Gribble joins top 10 as Mathieson closes the gap
WERRIBEE champion Tom Gribble has climbed into the top 10 of the Smithy’s VFL Coaches Player of the Year award after landing a perfect 10 votes in the Tigers’ comfortable win over North Melbourne at Avalon Airport Oval last Saturday.
Reigning Liston medallist Gribble was imperious as the Tigers bounced back from a disappointing loss to Port Melbourne, winning 41 disposals (including five inside-50s) and 12 clearances, taking seven marks and laying 11 tackles – 14 more possessions than the next highest ballwinner on the ground.
Rhys Mathieson cut the gap to leader Jacob Dawson to 13 votes after polling five in the Brisbane Lions’ win over Footscray last Friday, while Luke Dunstan is outright fifth after getting four votes in Casey Demons’ runaway victory against Port Melbourne.
Swan Lewis Taylor and Giant Jarrod Brander also moved up the leaderboard with six-vote hauls.
Casey’s Kade Chandler, Frankston’s Taylin Duman, Coburg’s Charlie Thompson and Collingwood’s Trent Bianco all joined Gribble in being voted unanimous best-on-grounds over the weekend.
Enjoy Kade Chandler's standout VFL performance for the Demons
As with the AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year, the VFL award is voted on by the coaches of each club after every game.
The coaches are awarding 5-4-3-2-1 to their best players in the game from either team, with those votes collated and revealed each week on vfl.com.au.
A total of 15 new players attracted the coaches’ attention in Round 15, making it 397 to have polled so far this season.
Brisbane Lions 14.14 (98) def Footscray 10.13 (73) 8 Darcy Fort (BL) 7 Nakia Cockatoo (BL) 5 Rhys Mathieson (BL) 4 Ely Smith (BL) 2 Luke Cleary (Foo) 2 Riley Garcia (Foo) 1 Lachie Sullivan (Foo) 1 Darcy Wilmot (GWS)
Enjoy Nakia Cockatoo's standout VFL performance for the Lions
Essendon 5.9 (39) lost to Sydney 14.14 (98) 8 Harry Cunningham (Syd) 6 Lewis Taylor (Syd) 5 James Bell (Syd) 5 Hayden McLean (Syd) 2 Cody Brand (Ess) 2 Peter Ladhams (Syd) 1 Nick Bryan (Ess) 1 Sam Wicks (Syd)
Enjoy Hayden McLean's standout VFL performance for the Swans
Casey Demons 18.11 (119) def Port Melbourne 8.13 (61) 10 Kade Chandler (Cas) 7 Oskar Baker (Cas) 4 Luke Dunstan (Cas) 3 Cody Szust (PM) 2 Nash Holmes (PM) 2 Bailey Laurie (Cas) 1 Harvey Hooper (PM) 1 Jimmy Munro (Cas)
Werribee 15.15 (105) def North Melbourne 9.4 (58) 10 Tom Gribble (Wer) 7 Callum Coleman-Jones (NM) 4 Keegan Gray (Wer) 4 Kye Declase (Wer) 3 Logan Wagener (Wer) 2 Flynn Perez (NM)
Enjoy Kye Declase's standout VFL performance for the Tigers
Frankston 18.11 (119) def Geelong 8.14 (62) 10 Taylin Duman (Fra) 8 Trent Mynott (Fra) 4 Brodie McLaughlin (Fra) 3 Will Fordham (Fra) 3 Mitch Knevitt (Gee) 1 Jye Chalcraft (Gee) 1 Josh Newman (Fra)
Enjoy Trent Mynott's standout VFL performance for the Dolphins
Richmond 11.14 (80) lost to Collingwood 12.12 (84) 10 Trent Bianco (Col) 7 Finlay Macrae (Col) 4 Jake Aarts (Ric) 3 Josh Carmichael (Col) 2 Ben Miller (Ric) 2 Tyler Sonsie (Ric) 1 Sam Fowler (Col) 1 Will Martyn (Ric)
Enjoy Trent Bianco's standout VFL performance for the Pies
GWS 14.7 (91) def Box Hill Hawks 7.18 (60) 7 Josh Ward (Box) 6 Jarrod Brander (GWS) 6 Josh Green (GWS) 4 Finn Maginness (Box) 4 Brayden Preuss (GWS) 3 Jake Stein (GWS)
Coburg 16.6 (102) def Gold Coast 11.12 (78) 10 Charlie Thompson (Cob) 8 Flynn Gentile (Cob) 6 Mitch Podhajski (Cob) 3 Corey Ellis (Cob) 2 Sam Day (Cob) 1 Brayden Fiorini (GC)
Enjoy Sam Day's standout VFL performance for the Suns
Northern Bullants 9.8 (62) lost to Williamstown 13.9 (87) 9 Teia Miles (Wil) 6 Tom Downie (Wil) 5 Liam Hunt (Wil) 4 Will Mitchell (NB) 3 Jackson Barling (NB) 2 Jean-Luc Velissaris (NB) 1 Brayden Monk (Wil)
85 Jacob Dawson (Sou) bye 72 Rhys Mathieson (BL) 5 63 Boyd Woodcock (Sou) bye 62 Paddy Dow (Car) bye 51 Luke Dunstan (Cas) 4 47 Lachie Sullivan (Foo) 1 44 Lewis Taylor (Syd) 6 40 Joel Amartey (Syd) 0 40 Tom Gribble (Wer) 10 38 Jarrod Brander (GWS) 6 38 Ryan Clarke (Syd) dnp
All Smithy’s VFL matches in 2022 are live streamed free. The match of the round is screened on Channel 7 and 7Plus, while all other matches are live and available on demand via afl.com.au and the AFL Live Official App. Radio station 3WBC 94.1 also broadcasts Box Hill Hawks matches. To access live scores, results, ladder, stats and to link to live streams/replays, download the VFL/W Official App from the Apple or Google Play app stores.
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