Swans Captain Josh Kennedy put in another masterclass on Saturday afternoon as he lead the Swans to victory in emphatic fashion.
A proven finals player and reigning MVP from the inaugural 2016 season, Kennedy was one of two players to poll maximum votes from the weekend, giving him an early lead in the award.
The player not only caught the coaches eyes, but those of commentators, pundits and fans, as he was lauded for his barnstorming performance, easily topping the FoxSports and AFL player ratings for the weekends (bizarrely AFL gave Bellchambers a 7 and Naismith a 3).
Kennedy finished the match with 29 disposals, eight clearances and two goals against the Bombers, helping his side annihilate them in a rampant second quarter.
He sits alongside Luke Shuey from the West Coast Eagles after he polled 10 votes in his sides' extra-time victory against Port Adelaide on Saturday night.
Callum Sinclair (3 goals, 14 disposals, 9 marks) and Dean Towers (3 goals, 14 disposals, 5 tackles) receive 5 votes from the coaching staff each, while vice-captain Luke Parker received 8.
Every round, the AFL coaches vote for the best players from their game. The coaches vote for five players, giving them a mark from 1-5. The maximum a player can score is 10 (with five votes from both coaches).
SYDNEY v ESSENDON
10 Josh Kennedy (Syd)
8 Luke Parker (Syd)
5 Callum Sinclair (Syd)
5 Dean Towers (Syd)
1 Lance Franklin (Syd)
1 Jake Lloyd (Syd)
GARY AYRES AWARD SWANS PLAYERS
10 Josh Kennedy
8 Luke Parker
5 Callum Sinclair
5 Dean Towers
1 Lance Franklin
1 Jake Lloyd
GARY AYRES AWARD LEADERBOARD
10 Josh Kennedy (Syd)
10 Luke Shuey (WC)
9 Dustin Martin (Rich)
8 Eddie Betts (Adel)
8 Trent Cotchin (Rich)
8 Brad Crouch (Adel)
8 Jeremy McGovern (WC)
8 Luke Parker (Syd)
7 Nick Vlastuin (Rich)
6 Charlie Dixon (PA)
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