AFL Awards: Nick Daicos and Patrick Cripps in tussle for coaches player of the year

A prestigious award could give the first indication of who wins this year’s Brownlow Medal — with favourites Patrick Cripps and Nick Daicos the frontrunners.

A taste of one of the most highly anticipated Brownlow Medal counts in years will come on Thursday.

On the AFL’s yearly night of awards, the All-Australian side, rising star, AFLPA MVP and a host of other gongs will be handed out.

While we can guess, votes for those awards will remain a mystery until Thursday night.

But the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year has almost tallied all of its votes.

Will Nick Daicos poll big votes against Brisbane? Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

The AFLCA has released weekly votes every round this year – in which each opposing coach hands out 5-4-3-2-1 votes – and Swan Isaac Heeney has led every single week of the season.

Votes are publicly available to the end of round 22, with the final fortnight kept under wraps until Thursday.

Heeney remains ahead for now on 102 votes, in front of Nick Daicos and Caleb Serong (both on 99), Patrick Cripps (95) and Lachie Neale (89).

Heeney is sure to lose his perch — he didn’t play in round 24 and likely will only poll minor votes in round 23.

Serong was quiet by his lofty standards in the final two rounds and Neale is probably too far back, leaving Cripps and Daicos to duke it out.

Both had clear 10-vote games in the last two weeks, Cripps was sensational against West Coast in round 23 and Daicos dominant against Melbourne on Friday night.

The pair will likely poll well in their other games.

Cripps had 30 disposals, 18 contested possessions and eight clearances in a narrow loss to St Kilda on Sunday.

Patrick Cripps was huge against the Saints. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

He was so good, he literally broke his tag, with Liam Stocker falling to a groin injury late in the game.

Cripps had 12 touches in the third term alone to power the Blues into the contest and was awarded three votes in the Herald Sun Player of the Year, an award he won over Daicos.

Daicos similarly had a monster quarter in round 23 against Brisbane, tallying 14 disposals and a goal.

But the Pies came from behind without his influence in the final term – he had two disposals.

Both players should poll well but may not get a clear 10 in those two games.

RISING STAR TRACKER: EVERY 2024 NOMINEE PROFILED

That means Daicos’ three-vote buffer should see him claim the award.

With Harley Reid and Sam Darcy out of the running, Ollie Dempsey is a short-price favourite to win the rising star.

That format puled together with a panel of experts handing out 5-4-3-2-1 votes.

George Wardlaw is the Cat’s closest competition, while Colby McKercher, Darcy Wilson and Caleb Windsor will get votes.