Isaac Heeney’s return to form and a perfect 10 coaches’ votes have wrapped up the Carey-Bunton medal for the Swans’ midfielder as the best NSW player in the AFL for 2004.
With two rounds to play, Heeney is on 102 votes, an unassailable 24 votes clear of last year’s winner, Sydney teammate Errol Gulden.
Heeney’s heroic last quarter drove the Swans to a three-point win over Collingwood after trailing by nearly five goals midway through the term, revived the Swans’ flailing season, kept them on top of the ladder and marked a return to the type of form which had the boy from the Hunter as a Brownlow favourite halfway through the season.
He led the Carey-Bunton by as much as 37 votes after round 10, but saw Gulden slowly chip away over the next couple of months to get to within 14 votes after round 21.
“It’s really important to recognise NSW talent, because there is a lot of it here. To have my name sit amongst the likes of Tom Hawkins, Errol Gulden, Callum Mills, Jacob Hopper to name a few, is just proof of that,” Heeney said.
"It’s obviously a huge honour. We don’t play footy for the individual awards but it’s certainly nice for the hard work to be acknowledged.
“We still have some tough footy left to play, but it’s been great for me personally to put together some consistent footy this year.”
Heeney also regained his lead in the Coaches’ Association award, three votes ahead of Collingwood’s Nick Daicos and Fremantle’s Caleb Serong, as votes go behind closed doors for the final two rounds.
Heeney wasn’t the only New South Welshman to earn a perfect 10 last week, with GWS midfielder, via Pennant Hills, James Peatling continuing his recent run of form to move to 16 votes.
And Albury’s Shaun Mannagh is also thriving, kicking another brace of goals for Geelong in their win over Fremantle to give him eight for the year.
Adelaide’s big Broken Hill forward Taylor Walker still holds a four goal lead from Heeney in the Bill Mohr medal for the leading goalkicker from NSW with 29. Heeney has a chance of taking the double, but will need a couple of bags full in the final two rounds to topple Walker.
LEADERBOARDS
CAREY BUNTON MEDAL
Coaches Votes for the Best NSW Player in the AFL Round 22
102 Isaac Heeney (Sydney Swans/ Cardiff) 10 votes
78 Errol Gulden (Sydney Swans / UNSW-Eastern Suburbs)
30 Nick Blakey (Sydney Swans/ UNSW-Eastern Suburbs)
18 Jack Buckley (GWS Giants / UNSW-Eastern Suburbs)
16 James Peatling (GWS Giants / Pennant Hills ) 10 votes
15 Jarrod Witts (Gold Coast Suns/ Sydney University)
15 Kieren Briggs (GWS Giants / Pennant Hills)
14 Harry Himmelberg (GWS Giants/ Mangoplah- Cookardina Eastlakes)
10 Cooper Sharman ( St Kilda / Leeton-Whitton)
9 Todd Marshall (Port Adelaide/ Deniliquin)
BILL MOHR MEDAL
NSW player Leading Goalkicker in the AFL Round 22
29 Taylor Walker (Adelaide/ North Broken Hill) 1 goal
25 Isaac Heeney (Sydney Swans/ Cardiff) 1 goal
22 Lachlan Schultz (Collingwood/ Moama)
20 Todd Marshall (Port Adelaide/ Deniliquin)
17 Luke Breust (Hawthorn / Temora) 2 goals
14 Tom Hawkins (Geelong/ Finley)
14 Zac Williams (Carlton - Narrandera)
14 Matthew Kennedy (Carlton/ Collingullie-Glenfield Park)
13 Errol Gulden (Sydney Swans / UNSW-Eastern Suburbs) 1 goal
13 Cooper Sharman ( St Kilda / Leeton-Whitton) 2 goals
12 Jeremy Finalyson (Port Adelaide / Culcairn)
12 Daniel Turner ( Melbourne - Albury)
12 Jacob Koschitzke (Richmond/ Albury) 1goal
10 Sam Wicks (Sydney Swans/ Manly-Warringah)
9 Harvey Thomas (GWS Giants - Turvey Park )
8 Elliott Himmelberg (Adelaide/ Mangoplah- Cookardina Eastlakes)
8 Shaun Mannagh (Geelong - North Albury) 2 goal
