a hamstring injury to win the Ross Glendinning Medal in the derby win over West Coast. He finished with 30 disposals, including 15 contested possessions and 31 hit outs.
Joel Selwood (Geelong) – Produced one of the finest individual performances of the season, winning a career-best 42 disposals, including 25 touches in a stunning second half. He also laid 11 tackles, had nine clearances and won six free kicks.
Gary Ablett (Geelong) – Ablett played another gem, racking up 33 disposals, including 11 contested possessions. He finished with a team-high seven inside 50s and also laid seven tackles.
INTERCHANGE
Darren Jolly (Sydney Swans) – Best-on-ground in the nation's captain against the Demons, Jolly dominated with his blend of ruck work and forward play. He kicked a match-high three goals, had 26 hit outs, laid five tackles and collected 14 touches.
Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn) – The skipper was brilliant in his 150th match, working tirelessly to amass 38 disposals. He now has 492 touches for the season – second in the competition behind Swan.
Jarrad McVeigh (Sydney Swans) – McVeigh won a match-high 31 disposals, with 21 touches coming in the first half when the Swans set up the win. Like Jolly, he was the game's only other multiple goal-scorer in a low-scoring affair.
Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle) – After missing the past three rounds with a calf injury, the captain bounced back with an excellent display, notching up a career-best 36 disposals, eight tackles and a game-high nine inside 50s.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
