SAM Collins has claimed his first Gold Coast Club Champion award after a stellar season in defence for the Suns.
In one of the closest counts in club history, Collins (339 votes) emerged as the club's best and fairest ahead of vice-captain Touk Miller (335) and co-captain Jarrod Witts (327).
ALL-AUSTRALIAN TEAM Check out who made the cut
Off-season recruits Hugh Greenwood (291) and Brandon Ellis (279) rounded out the top five.
Gold Coast's five-man match committee awarded votes to an unlimited number of players each match, with players able to receive a maximum of 10 votes from each judge, meaning a maximum of 50 votes for any match.
Collins battled with Miller for the lead all night, and managed to withhold the midfielder and fast-finishing Witts to claim the Suns' top award in his second season at the club.
The 26-year-old played all 17 games and finished the year ranked second in the league for intercept possessions, averaging 7.1 per game and fifth for intercept marks.
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The key defender was tasked with playing on the most prolific key forwards in the competition and was rarely beaten one-on-one.
As well as finishing runner-up, Miller won the Most Professional Award and the Players’ Player Award, which he shared with co-captain David Swallow for the second-straight year.
NAB AFL Rising Star runner-up Noah Anderson was rewarded for his outstanding debut season with the Emerging Player Award to go with a sixth place in the Club Champion.
After playing his 150th game for the club, Swallow was officially inducted as a Life Member, becoming the third player to earn the recognition in club history after Jarrod Harbrow and Michael Rischitelli.
Gold Coast Club Champion top 10
1. Sam Collins (339)
2. Touk Miller (335)
3. Jarrod Witts (327)
4. Hugh Greenwood (291)
5. Brandon Ellis (279)
6. Noah Anderson (273)
7. Lachie Weller (243)
8. Wil Powell (231)
=9. Jack Bowes (223)
=9. Jack Lukosius (223)
