AFL best-and-fairest awards 2016: See who won your club’s top award plus every club’s top 10
ALL 18 clubs have now held their best and fairest awards for 2016. Catch up on all the results, top 10 finishes and season report cards here.
ALL 18 clubs have now held their best and fairest awards for 2016.
From first time winners to record setters, there were plenty of great moments and surprises.
Catch up on all the results here.
ADELAIDE
It was a stunning year for Crow Rory Sloane. He was named vice-captain of the All-Australian team and polled an impressive 24 Brownlow votes. This time last year questions were raised as to how he would go without Patrick Dangerfield and it is fair to say Sloane hasn’t looked back.
For the second year in a row, small forward Charlie Cameron cracked the top 10. Cameron is yet to play 50 games for the Crows but he is already looking like a special long term talent.
BRISBANE
This time last year Dayne Zorko was in a four-way tie for the Brisbane best-and-fairest. Now he is the outright winner. In what was a tough year for the Lions, Zorko was a bright spot.
It was more an interesting case of who wasn’t in the top 10 for the Lions. Former Rising Star winner Lewis Taylor missed out despite playing 19 games. Taylor signed a new three-year deal during the season worth $1.2 million.
CARLTON
While some outside of Carlton may have been surprised by Sam Docherty’s victory, everyone who has watched the Blues this year knows he is a special talent. He has been a great pick-up since crossing from Brisbane and will play a huge role in Carlton’s rebuild.
The job of a tagger is never very glamorous but Ed Curnow is highly regarded inside the four walls at Carlton. The tough midfielder has become one of the Blues’ most dependable players. He has now finished in the John Nicholls Medal top five the past two years.
COLLINGWOOD
Another year, another Copeland Trophy for superstar Scott Pendlebury. The Magpies skipper has now won four best-and-fairest awards in a row and five altogether. He is one off equalling club coach Nathan Buckley’s record of six.
It was an amazing effort from first-year Pie Josh Smith. After making his debut on Anzac Day, Smith went on to play 19 games for the Pies and finish seventh.
ESSENDON
With 12 senior players suspended on the eve of the season, someone needed to stand up for the Bombers. Zach Merrett was that man. The youngster enjoyed a brilliant year and will only get better in 2017 with the return of Dyson Heppell and Jobe Watson.
Who could have predicted the rise of Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti? Whether he was chasing down an opponent, applying forward-line pressure or kicking a goal, ”Walla” enjoyed a breakout year after being picked up from the club’s VFL side. McDonald-Tipungwuti is another Bomber who will benefit greatly from more support next year.
FREMANTLE
It was a disastrous year for the Dockers but the form of Lachie Neale was a clear highlight.
An exciting midfielder going into the year, Neale took his game to elite levels in 2016 and was selected in the All-Australian squad. He also polled an impressive 20 Brownlow votes.
How many of these Dockers will return to Fremantle next year? Matthew Pavlich has retired, Chris Mayne is set to leave in free agency, Hayden Ballantyne wants to be traded and Michael Barlow could be on the move as well. Losing five of the top 10 in your best-and-fairest is far from ideal.
GEELONG
What else can be said about Patrick Dangerfield? The Cats got everything they could have hoped for and more from Danger, who won just about every individual award there was to win this year and was a walk up start in the All-Australian side.
It is hardly a surprise to anyone who watches the Cats play but how does Corey Enright do it? At 35 years of age, Enright finished third and made the All-Australian side. Talk about retiring at the top of your game. He will always be remembered as a genuine star.
GOLD COAST
It is official, Tom Lynch is now the biggest star at the Gold Coast. The young key forward received plenty of praise throughout the year and it was all justified. In scary news for opposition clubs, Lynch will only get better.
They may be about to farewell two quality midfielders in Dion Prestia and Jaeger O’Meara but the Suns have a ready-made replacement in Touk Miller. In just his second year, Miller has established himself as one of the most exciting prospects up north.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
What an effort from Toby Greene who has gone from bad boy to best-and-fairest winner.
Greene had a remarkable year, also earning All-Australian honours and kicking 44 goals, up from 15 in 2015. He isn’t the biggest Giant but that didn’t stop Greene from also having five hit-outs.
From the moment he signed a lucrative contract with Greater Western Sydney, the pressure has always been on Tom Scully. Now the midfielder is delivering in spades. In a midfield that is arguably the deepest and most exciting in the AFL, Scully was a standout and earned his second placed finish.
HAWTHORN
There is no sign of 33-year-old Sam Mitchell slowing down. The star Hawk took home his fifth Peter Crimmins medal on Saturday night. Mitchell has now either won a premiership medal or a best and fairest every year since 2011.
His fourth placed finish may be a surprise to those outside the club but Grant Birchall continues to be one of the Hawks’ best week in, week out. The rebounding defender was at his best when Hawthorn needed it most this year, including both finals against Geelong and the Bulldogs.
MELBOURNE
The future is now for the Demons. After coming second in 2015, Jack Viney returned to take out Melbourne’s Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Medal this year. While Viney has always been an incredibly gifted player, his leadership went to another level with the tag “future captain” following him around.
For the first time in his four year career at the Demons, Dean Kent played more than 15 games. It is no surprise this was also his best year. Kent proved to be ultra-handy on the forward line, kicking 25 goals including a bag of four against North Melbourne in Round 3.
NORTH MELBOURNE
What a journey it has been for Robbie Tarrant. From an injury plagued start to his career, Tarrant is now one of the best defenders in the game.
Of the four club legends delisted by North Melbourne, Brent Harvey and Nick Dal Santo are still playing great footy. They finished fifth and seventh in the Syd Barker Medal respectively. Harvey has officially retired but what’s next for Dal Santo?
PORT ADELAIDE
In winning this year’s John Cahill Medal, Robbie Gray ensured his name would forever be in the record books. Gray became the first player in over 100 years to take away three consecutive Port Adelaide best-and-fairest awards — and the club’s first ever at the AFL level.
Much has been made of vice-captain Hamish Hartlett’s future at the Power. After a disappointing individual and team year, Hartlett missed out on the top 10. However, he looks set to return to Port Adelaide next year.
RICHMOND
In one of the closest counts of any club, Dustin Martin secured the Jack Dyer Medal by one vote over Alex Rance. Interestingly, the pair finished first and second in the award last year but in the reverse order. Martin was a deserved winner after taking his game to another level in 2016. The star midfielder finished third in the Brownlow.
If you needed any other evidence that Brett Deledio is vital for the Tigers, here it is. Deledio finished in the top 10 despite only playing 11 games. Richmond went 6-5 with Deledio in the side this year.
ST KILDA
Star midfielder Jack Steven was once again a deserved winner of the Trevor Barker Award. Steven is now a three time best and fairest winner with the Saints.
It doesn’t matter how old he is, Nick Riewoldt is showing no signs of slowing down. The 33-year-old enjoyed a brilliant year, booting 41 goals including a whopping nine in the final round of the year against Brisbane. He was held goalless just four times this year.
SYDNEY
In a team of stars Josh Kennedy was a standout for the Swans. He has now won the Bob Skilton Medal three times. He was also one of five Sydney players to make the All-Australian side. Had Sydney won the Grand Final, Kennedy would have almost certainly been named the Norm Smith medallist.
He may be 30 years old but there is no slowing down Heath Grundy. The star defender enjoyed one of his best years for the Swans to finish third in the count. Grundy was Mr. Consistent throughout the season, playing all 26 games.
WEST COAST
After finishing fourth last year, Luke Shuey highlighted his off-season improvement by claiming his first John Worsfold Medal.
Shuey enjoyed a brilliant year and was rewarded with selection in the 2016 All-Australian squad.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
What more can a 20-year-old do?
Marcus Bontempelli capped off the prefect year by winning the Charles Sutton Medal. While this is his first, we are sure it won’t be the last for the star Dog.
In just his second year, Caleb Daniel continues to surprise at the Bulldogs. Despite being the shortest player in the AFL, Daniel played well above his size and finished second in the Rising Star. Daniel also showed his smarts around goal, kicking 11 for the year.
Originally published as AFL best-and-fairest awards 2016: See who won your club’s top award plus every club’s top 10
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