The dominant performance of Jason Winderlich in Sunday afternoon’s win over the Western Bulldogs has been recognised by James Hird and Brendan McCartney in the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year Award.
Winderlich received nine votes for his standout performance at Etihad Stadium, while young gun Dyson Heppell was granted eight votes.
Winderlich played one of his finest games of his ten-year career, accumulating 23 disposals, 13 marks, seven tackles and four goals with one of his goals a one-step off the boundary line genius that has been nominated for Goal of the Year.
Heppell ably filled the void of injured captain Jobe Watson through the middle, gathering 27 disposals, five marks, five tackles and two goals.
Watson sits at seventh place on the overall leaderboard at the end of Round 16 behind Gary Ablett and Scott Pendlebury.
Round 16 - Essendon v Western Bulldogs Votes
9 – Jason Winderlich (Essendon)
8 – Dyson Heppell (Essendon)
7 – Tom Liberatore (Western Bulldogs)
2 – Adam Cooney (Western Bulldogs)
2 – Dale Morris (Western Bulldogs)
1 – Courtenay Dempsey (Essendon)
1 – Jake Melksham (Essendon)
AFLCA Player of the Year Leaderboard – Round 16
75 – Gary Ablett (Gold Coast)
64 – Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood)
62 – Keiran Jack (Sydney)
60 – Daniel Hannebery (Sydney)
57 – Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide)
54 – Joel Selwood (Geelong)
54 – Jobe Watson (Essendon)
53 – Jarrad McVeigh (Sydney)
50 – Jarryd Roughead (Hawthorn)
47 – Nathan Fyfe (Fremantle)
47 – Ryan Griffen (Western Bulldogs)
47 – Dane Swan (Collingwood)
