CASEY Demons captain Mitch White has surged up the leaderboard in the Smithy’s VFL Coaches Player of the Year award.

Long-time Demons stalwart White had 28 disposals, nine clearances and six inside-50s and kicked two goals to poll a perfect 10 votes in his team’s come-from-behind win over Richmond at Swinburne Centre on Sunday, backing up an eight-vote effort against Coburg to move into a share of second spot on 25 votes after five rounds.

He joined Carlton star Will Hayes, who picked up six votes for 32 possessions, 10 marks and a goal in the Blues’ win over Werribee.

But the man they are chasing, Southport ace Jacob Dawson, continued to lay claim to being the best player outside the AFL after earning another nine votes for a blistering 35-disposal, 15-clearance effort in the Sharks’ last-gasp win over Footscray, taking him to 39 votes and a huge lead of 14 over Hayes and White.

Carlton youngster Jack Carroll (27 disposals, six marks, two goals), Brisbane Lions “barometer” Rhys Mathieson (36, 10 marks, one goal) and Collingwood forward Trent Bianco (17, six marks, five goals) joined White in being judged best-on-ground by both coaches, while Box Hills Hawks’ Callum Porter (28, five marks, seven clearances, seven inside-50s) matched Dawson’s nine and Footscray’s Daniel Orgill and Gibbs-Lines Medal-winning Hawk Jordan Cunico won eight votes each.

As with the AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year, the VFL award is voted on by the coaches of each club after every game.

The coaches are awarding 5-4-3-2-1 to their best players in the game from either team, with those votes collated and revealed each week on vfl.com.au.

A total of 25 new players attracted the coaches’ attention in Round 4, making it 215 to have polled so far this season.

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL

ROUND 5 VOTES

GWS 8.11 (59) drew Sandringham 8.11 (59)
5 Cooper Hamilton (San)
5 Tom Highmore (San)
5 Dean Kent (San)
4 Josh Fahey (GWS)
3 Ryan Byrnes (San)
3 Xavier O’Halloran (GWS)
3 Bailey Stewart (GWS)
2 Jack Peris (San)

Werribee 10.14 (74) lost to Carlton 14.9 (93)
10 Jack Carroll (Car)
6 Will Hayes (Car)
4 Liam Stocker (Car)
3 Jack Henderson (Wer)
3 Shaun Mannagh (Wer)
2 Tom Gribble (Wer)
1 Nathan Cooper (Wer)
1 Kye Declase (Wer)

Footscray 12.12 (84) lost to Southport 13.11 (89)
9 Jacob Dawson (Sou)
8 Daniel Orgill (Foo)
4 Ewan Macpherson (Foo)
4 Fraser Thurlow (Sou)
2 Zac Foot (Sou)
2 Boyd Woodcock (Sou)
1 Louis Butler (Foo)

Brisbane Lions 11.18 (84) def Port Melbourne 6.9 (45)
10 Rhys Mathieson (BL)
6 Ryan Lester (BL)
4 Tom Berry (BL)
4 Carter Michael (BL)
3 Blake Coleman (BL)
3 Jimmy Tunstill (BL)

Coburg 6.7 (43) lost to Box Hill Hawks 8.19 (67)
9 Callum Porter (Box)
8 Jordan Cunico (Box)
4 Jhye Baddeley-Kelly (Cob)
4 Ed Phillips (Box)
3 Damian Mascitti (Box)
1 Jack Maibaum (Cob)
1 James Parsons (Box)

Richmond 9.10 (64) lost to Casey Demons 13.10 (88)
10 Mitch White (Cas)
7 Jake Aarts (Ric)
4 Jake Melksham (Cas)
3 Oskar Baker (Cas)
3 Tom McDonald (Cas)
2 Kade Chandler (Cas)
1 Bigoa Nyuon (Ric)

Frankston 15.14 (104) def North Melbourne 8.12 (60)
6 Josh Newman (Fra)
5 Sam Fletcher (Fra)
5 Ryley Stoddart (Fra)
5 Will Walker (Fra)
4 Callum Coleman-Jones (NM)
3 Tom Powell (NM)
2 Connor Riley (Fra)

Essendon 10.13 (73) lost to Collingwood 20.11 (131)
10 Trent Bianco (Col)
7 Tyler Brown (Col)
4 Devon Smith (Ess)
3 Sam Fowler (Col)
2 Tom Hird (Ess)
2 Zach Reid (Ess)
1 Mason Cox (Col)
1 Finlay Macrae (Col)

Geelong, Gold Coast, Northern Bullants, Sydney, Williamstown bye

SMITHY’S VFL COACHES PLAYER OF THE YEAR LEADERBOARD

39 Jacob Dawson (Sou) 8
25 Will Hayes (Car) 6
25 Mitch White (Cas) 10
21 Boyd Woodcock (Sou) 2
19 Jarrod Brander (GWS) 0
19 Callum Brown (Col) 0
18 Paddy Dow (Car) 0
18 Josh Fahey (GWS) 4
18 Tom Wilson (NB) 0
17 Rhys Mathieson (BL) 10

