Sydney Swans forward Sam Wicks has been rewarded with the full 10 votes for the AFL Coaches Association’s AFL Champion Player Award following Saturday’s victory over Richmond.

In just his 10^th game of his career, Wicks had a career high 3 goals, 21 disposals and three tackles in Sydney’s 45-point victory.

Sydney claimed all the votes following the clash with Tom Papley (7), Jordan Dawson (4), Tom Hickey (4), Ollie Florent (2), Chad Warner (2) and Callum Mills (1) also polling votes.

VOTES - PLAYER (CLUB)
10 Sam Wicks (SYD)
7 Tom Papley (SYD)
4 Jordan Dawson (SYD)
4 Tom Hickey (SYD)
2 Oliver Florent (SYD)
2 Chad Warner (SYD)
1 Callum Mills (SYD)

The AFL Coaches Association’s AFL Champion Player Award is an award voted by the 18 coaching panels on a 5,4,3,2,1 basis after each home and away game, acknowledging outstanding effort by an individual player in a season.

Adelaide Crows Taylor Walker tops the leaderboard with 28 votes whilst Tom Hickey and Callum Mills lead the way for Sydney with 11 votes following the opening three rounds.

Leaderboard

VOTES PLAYER (CLUB)
28 Taylor Walker (ADEL)
19 Dustin Martin (RICH)
16 Darcy Moore (COLL)
16 Clayton Oliver (MELB)
15 Max Gawn (MELB)
14 Nic Naitanui (WCE)
13 Jack Macrae (WB)
12 Dan Houston (PORT)
12 Tim Kelly (WCE)
12 Zach Merrett (ESS)
12 Jaeger O'Meara (HAW)
12 Samuel Walsh (CARL)
11 Travis Boak (PORT)
11 Tom Hickey (SYD)
11 Callum Mills (SYD)
11 Rory Sloane (ADEL)

The Carey-Bunton Medal recognises the best NSW-bred player in the AFL, with the medal will be awarded to the NSW player who records the most votes in the AFL Coaches Association’s Champion Player of the Year Award. The leaderboard after round three is below.

Wicks, who played his first game at the MCG on the weekend, grew up on the northern beaches and commenced his footy with junior club, Manly Bombers before graduating to the senior club and the QBE Sydney Swans Academy.

Carey-Bunton Medal Leaderboard
28 Taylor Walker (North Broken Hill) – Adelaide (R3 10 votes v GCS)
11 Callum Mills (Mosman) - Sydney Swans (R3 1 vote v RICH)
10 Sam Wicks (Manly-Warringah) – Sydney Swans (R3 10 votes v RICH)
9 Errol Gulden (UNSW-Eastern Suburbs) - Sydney Swans
5 Jacob Hopper (Leeton-Whitton) - GWS Giants
5 Braeden Campbell (Pennant Hills) – Sydney Swans
5 Lachie Schultz (Moama) – Fremantle
4 Isaac Heeney (Cardiff) - Sydney Swans
3 Matthew Flynn (Narrandera) - GWS Giants
3 Harry Perryman (Collingullie) - GWS Giants 
2 Jarrad Witts (Sydney University) – Gold Coast
2 Tom Hawkins (Finley) – Geelong
1 Harry Cunningham (Turvey Park) - Sydney Swans