Dustin Martin didn’t receive a vote from Caroline Wilson for performance against Essendon

CARO’S votes raise eyebrows, Nathan Ablett disappears during premiership reunion and where’s the star of the ABC’s soccer coverage?

Dustin Martin starred against Essendon. Picture: Getty Images

IT’S a great honour to be asked to give votes for best-on-ground awards.

But the stress that goes with the responsibility can sometimes prove overwhelming.

The fear of making a mistake haunts every vote-giver as leading journalist Caroline Wilson is finding out.

On Saturday night she was part of a four-member panel who voted on the Yiooken Award for best-on-ground at Dreamtime at the G.

Richmond star Dustin Martin won the medal with nine votes after receiving the maximum three from three of the judges — Chris Johnson, Samantha Lane and Jason Mifsud.

But he got zip from Caro who instead went: 3. Trent Cotchin 2. David Zaharakis 1. Dyson Heppell.

Given the history between Caro and Martin, the lack of votes certainly raised eyebrows.

"He's one of my favourite Richmond players" - Caro responds to criticism over her Dustin Martin snub on Saturday night. #9FootyClassified pic.twitter.com/tB7D6MDPW8

— Footy Classified (@FootyClassified) May 29, 2017

She has been strong in her criticism of the Tigers star over a number of issues and Martin even went on Twitter recently to debunk a story she was spinning about his contract.

Caro didn’t get any help from the AFL Coaches’ Association votes either with Damien Hardwick and John Worsfold both awarding Martin the maximum 10 votes.

And a couple of her colleagues didn’t miss on SEN Breakfast with Mike Sheahan and Tim Watson horrified at the blunder.

“I don’t think anybody that could sit there and watch that game of football could leave him out of the top three players on the ground,” Watson said.

Sheahan said: “I had Dustin Martin clearly three, Trent Cotchin two for the best game that I’ve seen him play and Alex Rance one.”

Interestingly, the coaches rated Rance the next best with seven votes while the four members of the Yiooken panel all left him out.

Hardwick and Worsfold also couldn’t find any votes for Bombers captain Dyson Heppell who received love from three of the judges.

Cats premiership stars Nathan Ablett and Paul Chapman during Geelong’s lap of honour on Thursday. Picture: Getty Images

NATHAN ABLETT’S DISAPPEARING ACT

THE enigma that is Nathan Ablett just keeps getting better.

After surprising many by turning up on Thursday night to Geelong’s 2007 premiership reunion, the youngest of the Ablett clan provided a typical ‘Nathan moment’ for his old teammates.

A relaxed and happy Ablett took part in the pre-game motorcade, sitting next to Paul Chapman who then interviewed him for K-Rock radio which is something that would never have happened a decade ago.

He then headed upstairs to the function where he was mingling with the rest of the ‘07 heroes before receiving a call on his phone which apparently was an original old-school flip top.

Nathan then disappeared for an hour or so before returning to catch the second half of the game.

So, where did he go?

To play basketball, of course.

The call was from a mate whose team was short and given they were playing just down the road in South Geelong, he wondered if Nathan was keen to shoot some hoops.

IT’S right up there with the best reasons to retire from professional sport.

Cameroon defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto looks set to snub a move to Championship side Birmingham City to pursue a career in the porn industry.

The 33-year-old is understood to be wanted by his former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp as he plans an assault on returning the Midlands giant back to the Premier League next season.

“The only trouble is that he’s admitted he wants to be a pornstar,” Redknapp revealed. “Maybe I can get another year out of him before he decides to do that.”

THE WHISPER

Did Fox Footy orchestrate an old-fashioned rotation policy on the Bounce on Sunday night or was it a fortuitous roster which saw regular Julian Schiller, the comedian who hosted the ABC’s trainwreck soccer coverage last week, missing from the line-up?