Revealed: Bont joins five mega stars with rare MVP feat as Power gun voted AFL’s ‘most courageous’

Marcus Bontempelli is the players’ king, with the Western Bulldogs superstar voted by his peers as not only the AFL’s best player this year, but also the best captain.

Bontempelli on Wednesday night became the first Bulldog to receive multiple Leigh Matthews Trophies, voted the AFL Players’ MVP for the second time in three seasons after also claiming the award in 2021.

In other AFLPA awards given out as part of the AFL awards night, Bontempelli was also named Best Captain, while Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters — who finished third to Bontempelli in MVP voting — won the Robert Rose Most Courageous Award and Kangaroos gun Harry Sheezel was voted Best First-Year Player.

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In a hotly-contested field for the MVP, Bontempelli was voted by his peers as the best player in the AFL this season, with Collingwood star Nick Daicos and Butters finishing second and third respectively.

Giants captain Toby Greene and Melbourne superstar Christian Petracca rounded out the top five.

Bontempelli, 27, became just the sixth player ever to claim multiple MVP awards, joining Greg Williams (1985 and 1994), Michael Voss (2002 and 2003), Chris Judd (2006 and 2011), Gary Ablett Jr. (2007-2009, 2012 and 2013) and Nathan Fyfe (2014 and 2015).

Marcus Bontempelli with the Leigh Matthews trophy. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia

“His ability to impact games and lead from the front is what separates him from others,” said Bulldogs teammate Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, who Bontempelli has taken under his wing.

“He senses big moments and, at times, carries us on his shoulders. Bont’s had a massive impact on me. He’s been like a big brother across the journey and is helping me improve every game I play. I look up to him and the footballer and person he is.”

MVP voting is a two-stage process, beginning with each player voting for the three teammates they consider to have been the most valuable this season. Each club’s votes are then tallied to from a nomination list — which was released earlier this week — comprising 54 players across the 18 teams.

In the second round of voting, all players vote for their MVP on a 3-2-1 basis from the nominees of the 17 other clubs. Players cannot vote for their own teammates in stage two of the process.

The votes are tallied and the player with the highest score wins the honour of MVP.

A similar process is followed for Best First Year Player and Most Courageous, but every captain is automatically nominated for the Best Captain Award.

Bontempelli is presented with AFLPA MVP Award by Andrew Brayshaw of the Dockers.Source: Getty Images

Bontempelli, like he did in 2021, was also named Best Captain in the same year he was voted MVP. The Bulldogs skipper edged out Greene and Collingwood’s Darcy Moore, with first-year Crows skipper Jordan Dawson and Carlton’s Patrick Cripps rounding out the top five.

Bontempelli joins Voss (four times), Wayne Carey (three), Mark Ricciuto (two), Jonathan Brown (two), Taylor Walker (two) and Scott Pendlebury as multiple Best Captain recipients.

Along with his third-placed finish in the MVP award, Butters, 22, was also named the AFL’s most courageous player, ahead of inside midfielders Tom Liberatore and Jack Viney — who also finished third in the award last year. Last year’s most courageous winner Liam Baker and Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard completed the top five.

And in a season where he broke the all-time disposal record for a first-year player, Sheezel was officially crowned the Best First-Year player.

In one of the best first-year player classes for some time, