PORT ADELAIDE spearhead Charlie Dixon has been recognised in voting for the AFL Coaches Association AFL Champion Player of the Year Award for his powerhouse performance against the Swans at Adelaide Oval.
Dixon received the maximum ten votes from the coaches after providing an intimidating physical presence for Port Adelaide all over the ground in the win over Sydney.
The man mountain gathered a season-best 19 possessions (13 of them contested) against the Swans and was a dominant figure in the air clunking three contested marks.
He also slotted two goals despite dealing with as many as four defenders at a time.
Teammate Travis Boak earned himself three votes after getting off the chain in the second half to gather a team-high 29 touches, while Scott Lycett (two votes) caught the eye of the coaches not only for his match-sealing goal and Willem Drew (one vote) continued his impressive breakout season as a bone-crunching defensive midfielder.
Swan Luke Parker (34 disposals) received eight votes, while Lance Franklin (four goals) and Callum Mills (30 touches) were each awarded three for Sydney in an even spread of the votes that typified the hard-fought nature of the contest that saw Port Adelaide run out 10-point winners.
Dixon joined St Kilda midfielder Luke Dunstan, ageless Fremantle star David Mundy, Melbourne defender Steven May, Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli and Carlton tyro Sam Walsh with perfect votes from the coaches in Round 15.
Teammate Ollie Wines remains third in the coaches count, 16 votes adrift of leader Bontempelli and 11 shy of Demon Clayton Oliver.
Round 15 – votes v Sydney
10 votes – Dixon (PA)
8 votes – Parker (SYD)
3 votes – Boak (PA)
3 votes – Franklin (SYD)
3 votes – Mills (SYD)
2 votes – Lycett (PA)
1 vote – Drew (PA)
Overall leader board
76 votes - Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
71 votes – Clayton Oliver (Melbourne)
60 votes – Ollie Wines (Port Adelaide)
58 votes - Sam Walsh (Carlton)
56 votes - Touk Miller (Gold Coast)
55 votes – Darcy Parish (Essendon), Hugh McCluggage (Brisbane)
54 votes – David Mundy (Fremantle)
53 votes – Max Gawn (Melbourne)
51 votes - Zach Merrett (Essendon)
