SOUTHPORT gun Jacob Dawson has re-established his dominant lead in the Smithy’s VFL Coaches Player of the Year award after another perfect game in the Sharks’ hard-fought victory over Box Hill Hawks at Box Hill City Oval on Saturday.

Dawson picked up 33 disposals, seven clearances and six inside-50s as the Sharks banked their seventh win in a row to move two games clear of Brisbane Lions in second spot, with his 10 votes sending him 23 clear of second-placed Lion Rhys Mathieson, who had the bye.

Shark Boyd Woodcock strengthened his position in third with four votes after Paddy Dow failed to poll in Carlton’s narrow loss to Port Melbourne, but reigning Liston medallist Tom Gribble continues to surge up the leaderboard, with his 34 touches, 11 clearances and a goal winning him 10 votes for the second week in a row to climb to seventh.

Footscray skipper Lachie Sullivan leapt to fifth with nine votes in the Bulldogs’ win over Sandringham and Port Melbourne defender Ethan Phillips is back in the top 10 after taking seven votes against the Blues.

Trent Bianco (Collingwood – 35 disposals, six marks, eight inside-50s), Charlie Constable (Gold Coast – 35 disposals, nine marks, nine clearances, six inside-50s, seven tackles, one goal) and Jacob Hopper (GWS – 33 disposals, 13 clearances, six inside-50s) also earned 10 votes for their best-on-ground performances in victories over North Melbourne, Frankston and Williamstown respectively.

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 eight new players attracted the coaches’ attention in Round 16, making it 405 to have polled so far this season.

ROUND 16 VOTES

Geelong 8.14 (62) lost to Casey Demons 11.9 (75)
9 Francis Evans (Gee)
8 Bailey Laurie (Cas)
4 Jonathon Ceglar (Gee)
4 Jayden Hunt (Cas)
3 Jimmy Munro (Cas)
2 Luke Dunstan (Cas)

Collingwood 9.12 (66) def North Melbourne 7.6 (48)
10 Trent Bianco (Col)
8 Finlay Macrae (Col)
4 Marty Hore (NM)
4 Jason Horne-Francis (NM)
3 Campbell Hustwaite (Col)
1 Callum Brown (Col)

Gold Coast 12.8 (80) def Frankston 10.16 (76)
10 Charlie Constable (GC)
6 Will Fordham (Fra)
5 James Tsitas (GC)
4 Darcy Macpherson (GC)
3 Ned Moyle (GC)
1 Elijah Hollands (GC)
1 Jackson Voss (Fra)

Box Hill Hawks 8.11 (59) lost to Southport 10.14 (74)
10 Jacob Dawson (Sou)
6 Dan Howe (Box)
4 Brayden Crossley (Sou)
4 Boyd Woodcock (Sou)
3 Fraser Thurlow (Sou)
2 Tom Phillips (B0x)
1 Max Pescud (Sou)

Werribee 15.21 (111) def Coburg 7.7 (49)
10 Tom Gribble (Wer)
6 Matt Hanson (Wer)
5 Dom Brew (Wer)
5 Kye Declase (Wer)
2 Nick Coughlan (Wer)
2 Louis Pinnuck (Wer)

Port Melbourne 14.9 (93) def Carlton 14.6 (90)
7 Ethan Phillips (PM)
6 Ned Cahill (Car)
6 Nash Holmes (PM)
4 Lachie Fogarty (Car)
4 Harvey Hooper (PM)
3 Liam Stocker (Car)

Sandringham 6.6 (42) lost to Footscray 13.18 (96)
9 Lachie Sullivan (Foo)
7 Josh Bruce (Foo)
4 Nathan Drummond (Foo)
3 Luke Cleary (Foo)
3 Toby McLean (Foo)
2 Ryan Byrnes (San)
2 Tom Campbell (San)

Williamstown 9.10 (64) lost to GWS 11.16 (82)
10 Jacob Hopper (GWS)
6 Nick Mellington (Wil)
4 Tom Downie (Wil)
4 Jake Riccardi (GWS)
3 Liam Hunt (Wil)
3 Zach Sproule (GWS)

Brisbane Lions, Essendon, Northern Bullants, Richmond, Sydney bye

SMITHY’S VFL COACHES PLAYER OF THE YEAR LEADERBOARD

95 Jacob Dawson (Sou) 10
72 Rhys Mathieson (BL) bye
67 Boyd Woodcock (Sou) 4
62 Paddy Dow (Car) 0
56 Lachie Sullivan (Foo) 9
53 Luke Dunstan (Cas) 2
50 Tom Gribble (Wer) 10
44 Lewis Taylor (Syd) bye
42 Ethan Phillips (PM) 7
40 Joel Amartey (Syd) bye

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL

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.