A stark improvement from Matthew Lobbe has seen the Port Adelaide ruckman recognised by his coaches at the club’s 2014 John Cahill Medal awards presentation.

Lobbe took home the Coaches’ Award as the club’s most improved player.

The award recognises a player who demonstrates a significant improvement in skills, work rate, fitness levels and commitment on his previous season.

For Lobbe, that improvement has occurred both on and off the field.

He was promoted into the Power’s leadership group at the beginning of the season after a strong finish to 2013 saw him challenge for a VFL/AFL hit out record.

Improvement in all aspects of his game was important to win the award and Lobbe managed to do so across the board, often as a lone ruckman with occasional support from pinch-hitting stand-ins Jackson Trengove and Justin Westhoff.