FROSTY MILLER MEDAL LEADING GOALKICKER

16 Jacob Townsend (Sou) 0
14 Ben Crocker (Car) 3
13 Sam Fowler (Col) 4
12 Chris Burgess (GC) 0
12 Joel Ottavi (Wil) 0
11 Mitch Brown (Cas) 1
10 Mitch White (Cas) 1
9 Kaine Baldwin (Ess) 0
9 Sam Day (GC) 0
9 Kai Lohmann (BL) 0
9 Will Walker (Fra) 4

SMITHY’S VFL ROUND 5 RECORDS

(Figures in brackets are the previous record)

• 14.9 93 Carlton's highest score v Werribee at Chirnside Park (8.7 55, 2002)
• 19 Carlton's biggest win v Werribee (11, Princes Park, 2001)
• 6.7 43 Coburg's lowest score v Box Hill Hawks at Coburg City Oval (5.18 48, 2013)
• 20.11 131 Collingwood's highest score v Essendon (18.14 122 all venues, 2013; 17.10 112 Windy Hill, 2013)
• 58 Collingwood's biggest win v Essendon (31 all venues, 2000; 26 Windy Hill, 2018)
• 10.14 74 Werribee's lowest score v Carlton (12.11 83 all venues 2001, 15.14 104 Chirnside 2002)

SMITHY’S VFL PLAYER MILESTONES

• Kieren Briggs (GWS) 50 NEAFL/VFL matches (26 goals)
• Daniel Charlesworth (Southport) 50 NEAFL/VFL matches (9 goals)
• Rhys King (Southport) 50 club matches
• Mat Walker (North Melbourne) 50 NEAFL/VFL goals (35 matches)

SMITHY’S VFL CLUB MILESTONES

• Essendon lost its 200th VFA/VFL match (285-200-47)
• Frankston won a third consecutive match against the same opposition for the first time since it defeated Coburg five times in a row from 2011-13
• North Melbourne played its 50th VFL era match (19-31)

• Box Hill Hawks defeated Coburg for the 12th time in a row (last loss April 28, 2012)
• Brisbane Lions v Port Melbourne happened for the first time (1-0)
• Carlton defeated Werribee for the first time since June 30, 2001 (2 losses)
• Carlton defeated Werribee at Chirnside Park for the first time (1-1)
• Casey Demons took the lead v Richmond at Punt Road Oval (4-3)
• Collingwood took an overall win-loss lead in the VFL era (132-131)
• Collingwood squared its VFL era away record (60-60)
• Collingwood squared its VFL era record v Essendon (7-7)
• Footscray v Southport happened for the first time (0-1)
• GWS v Sandringham happened for the first time (0-0-1)
• GWS recorded its first home draw (55-39-1 all venues, 23-12-1 BISP)

*Frankston's win over North Melbourne represented the first time it has beaten the same opposition three times in a row since 2013.

SMITHY’S VFL DEBUTS

(Round 5 total: 14. Season total: 155. NEAFL games counted)

• Box Hill Hawks (total 10): David Brinker-Ritchie, Lachie Wynd
• Coburg (5): Max Thompson
• Collingwood (7): Jack Raines
• Essendon (16): Ben Archard, Alex Hird
• Footscray (8): Angus Bade, Joel Garner
• GWS (12): Ricky Monti, Sam Robinson
• North Melbourne (7): Tom Powell
• Richmond (11): Jackson Bowne, Jack Sexton, Sam Tucker

SMITHY’S VFL FIRST GOAL

(Round 5 total: 16. Season total: 110. NEAFL goals counted)

• Box Hill Hawks (5): Lachie Wynd (debut)
• Carlton (8): Jack Carroll (8th), Josh Cripps (4th), Tom Williamson (14th)
• Collingwood (5): Trey Ruscoe (8th)
• Essendon (11): Ben Archard (debut), Alex Hird (debut)
• Footscray (8): Chance Doultree (3rd), Luke Goater (2nd), Charlie Parker (3rd)
• Frankston (3): Jeremy Burton (2nd)
• GWS (10): Cam Fleeton (13th), Ricky Monti (debut)
• North Melbourne (5): Connor Hinkley (2nd)
• Richmond (5): Sam Tucker (debut)
• Werribee (3): Lucas Rocci (7th)

All Smithy’s VFL matches in 2022 are live streamed free. The match of the round is screened on Channel 7 and 7Plus, while all other matches are live and available on demand via afl.com.au and the AFL Live Official App. Radio station 3WBC 94.1 also broadcasts Box Hill Hawks matches.
To access live scores, results, ladder, stats and to link to live streams/replays, download the VFL/W Official App from the Apple or Google Play app stores.

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL