Who will be the AFL Players’ MVP?

Leigh Matthews is arguably the greatest player to have ever played our game, yet he never won a Brownlow.

Gary Ablett Snr, Jason Dunstall and Wayne Carey also feature heavily in the perennial ‘Best of the Best’ debates, however they too failed to go home with Charlie on Brownlow night..

They can however boast that they were voted by their peers as the AFL Players’ Most Valuable Player. And that is what makes this award so special.

It is the Players’ Award. The only player-voted Award in the AFL industry and this year it will be held at the Crown Palladium on the 12th of September as it enters its 29th year.

The MVP award is for the toughest,  most skilful and ultimately most valuable player in the game which is why it was named in honour of the legendary Leigh Matthews after he won the inaugural trophy.

As a player, he possessed amazing courage, intense skill, a ferocious attack on the contest and above all else had the ability to inspire and lead his teammates when the chips were down.

He encapsulated the values a player considers when he is asked “who is the League’s Most Valuable Player.”

As we look at the nominees for this year’s Award, it is important to remember the great thing about this award is that it doesn’t matter whether your team is winning or losing, which position you play or how many games you played. It only matters whether your peers believe you are the Most Valuable Player in the game.

Starting off our nominees we have the ever-reliable bracket of veterans in  Adam Goodes, Simon Black and Dustin Fletcher who continue to run rings around their more youthful opponents and still have plenty to offer the game.

At the other end of the spectrum, Fletcher’s young teammate, Dyson Heppell, was yet to be born when Fletch first pulled on the boots for the Bombers.  He has capped off an astonishing first year by receiving a nomination and has many touting him as the success story of the 2011 Draft.

The man to beat will be Chris Judd who looks set to be a strong contender again after a very impressive year, but nipping at his heels is fellow Blues midfielder Marc Murphy who many believe has pushed Judd to greater heights igniting his competitiveness to stay the top blue.

Continually with the master and apprentice theme is the Fremantle duo of Matthew Pavlich and Nathan Fyfe, with many predicting that young Fyfe has all the characteristics to make him a future captain of the club.

Over to the black and white, and the Collingwood firm has shown their incredible depth with last year’s MVP Dane Swan being pipped for nomination with Pendlebury, Thomas and power-forward Cloke getting the nod from teammates and showing the evenness of their star outfit.

While up north, Gary Ablett Jnr has flourished in his new surroundings and proven he can win his own ball. Although his team did not win enough games to see him feature heavily among the Brownlow favourites, the respect amongst his peers has grown once again and he has proven before that he has what it takes to win the MVP, being a three-time champion.

In the West, Dean Cox has had an amazing return to premiership form and has been running round like a young colt. Joining him is stalwart Darren Glass and prolific onballer Matthew Priddis.

At the Hawks, the excitement machine Lance Franklin has won his second Coleman Medal and heading into September is in blistering form. His teammate ‘The Extractor’ Sam Mitchell, has had a remarkably consistent season averaging over 31 possessions and was this week rewarded with the Herald Sun Player of the Year award. Both these players should be considered very serious contenders for an MVP award.

At the Cattery, the fearless Joel Selwood has stepped up and his courage and ability to win the contested ball makes him invaluable and alongside him, the duo of James Kelly and Joel Corey have also received nominations.

For the Swans, the revival of the Bloods warrior Jude Bolton has bought a smile to the face of many footy fans. His hard-nosed approach has earned him great respect and this year he amassed an amazing 19 tackles in his 260th game against the Eagles, setting a new AFL record. Don’t be surprised if this champion polls very highly.

Port Power has had a year they would rather forget however for fans there were a few positives. Their nominees for this year are a sign of the good times ahead as they focus on developing their list. Leading the way is young gun Hamish Hartlett who is joined by the teammate Travis Boak and veteran captain Domenic Cassisi.

At the Bulldogs Matthew Boyd has stepped up to the role of captain and produced his best year to date. A fierce competitor, he has teamed up with Ryan Griffin and the classy flanker Rob Murphy producing their best footy, with Murphy a strong chance to secure an All-Australian spot down back.

At North, Drew Petrie has fought back after an injury prone 2010 and become one of the most influential forwards in the game. The power forward has been assisted by quality delivery from the midfield duo of Daniel Wells and Andrew Swallow who have been standouts this year and although they didn’t make the top eight they looks set to have a very big 2012.

The Demons share a similar story and are focusing on the future, appearing to be in very good hands with a fleet on talented young midfielders leading their nominations and who have all signalled they are committed to the future of the club.

Jack Trengove has the makings of an out and out star and for a man his size has shown he possesses a fierce tackle to match his precisions skills and hard running. Fellow youngster Jordie McKenzie has also shown great improvement which has clearly been appreciated by his peers who have elected him this year and it is not hard to see who they base their game on with tough man Brent Moloney making up the trio and continuing to ply his rugged style of football.

Down at Seaford, the ever-consistent Nick Dal Santo and Sam Fisher have turned the clubs season around and now sees them enter the finals race as the dark horse of the competition. They have been assisted by the vastly improved Sean Dempster who receives his first nomination.

Finally, we come to the Adelaide Crows where three veterans have shown their class and led their young chargers through a difficult period. Scott Thompson has proven a ball magnet, with an astonishing 51 possessions in one gamealone. Experienced defenders Ben Rutten and Graham Johncock used their football smarts to clear the ball time and time again from the Crows back half and often turned defence into attack.

So with the awards less than a week away and the 2011 finals series upon us it is a perfect opportunity to ask yourself, just as all AFL players have been asked: Which player would I want in my team as I ran onto the field to begin the Grand Final? 

There are lots of answers this year. But in the end, only on AFL Player will get the nod. Tune in on Monday night to find out who that is.