The two onballers received eight votes apiece in the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year award for the 79 possessions, three goals and seven tackles they shared in the midfield.
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Swan’s performance was particularly noteworthy considering he had missed the previous fortnight due to a hamstring injury. But perhaps supporters should have anticipated a performance of this standard in light of his 33 disposals on return from a two-week stint in Arizona against Sydney last season. The match against the Demons was the second time he has recorded 42 disposals this season and was the seventh time he had reached or passed the 40-disposal mark in his 184 game career.
For Beams, it was a continuation of a stellar season that has seen him enter the ranks of the competition’s best midfielders. In winning 37 possessions, it was the sixth time in his past seven games that he has used the ball on 30 or more occasions. It illustrates the 22-year-old’s rapid improvement this season, as he had only won 30 disposals in a match on four occasions in 59 games prior to 2012.
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Dane and Dayne were followed closely by Steele Sidebottom, who was the third most productive player on the ground with 36 possessions. Much like his good mate Beams, Sidebottom has gone from strength to strength this year. His match against Melbourne was the fifth time has topped 30 disposals in his past six outings.
It truly was a match won and lost in the midfield according to the two coaches as there was only one key position player (Melbourne’s Mitch Clark) to receive votes. Jarryd Blair collected another two votes, and Sharrod Wellingham one. Melbourne’s best performer was Nathan Jones who was awarded three votes.
Although Pendlebury missed the game through injury, he still leads the competition after 11 rounds with 55 votes. He has polled in six of a possible 10 games, meaning he leads Essendon’s Jobe Watson by six votes.
Melbourne v Collingwood Voting
| Votes | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Dayne Beams | Coll |
| 8 | Dane Swan | Coll |
| 7 | Steele Sidebottom | Coll |
| 3 | Nathan Jones | Melb |
| 2 | Jarryd Blair | Coll |
| 1 | Mitch Clark | Melb |
| 1 | Sharrod Wellingham | Coll |
Collingwood leader board for the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year (number of matches the player polled)
| Votes | Player |
|---|---|
| 55 | Scott Pendlebury (6) |
| 36 | Dane Swan (5) |
| 32 | Steele Sidebottom (5) |
| 29 | Dayne Beams (4) |
| 13 | Ben Reid (2) |
| 13 | Dale Thomas (3) |
| 10 | Harry O'Brien (2) |
| 6 | Sharrod Wellingham (3) |
| 5 | Travis Cloke (2) |
| 4 | Nick Maxwell (2) |
| 3 | Jarryd Blair (2) |
| 3 | Nathan Brown (1) |
| 3 | Ben Johnson (1) |
| 1 | Marty Clarke (1) |
| 1 | Alan Didak (1) |
| 1 | Tyson Goldsack (1) |
Leader board for the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year
| Votes | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | Scott Pendlebury | Collingwood |
| 49 | Jobe Watson | Essendon |
| 48 | Trent Cotchin | Richmond |
| 47 | Matthew Boyd | Western Bulldogs |
| 47 | Brent Stanton | Essendon |
| 42 | Scott Thompson | Adelaide |
| 40 | Josh Kennedy | Sydney |
| 39 | Patrick Dangerfield | Adelaide |
| 38 | Rory Sloane | Adelaide |
| 37 | Gary Ablett | Gold Coast |
