Gold Coast skipper Gary Ablett has been acknowledged by his peers as the AFL’s best player for a record fourth time, breaking a trend of the individual accolade reflecting team success.
The AFL Players’ Association’s most valuable player award added to those Ablett won with Geelong in three straight seasons from 2007-09.
No other player has won the 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 choice in an award that was 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).
Ablett, 28, who also won the Brownlow Medal in 2009, is the first player in 10 years to win the AFLPA’s MVP award in a year in which his team did not make the finals.
The previous most recent was former Western Bulldogs ruckman Luke Darcy, who shared the honour with Voss in 2002, when the Bulldogs came 12th, although Voss’s Brisbane won the flag that season.
Voss is among six winners in the past 10 seasons who have been part of that year’s premiership side, including Ablett in 2007 and 2009, while a further two have been part of the losing grand final side, including Ablett in 2008.
Tuesday night’s function in Melbourne was one of muted celebration, as players mourned the death earlier this week of Port Adelaide and ex-Collingwood 22-year-old John McCarthy in Las Vegas.
The function began with AFLPA chief executive Matt Finnis paying tribute to McCarthy, before those in attendance observed a minute’s silence.
Other award winners included Watson, who was named the competition’s best captain, polling 180 votes to finish well ahead of Geelong skipper Joel Selwood (97).
Selwood shared the most courageous player award with West Coast defender Beau Waters.
The honour was a minor consolation for Waters, who had his final series ended by a foot injury sustained in Sunday’s big win over North Melbourne.
Greater Western Sydney key forward Jeremy Cameron was voted the AFL’s best first-year player, with Brisbane’s Dayne Zorko the runner-up.
