Midfielder Josh Kennedy led the way for the Sydney Swans on the field in Sunday’s 43-point loss to North Melbourne at the SCG and was subsequently rewarded in the voting for the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year award.

In wet conditions, Kennedy amassed 33 disposals, 23 contested possessions, 11 clearances and laid eight tackles, receiving three votes from John Longmire and Brad Scott for his efforts.

Dangerous North Melbourne champion Brent Harvey went into Sunday’s game having averaged 23 disposals a game across the first three rounds, but Ben McGlynn kept him to just 15 touches and minimal influence on the game. Going the other way, McGlynn collected 16 possessions of his own and received two votes off the coaches.

North full-back Scott Thompson was adjudged as the unanimous best player on the ground with ten votes, picking up 24 possession at 92 per cent efficiency while also keeping Lance Franklin goalless.

Ben Cunnington’s 30 disposals saw him as the next best player on the ground, receiving four votes from each coach.

Geelong captain Joel Selwood is already the run-away leader of the award, sitting 14 votes clear of Gary Ablett, Brendon Goddard and Nick Riewoldt.

Sydney Swans v North Melbourne
10 Thompson (NM)
8 Cunnington (NM)
5 Adams (NM)
3 Kennedy (Syd)
2 McGlynn (Syd)
2 Wells (NM)

AFL LEADERBOARD
34 Joel Selwood, Geelong
20 Gary Ablett, Gold Coast
20 Brendon Goddard, Essendon
20 Nick Riewoldt, St Kilda
19 Scott Pendlebury, Collingwood
19 Scott Thompson, North Melbourne
18 Ben Cunnington, North Melbourne
18 Nathan Jones, Melbourne
18 Sam Mitchell, Hawthorn
17 Steve Johnson, Geelong
17 Aaron Sandilands, Fremantle
17 Adam Treloar, GWS

SWANS LEADERBOARD
10 Luke Parker (polled in 1 game)
8 Lance Franklin (1)
8 Josh Kennedy (2)
3 Nick Malceski (1)
3 Nick Smith (1)
2 Ben McGlynn (2)