Sydney midfielder Josh Kennedy has taken out the AFL Coaches Association’s inaugural Gary Ayres Award for the best player in the 2016 finals series.
Kennedy polled seven votes in the Grand Final to win the award by just one vote, ahead of Norm Smith medallist Jason Johannisen.
The 28-year-old collected 18 votes across Sydney’s four finals games, polling in all except for the preliminary final win over Geelong.
His seven votes in Saturday’s loss were complemented by the full ten against Adelaide a fortnight ago and a single in the qualifying final loss to the GWS Giants.
AFL Coaches Association CEO Mark Brayshaw says Kennedy’s consistency across the four games means he’s a deserving winner.
“Josh’s performance in the Grand Final was wonderful, but he’s the inaugural winner of our Gary Ayres Award because he polled votes in three of the Swans’ four finals. He’s had a mighty September of football and is a deserved winner,” Brayshaw said.
Johannisen was given nine votes by the coaches for his Grand Final heroics, snatching second place ahead of Isaac Heeney (third) and Liam Picken (fourth).
Tom Boyd was recognised for his breakout game with eight of a possible 10 votes.
Votes for the Gary Ayres Award were issued for every game of the final series by the competing coaches on a 5-4-3-2-1.
The award was introduced by the AFLCA for the 2016 season and is named in honour of one of the game’s great finals players.
Gary Ayres coached Geelong and Adelaide for 223 games, however, as a player he established a peerless reputation as a finals performer. He won five premierships with Hawthorn between 1983 and 1991, claiming the 1986 and 1988 Norm Smith medals in the process.
2016 Gary Ayres Award - Top 10
Josh Kennedy (Sydney Swans) – 18 votes
Jason Johannisen (Western Bulldogs) – 17 votes
Isaac Heeney (Sydney Swans) – 15 votes
Liam Picken (Western Bulldogs) – 14 votes
Joel Selwood (Geelong) – 12 votes
Eddie Betts (Adelaide) – 10 votes
Jeremy Cameron (Greater Western Sydney) – 10 votes
Luke Dahlhaus (Western Bulldogs) – 10 votes
Caleb Daniel (Western Bulldogs) – 10 votes
Clay Smith (Western Bulldogs) – 10 votes
Grand Final votes
9 votes - Jason Johannisen (Western Bulldogs)
8 votes - Tom Boyd (Western Bulldogs)
7 votes - Josh Kennedy (Sydney Swans)
2 votes - Liam Picken (Western Bulldogs)
2 votes - Easton Wood (Western Bulldogs)
1 vote - Joel Hamling (Western Bulldogs)
1 vote - Jack Macrae (Western Bulldogs)
