Following an impressive display at the Gabba a fortnight ago which saw him among the votes, Swan once again demonstrated his bona fides with an outing highlighting him at his Brownlow Medal winning best.
Capitalising upon the inexperience of his fledgling opponents, Swan cut a swathe through the MCG, with eight clearances, six marks, four inside 50’s and a goal the reward for his outstanding efforts.
While Swan hasn’t featured regularly in AFLCA voting during the first half of the season, the four-time All-Australian has shown glimpses of his breathtaking best in recent times, a heartening sign for a Magpie side seeking to begin its march towards the top four in earnest.
Fellow midfield star Scott Pendlebury continued his recent rich vein of form with another eye catching display, receiving seven votes to surge into sixth place on the overall leader board.
Collecting 34 possessions, including six clearances and a goal, Pendlebury’s undoubted class characteristically came to the fore, as time and time again, the 25-year old excelled with his poise and vision around the contest.
Pendlebury shared second-best-on-ground honours with Luke Ball, whose defensive prowess was on show as he accumulated eight clearances and laid five tackles in his fourth match since returning from injury.
Despite concerns he would require time to build confidence and match fitness in the wake of his knee reconstruction; Ball has firmly allayed any doubts with an astounding return, averaging 24 touches and five clearances per game since his comeback.
In his sixth match at senior level, Ben Kennedy broke through to garner his first AFLCA votes, receiving two after a three-goal performance which emphasised the South Australian’s keen ability to find space inside 50.
Relishing the additional time and space he was afforded along the half-back line, Heath Shaw joined Kennedy in receiving two votes from the competing coaches, while Harry O’Brien and Melbourne’s Matt Jones garnered a solitary vote apiece.
Gold Coast’s Gary Ablett remains atop the overall leader board with 65 votes, with Sydney’s Daniel Hannebery, on 54, and Kieran Jack, with 50, trailing close behind to complete the top three.
Melbourne v Collingwood - Round 11
| Votes | Player | Club |
| 10 | Dane Swan | Collingwood |
| 7 | Luke Ball | Collingwood |
| 7 | Scott Pendlebury | Collingwood |
| 2 | Ben Kennedy | Collingwood |
| 2 | Heath Shaw | Collingwood |
| 1 | Matt Jones | Melbourne |
| 1 | Harry O'Brien | Collingwood |
Collingwood Leaderboard for the 2013 AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award (after 11 rounds)
| Votes | Player |
| 40 | Scott Pendlebury |
| 25 | Dane Swan |
| 21 | Steele Sidebottom |
| 18 | Travis Cloke |
| 17 | Harry O'Brien |
| 10 | Sam Dwyer |
| 10 | Jamie Elliott |
| 10 | Heath Shaw |
| 8 | Paul Seedsman |
| 7 | Luke Ball |
| 7 | Dale Thomas |
| 4 | Jarryd Blair |
| 4 | Quinten Lynch |
| 4 | Brent Macaffer |
| 3 | Nathan Brown |
| 2 | Ben Kennedy |
| 1 | Ben Hudson |
| 1 | Darren Jolly |
| 1 | Andrew Krakouer |
| 1 | Kyle Martin |
| 1 | Alan Toovey |
Overall 2013 AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award Leaderboard (after 11 rounds)
| Votes | Player | Club |
| 65 | Gary Ablett | Gold Coast |
| 54 | Daniel Hannebery | Sydney |
| 50 | Kieren Jack | Sydney |
| 45 | Jobe Watson | Essendon |
| 42 | Patrick Dangerfield | Adelaide |
| 40 | Scott Pendlebury | Collingwood |
| 36 | Jarrad McVeigh | Sydney |
| 35 | Rory Sloane | Adelaide |
| 33 | Nathan Fyfe | Fremantle |
| 33 | Joel Selwood | Geelong |
