COLLINGWOOD midfielder Dane Swan has ended Gary Ablett’s three-year reign to be crowned the AFL Players’ Association Most Valuable Player.

Swan was a clear winner, polling 972 votes ahead of Hawthorn’s Luke Hodge, who scored 603, and Ablett, who polled 562 to finish third.

Swan becomes just the second Collingwood player to win the award in its 29-year-history. The other was the late Darren Millane, who won in 1990; also the year the Magpies last won the premiership.

The 26-year-old has polled consistently in the AFLPA MVP and the Brownlow medal in recent years and says 2010 has been the best season of his career so far.

“I think my form has improved with the side. It’s been our side’s best season for a while. I was there in ’02 and ’03 but I didn’t really play so I don’t really count myself as a part of that side,” Swan said.

“This has definitely been our best season and I think my form has mirrored the team’s. We’ve improved and we’ve got a lot of depth. It’s a bit easier to play well when you’re winning.”

The achievement is a long way from the lowest point of Swan’s career when he was nearly sacked by the Magpies after being charged with assault in late 2003.

He said the incident and the subsequent fallout was the reality check he needed to approach football with an adult mindset.

“When I first got drafted all I wanted to do was party and have fun with my friends outside of footy. It took me a couple of years. That incident happened and I thought I was going to get sacked and I didn’t,” he said.

“From there I knew full well what I wanted to do with my life. I knew full well I wanted to be an AFL player and realised I had to work pretty hard to get where I wanted to be. I never thought I’d get to this. I never in my wildest dreams thought I was going to win the MVP or any awards like this. All I wanted to be was a consistent AFL player and hopefully I’ve done that.”

Swan played all 22 games in the home-and-away season to average 31.9 disposals. He racked up more than 30 touches in the last 11 games.

Runner-up Hodge won the Robert Rose Most Courageous Player Award ahead of Geelong’s Joel Selwood and St Kilda’s Lenny Hayes.

Fremantle’s Michael Barlow was a runaway winner of the Best First Year Player Award, polling 442 votes. Dustin Martin (129) and Tom Scully (49) trailed him.

Retiring Sydney Swan Brett Kirk was named the AFL’s best captain, with 142 votes ahead of Brisbane Lion Jonathan Brown (75) and Carlton’s Chris Judd (73).

Western Bulldog Tim Callan was awarded the Education and Training Excellence Award.