The votes for the 2017 Coaches Player of the Year award.
In 2017 the Northern Football League Coaches Player of the Year award will be structured slightly differently, with coaches now allowed to give votes to any player on the ground.
Previously the NFL senior coaches had given out 3-2-1 votes for the opposition team’s best players after every match.
This season, each coach will give out 5-4-3-2-1 votes across the two teams. There will be a total of 30 votes allocated for each senior match.
The votes are in for the Round 1 match ups last weekend with Ahmed Saad out in front of the Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 tally on 10 votes after his seven-goal haul against Heidelberg.
Former Coburg Lion and fellow West Preston-Lakeside recruit Jackson Clarke was the next best player on the ground in the opinion of both coaches, sitting second on 8 votes.
It’s tight at the top of the Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 count after the first round.
Epping’s Alec Buchan played the perfect game against St Mary’s to gather 10 votes.
Kilmore’s Luke Chapman and Heidelberg West midfielder Misaki Miki are close behind on 9 votes respectively.
Whitehorse’s Claire Dyett and West Preston-Lakeside’s Monique Dematteo are tied at the top of the Northpark NFLW Division 2 leaderboard after each polling 5 votes in the inaugural NFL senior women’s match.
Below are the Round 1 votes.
MEADOWS GREYHOUNDS DIVISION 1
West Preston Lakeside 12.10 (82) def Heidelberg 10.9 (69)
10 votes – Ahmed Saad (WPL)
8 votes – Jackson Clarke (WPL)
5 votes – Paul Bower (H)
4 votes – Garrett McDonagh (WPL)
2 votes – Aaron Crispe (H)
1 vote – Luke Lirosi (WPL)
HEIDELBERG GOLF CLUB DIVISION 3
Reservoir 3.3 (21) def by Banyule 21.20 (146)
10 votes – Matthew Yarwood (B)
8 votes – Jacob Smith (B)
6 votes – Adam Barclay (B)
4 votes – Kieran Malone (B)
2 votes – Riley Keath (B)
Heidelberg West 11.15 (81) def by Mernda 16.6 (102)
9 votes – Masaki Miki (HW)
5 votes – Liam Pender (HW)
4 votes – Justin Bentley (HW)
4 votes – Matthew Campbell (M)
3 votes – Jarryd Coulson (HW)
2 votes – Les Adams (M)
2 votes – Jessy Ellis (HW)
1 vote – Joel Carter (M)
Laurimar 7.10 (52) def by Kilmore 9.9 (63)
9 votes – Luke Chapman (K)
5 votes – Matthew Bulluss (K)
5 votes – Jacson Cecil (L)
4 votes – Jaxson Kinnear (K)
3 votes – Scott Toull (L)
2 votes – Leigh Irons (K)
1 vote – Bradley Kite (K)
1 vote – Leigh Murphy (L)
St Mary’s 12.8 (80) def by Epping 13.5 (83)
10 votes – Alec Buchan (E)
4 votes – Myles Guldon (SM)
4 votes – Thomas Hughes (E)
4 votes – Andrew Luzza (E)
4 votes – Michael Robertson (E)
3 votes – Aaron Willitts (E)
1 vote – James Boarotto (SM)
NORTHPARK NFLW DIVISION 2
West Preston-Lakeside 5.2 (32) def by Whitehorse 8.10 (58)
5 votes – Monique DeMatteo (WPL)
5 votes – Claire Dyett (W)
4 votes – Amelia Finnegan (W)
4 votes – Nicole McNeight (WPL)
3 votes – Natarsha Bamblett (WPL)
3 votes – Bridget Knight (W)
2 votes – Sarah Cowley (W)
2 votes – Dialla Fayad (WPL)
1 vote – Chloe Kalanj (WPL)
1 vote – Lucy Watkin (W)
