Sydney Swans forwards Lance Franklin and Will Hayward have received votes for the AFL Coaches Association’s AFL Champion Player Award following Sydney’s last minute defeat to the GWS Giants at the SCG in Sydney Derby XX.

Frankln received nine votes, the highest in the clash, following his star performance that saw him kick five goals before the home side ultimately saw the Giants prevail after a goal to Josh Kelly in the dying seconds of the game. 

Franklin’s performance also saw him awarded his third Brett Kirk Medal, equalling Kieren Jack’s record for the most amount of medals received.

 In his first game of the season, Hayward was the only other Swan to poll votes, receiving one vote following his performance that saw him finish with three goals, one behind, 18 disposals and three tackles.

GWS Giants Jacob Hopper (9), Josh Kelly (6), Tom Green (3) and Toby Greene (2) also polled votes.

VOTES PLAYER (CLUB)
9 Lance Franklin (SYD)
9 Jacob Hopper (GWS)
6 Josh Kelly (GWS)
3 Tom Green (GWS)
2 Toby Greene (GWS)
1 Will Hayward (SYD)

05:52

Match Highlights - Sydney Derby XX

Take a look at all the goals and highlights following the Sydney Swans v GWS Giants Round 5 clash at the SCG

Melbourne Demons Max Gawn heads up the leaderboard after polling 10 votes in his side’s victory over Hawthorn. 

LEADERBOARD - Top Ten
32 Max Gawn (MELB)
28 David Mundy (FRE)
28 Taylor Walker (ADEL)
25 Jack Macrae (WB)
23 Dustin Martin (RICH)
23 Clayton Oliver (MELB)
21 Ollie Wines (PORT)
19 Toby Greene (GWS)
18 Travis Boak (PORT)
18 Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
18 Josh Dunkley (WB)
18 Rory Laird (ADEL)
18 Christian Petracca (MELB)
18 Christian Salem (MELB)

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.

In the Carey Bunton Medal, recogniseing 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, no Sydney Swans players polled votes. Broken Hill's Taylor Walker still leads the award with 28 votes, followed by GWS Giants mid-fielder Jacob Hopper who polled nine votes.

Other NSW players to poll votes from the AFL coaches in round 5 were Lachie Schultz (Moama), Isaac Smith (Cootamundra) and Todd Marshall (Deniliquin).

VOTES ROUND 5
28 Taylor Walker (North Broken Hill) – Adelaide
17 Jacob Hopper (Leeton-Whitton) - GWS Giants (R5 9 votes v SYD)
13 Callum Mills (Mosman) - Sydney Swans
10 Sam Wicks (Manly-Warringah) – Sydney Swans
9 Errol Gulden (UNSW-Eastern Suburbs) - Sydney Swans
5 Braeden Campbell (Pennant Hills) – Sydney Swans
6 Lachie Schultz (Moama) – Fremantle (R5 1 vote v ADL)
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
1 Isaac Smith (Cootamundra) – Geelong (R5 1 vote v NM)
1 Todd Marshall (Deniliquin) – Port Adelaide (R5 1 votes v CAR)