Fremantle has a number of nominees in the AFL Players’ MVP Awards.

Ryan Crowley, Nat Fyfe and Michael Johnson are in the running to take out the prestigious peer-voted Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFL Players’ MVP.

The award remains the only football honour voted on by the players.

Now in its 31st year, the award is more important than ever, according to AFL Players’ CEO Matt Finnis.

“Amongst all of the various awards and accolades provided to players at this time of year, it’s really important the players themselves have a voice,” he said.

“In any industry, you want the respect of your peers. AFL footballers are no different, and the Leigh Matthews Trophy is a great way players can recognise the efforts of those outside their own club.”

AFL Players’ Association President Luke Ball said that while the award continues to grow in stature publicly, it has always been considered one of the highest honours in the game amongst the playing group because it reflects the respect a player has amongst his peers.

“As a player, you strive for the respect of your peers, and unlike other awards, the MVP is determined by the men who take to the field alongside you each week,” Ball said.

“Players get to see what occurs behind the scenes. From long nights on the track, to game day and the strategic work put into stopping an opposition player, so we are very well positioned to judge the Most Valuable Player in the league.

“The names that feature on the Leigh Matthews’ Trophy represent the very elite of the past 30 years, so to have your name etched alongside players you have grown up idolising would be an incredible honour for any player.”

Jack Hannath has been nominated for the Best First Year Player Award, which teammate Michael Barlow took out in 2010, while Matt de Boer is up for Most Courageous.

Matthew Pavlich is in the running for Best Captain, but an extended period on the sidelines will hurt his chances of getting the nod.

The winners will be announced on Tuesday 10 September.

THE VOTING PROCESS:
The MVP voting is a two stage process, beginning with each player voting for the three teammates he considers to have been the most valuable this season.  Each club’ votes are then tallied to form a nomination list comprising 54 players across the 18 teams.

Then, in the second round of voting, all AFL players vote for their MVP on a 3, 2, 1 basis from amongst the nominees from all 17 other clubs.

The votes are tallied, and the player with the highest score wins the honour of MVP.

The 2013 Be The Influence AFL Players’ MVP Award Winners will be announced on Tuesday 10 September at Peninsula, Shed 14 Central Pier, Docklands and will be broadcast exclusively on Fox Footy Channel at 9.30pm.