Fremantle stars Lachie Neale, Stephen Hill and Michael Walters have been voted by their teammates as Fremantle’s three nominees for the 35th Annual AFL Players’ Association MVP award, to be announced on 13 September in Melbourne.
Sam Collins was Freo’s choice for the Best First Year Player award, while Aaron Sandilands is in contention for the Most Courageous Player award.
The nomination for the MVP award comprises two stages. First, players nominate three teammates for the award before each club’s nominees are presented to players from all teams, who vote to decide the winner of the Leigh Matthews Trophy.
Players cannot vote for their teammates in the second stage of the process.
Following a similar procedure, teammates nominate a candidate for the Best First Year Player and Most Courageous Player awards.
Neale was selected on the back of a record-breaking year in which he tallied the most disposals (737) in an AFL home and away season, since statistics have been recorded by Champion Data.
The 23-year-old posted 40 disposals or more on five occasions in 2016 and capped off his season with another 36 possessions, five marks and a goal in Matthew Pavlich’s farewell game against the Western Bulldogs at Domain Stadium last Sunday.
Hill had one of his most consistent seasons to date, averaging 24.9 possessions – 8.5 contested – 4.6 inside 50s, 3.9 tackles and 3.8 clearances.
Typically a hard-running wingman, the 26-year-old adjusted his inside game and played a more prominent role at stoppages in the absence of clearance specialists Michael Barlow, Nat Fyfe and, at times, David Mundy.
Walters was Fremantle’s leading goal-kicker this season for the third time in his career, despite spending significant amounts of time in the midfield.
The small forward booted a career-high five-goal haul against Adelaide in round 20 and amassed a personal best of 28 possessions against Collingwood in round 14.
Collins played 12 games in his debut season after being recruited last year with 55 in the national draft.
As a consequence of significant injuries to key defenders Alex Pearce, Michael Johnson and Alex Silvagni, the 22-year-old’s development was fast-tracked.
Neale in All-Australian Squad
In the latter stages of the year, the big-bodied backman was given to opportunity to play on some of the competition’s most dominant forwards.
Sandilands started the season in good form before fracturing his ribs and puncturing his right lung, running back into a marking contest with West Coast’s Nic Naitanui in round three.
The ruckman was immediately taken to hospital, where he had two plates inserted to help heal his broken ribs. He will have the plates for life.
However after a 17-week stint in rehabilitation, the 33-year-old returned for the corresponding fixture against Freo’s cross-town rivals, and Naitanui.
A week later he tweaked a gluteal muscle against Adelaide and missed a week, before returning for 232-time teammate and long-term friend Pavlich’s 353rd and final match.
David Mundy is in the running for the Best Captain award, having taken the reigns from Pavlich at the start of the season.
Star midfielder Nat Fyfe – who was voted as the AFLPA’s MVP in 2014 and 2015 – is one of only six players to have won the award on multiple occasions. Others include Gary Ablett (five), Greg Williams, Wayne Carey, Chris Judd and Michael Voss.
