ROBBIE Gray has won the 2014 John Cahill Medal on the back of an emphatic season as a versatile and elusive forward-running midfielder.

It is the 26-year-old’s first John Cahill Medal and comes on top of his All-Australian selection and winning the AFL Coaches’ Association Champion Player of the Year Award.

He is the thirteenth player to win the medal since Darren Mead’s inaugural accomplishment in 1997.

The crowning glory of his season as Port Adelaide’s best and fairest player is also a remarkable achievement for Gray, who returned from a sickening anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2013 to play out the remainder of that season, and every game this year.

Gray won the award from Travis Boak and Kane Cornes, the pair repeating their respective second and third-place finishes from last year’s count.

Clearly the Power’s most consistent performer, Gray’s journey to the John Cahill Medal came in a similar fashion to last year’s winner Chad Wingard.

After sitting among Port Adelaide’s best for the early part of the season, Gray took the lead of the count at Round 7 from Power vice-captain Brad Ebert and never looked back.

He polled in 23 of Port Adelaide’s 25 games throughout the year and was named best on ground in eight matches.

Notably, Gray was the most consistent vote-getter during the Power’s least successful period of five losses from Round 15 to Round 20 – highlighting his ability to stand up in tough team performances.

The John Cahill Medal is voted on by the six members of Port Adelaide’s coaching panel, including senior coach Ken Hinkley, director of coaching Shaun Hart, midfield manager Phil Walsh and line coaches Josh Carr, Tyson E­­­­dwards and Matthew Nicks.

Each coach allocates a score on a 0-5 basis to all players following the game, meaning a player could draw anywhere from no votes up to 30 for their performance.

Brad Ebert was the only player to poll a perfect score of 30 votes for his incredible 40-disposal performance against the Sydney Swans in Round 13 at the SCG.

Just 47 votes separated those between positions two and nine – a reflection of the playing list’s ultra-consistent year.

Swingman Justin Westhoff polled fourth – just five votes adrift of Cornes – while Matthew Lobbe was a further five behind him.

Leading goal kicker Jay Schulz and emerging inside midfielder Ollie Wines tied in sixth position with 220 votes, with Hamish Hartlett, Chad Wingard and Tom Jonas rounding out the top 10.

Jonas’s position inside the 10 is impressive considering he missed three games through injury early in the season. 

Earlier in the night, several other players were recognised with other awards including skipper Travis Boak with his second Fos Williams Medal as the club’s best team man as voted by his teammates.

Ollie Wines also won his second consecutive Gavin Wanganeen Medal as the club’s best player under the age of 21.

Matthew Lobbe was deemed the Power’s most improved player by its senior coaching panel after winning the club’s coaches award, while Brad Ebert was acknowledged for his community work beyond the walls of Alberton for his advocacy of mental health issues, particularly motor neurone disease, and in promoting youth opportunity and leadership as a board member for the Sammy D Foundation.

2014 John Cahill Medal – top 10 leader board

1. Robbie Gray – 398 votes
2. Travis Boak – 255
3. Kane Cornes – 237
4. Justin Westhoff – 232
5. Matt Lobbe – 227
6. Jay Schulz, Ollie Wines – 220
7. Hamish Hartlett – 219
8. Chad Wingard – 208
9. Tom Jonas – 185

Fos Williams Medal

Travis Boak

Gavin Wanganeen Medallist

Ollie Wines

Coaches’ Award

Matthew Lobbe

John McCarthy Award

Brad Ebert

Wok in a Box Fans’ MVP (Supporters’ Player of the Year)

Robbie Gray

Support staff award

Bob O’Malley

Previous Port Adelaide AFL award winners