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The AFL Coaches Association awards are a group of awards which have been presented annually since 2003, mainly to players and coaches in the Australian Football League (AFL), voted for by all AFL coaches.

Awards

Champion player of the year

Awarded annually since 2003. Each week, the senior coach of each AFL club gives five votes to the player they consider to be best on ground in the game in which their team plays, four to the second-best, and so on to one for the fifth-best. The player with the most votes at the end of the year wins. The award has different rules to many "best and fairest" awards, as player suspensions are disregarded.

Gary Ayres Award

Awarded since 2016. Each week during the finals series, the senior coach of each competing AFL club gives five votes to the player they consider to be best on ground in the game their team plays in, four to the second-best, and so on to one for the fifth-best. The player with the most votes at the end of the finals series wins. The award is named after Gary Ayres, a 5-time VFL/AFL premiership player and Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee.

Best young player

Awarded annually since 2003. Unlike some other "best young player" awards, there is no age or game limit. Awarded to the best player inside the first two seasons of their AFL careers based on the weekly AFLCA Player of the Year votes.

Allan Jeans Senior Coach of the Year Award

Awarded annually since 2003. At the end of the season, all AFL coaches give three votes to the senior coach they adjudge to have performed the best over that season, two to the second-best, and one to the third-best. The coach with the most votes wins. Ken Hinkley, Luke Beveridge, John Longmire, John Worsfold and Mark Thompson are the only coaches to have won the award more than once, with two each.

Assistant coach of the year

Awarded annually since 2003. At the end of the season, all AFL coaches and players rate their club's assistant coaches out of ten, with ten being the highest score. Assistant coaches' scores are then averaged, and the coach with the highest score wins.

Development coach of the year

Awarded in 2012 and 2013 and then reintroduced annually from 2022. Based on 50-50 input from both players and coaches, it is awarded to the highest-ranked AFL development coach based on "their overall performance year".

Phil Walsh Memorial Scholarship

Awarded annually since 2016. Awarded to an AFL coach who is "committed to developing themselves via study and travel".

Career & Education Award

Awarded annually since 2014. Awarded to an AFL coach who has "shown exceptional commitment to their professional development".

Neale Daniher Lifetime Achievement Award

Awarded annually since 2003. In recognition of "an individual who has made an outstanding contribution" to Australian rules football. Renamed from Lifetime Achievement Award to Neale Daniher Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.

Coaching Legend Award

Awarded annually from 2009 to 2018. Awarded to a former VFL/AFL coach who has achieved "significant achievement and success".

Media Award

Awarded annually since 2009. Awarded to an individual who displays "respected and insightful coverage of AFL football at the professional level". All AFL coaches can nominate an individual.

Support Staff Leadership Award

Awarded annually from 2003 to 2014. Awarded to an Australian rules support staff member who shows "outstanding contribution, innovation, initiative in carrying out duties".

All-Australian team

A representative team was selected by the AFLCA in 2015 and 2016. In its first year, in what was described as "ditching traditional positions in favour of modern tactics," in each position on the field (decided by analysts), the highest-scoring player from the Champion Player of the Year Award voting was chosen. In its final year, a more traditional team line-up was selected.

2015 team

2016 team

AFLW champion player of the year

Awarded each season since 2018. Each week, the senior coach of each AFL Women's club gives five votes to the player they consider to be best on ground in the game in which their team plays, four to the second-best, and so on to one for the fifth-best. The player with the most votes at the end of the season wins. The award has different rules to many "best and fairest" awards, as player suspensions are disregarded.

AFLW senior coach of the year

Awarded each season since 2019. After the preliminary finals, the senior coach of each AFL Women's club gives three votes to the other coach they consider to have performed best throughout the season, two to the second-best, and one to the third-best. The coach with the most votes from this process wins.

References

1. Laughton, Max (8 September 2015). "Sydney's Dan Hannebery wins AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year Award over Nat Fyfe". Fox Footy. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
2. Schmook, Nathan (29 August 2016). "Superstar Cat wins AFLCA award with record haul". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
3. Schmook, Nathan (4 September 2017). "Votes record decides AFLCA player of the year". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
4. Laughton, Max (3 October 2016). "Swan Josh Kennedy inaugural winner of Gary Ayres Award for best finals player, Grand Final coaches votes". Fox Sports (Australia). News Corp Australia. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
5. Laughton, Max (2 October 2017). "Dustin Martin earns AFLCA Gary Ayres Award for best finals player but Bachar Houli voted best in Grand Final". Fox Sports. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
6. "Macrae claims Gary Ayres Medal". Western Bulldogs. AFL. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
7. Cellini, Aidan (26 September 2022). "Patrick Dangerfield wins 2022 Gary Ayres Medal after impressive AFL Finals Series". Sporting News. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
8. "Brisbane Lion Keidean Coleman finished second and Pies Premiership star Bobby Hill finished third claiming the 15 @AFLCoaches grand final votes!". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 2 October 2023.
9. "Gary Ayres Award: Lions star crowned best player of finals". AFL.com.au. 30 September 2024.
10. "Beveridge wins AFL coaches award". SBS. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
11. McFarlane, Glenn (26 September 2017). "Damien Hardwick caps amazing Tiger turnaround by being named AFL Coach of the Year". Herald Sun.
12. Ryan, Peter; Pierik, Jon; Spits, Scott (20 September 2022). "McRae earns top coaching honour; Pies delist Brown brothers; Watson says Hird 'very keen' to return". The Age.
13. Beveridge, Riley (26 September 2023). "Outstanding inaugural season sees Kingsley crowned coach of the year". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
14. ^ "Stunning season resurgence sees Fagan crowned coach of the year". afl.com.au. 25 September 2024.
15. Edmund, Sam (13 October 2010). "Cats assistant coach Brendan McCartney moves to Essendon". Herald Sun. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
16. "Development Coach of the Year - AFLCA Awards". AFL Coaches Association. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
17. "All the winners from AFLCA Awards Night". AFL Coaches Association. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
18. "AFL Coaches Association Awards: Career & Education Award". AFL Coaches Association. 8 July 2015. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
19. "AFLCA Industry Awards". AFL Coaches Association. 1 January 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
20. ^ "Coaches shock with revolutionary AA team". AFL. 22 September 2015. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016.
21. Gabelich, Josh (31 August 2016). "Riewoldt named in AFLCA All Australian team". St Kilda Football Club. Retrieved 28 July 2017.

External links

• AFL Coaches Association awards homepage

• Australian Football League awards
• Australian rules football awards
• Coaching awards
• Australian sports coaching awards