Collingwood's Travis Cloke, Scott Pendlebury and Dale Thomas have been nominated by their teammates for the AFL Players' Most Valuable Player award for season 2011.

All three Magpies will now be listed in a pool of 48 nominees for the AFL’s foremost peer-determined award, named the Leigh Matthews Trophy, announced on Monday 12 September.

Cloke, Pendlebury and Thomas have enjoyed stellar years and are starting to reap the end-of-season awards after all three were selected in the 40-man All Australian squad on Tuesday.

Entering its 29th year, the AFL Players’ MVP Awards continue to grow in stature as the only awards voted by players themselves.

Last year's winner was Collingwood's own Dane Swan, the second Magpie to take out the award with Darren Millane earning the honour in 1990.

Other awards to be decided on the night are:
    •    The Robert Rose Most Courageous Player Award (Luke Ball nominated)
    •    The Best Captain Award (Nick Maxwell nominated)
    •    The Best First Year Player Award (Alex Fasolo nominated)
    •    Education and Training Excellence Award

How the award is conducted
As in previous years, the process begins with each team voting for those three players which provide the best overall value to their own team.

Then, in the second round of voting, all AFL players choose from the list of 48 nominees to determine who will be the MVP (they cannot vote for players from their own team in second round).

The winners will be announced on Monday 12 September at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium and will be broadcast exclusively on Fox Sports 1 at 9.30pm.