Midfielders Rory Sloane and Scott Thompson both received votes from the coaches in Adelaide’s three-point loss to Hawthorn at the MCG on Friday night.
Don Pyke and Alastair Clarkson couldn’t split the star Crows, awarding them each five votes.
Scott Thompson was the leading possession-getter on the ground with 33. The two-time Crows Club Champion also laid seven tackles, took an equal-team high six marks and won six clearances.
The most influential player on the ground in the first half, Sloane finished with 26 disposals (16 contested) and four clearances. He also laid seven tackles and won a game-high 11 hard ball-gets.
Hawthorn match winner Paul Puopolo earned the maximum 10 votes. The small forward kicked five straight goals from 23 touches and also won five clearances. Fellow goalkicker Cyril Rioli earned seven votes for his performance, which included four goals and 10 tackles.
Hawks ball magnet Sam Mitchell was the other player to collect votes. Mitchell, who gathered 31 possessions, 10 inside 50ms and six clearances attracted three votes.
Puopolo was one of six players to earn a perfect 10 in Round Six. Sydney Swans defender Ted Richards, North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein, and goalkicking midfielders Koby Stevens (Western Bulldogs), Toby Greene (Greater Western Sydney) and Steele Sidebottom (Collingwood) were all unanimously judged best on ground in their respective matches.
Gold Coast forward Tom Lynch, who polled six votes in his team’s loss to the Kangaroos, has taken the lead in the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year award. Lynch (34 votes) leads tough onballers Luke Parker (Sydney Swans) and Jack Viney (Melbourne) by three votes.
Sloane tops Adelaide’s AFLCA voting with 18 votes after five rounds. Thompson and Eddie Betts are tied for second spot on 15 votes.
Adelaide v Hawthorn
10 – Paul Puopolo (Hawthorn)
7 – Cyril Rioli (Hawthorn)
5 – Rory Sloane (Adelaide)
5 – Scott Thompson (Adelaide)
3 – Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn)
Round 5 Leaderboard
34 – Tom Lynch (Gold Coast)
31 – Luke Parker (Sydney Swans)
31 – Jack Viney (Melbourne)
30 – Todd Goldstein (North Melbourne)
27 – Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong)
26 – Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn)
23 – Jack Ziebell (North Melbourne)
21 – Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide)
20 – Aaron Hall (Gold Coast)
20 – Dan Hannebery (Sydney Swans)
Crows Leaderboard
18 – Rory Sloane
15 – Eddie Betts
15 – Scott Thompson
10 – Tom Lynch
9 – Brodie Smith
6 – Josh Jenkins
5 – Luke Brown
5 – Rory Laird
3 – Kyle Cheney
3 – Richard Douglas
1 – Daniel Talia
