Gold Coast skipper Gary Ablett believes he has improved at the Suns and can become better still, after being voted by his peers as the AFL’s best for a record fourth time.

Tuesday night’s AFL Players’ Association’s most valuable player award added to the three straight he won with Geelong in 2007-09, along with the 2009 Brownlow Medal and two premierships with the Cats.

No other player has won the MVP award more than twice, with that mark shared by last year’s winner Chris Judd, Greg Williams, Wayne Carey and Michael Voss.

Ablett, whose Suns finished 17th this season, was the clear winner in an award voted on by all 843 players on a 3-2-1 basis.

Ablett polled 788 votes, ahead of Essendon skipper Jobe Watson (602), Richmond’s Trent Cotchin (495) and Collingwood’s Dayne Beams (377).

He broke a trend of the individual accolade reflecting team success, as the first player in a decade to be named MVP without playing finals.

Western Bulldogs ruckman Luke Darcy had been the most recent to do so, in 2002, with six of the other 10 winners since that time having played in a premiership in the same year.

Ablett said leading a younger, less successful club had helped him round his game.

“Being the captain up there, I’ve had to change a few things about how I’ve gone about football on the field and off the field,” Ablett told reporters.

“There’s no doubt that although I’m 28 now I’m going to keep trying to improve my game and hopefully help the team get a premiership.”

Former Hawthorn great Leigh Matthews, after whom the MVP award is named, said Ablett had enhanced an already great reputation.

“The fourth time’s amazing,” Matthews said.

“Gary grew up as a champion player in a champion team and it’s easy to play well when the team plays well, you share in the success.

“When Gary went north, we all wondered how he’d go in a team that was obviously going to struggle.

“His status as a player has been enhanced by going to a struggling club and maintaining his incredible level.”

Other winners included Essendon’s Jobe Watson, named the competition’s best captain.

Geelong’s Joel Selwood shared the most courageous player award with West Coast defender Beau Waters, while Greater Western Sydney forward Jeremy Cameron was voted best first-year player.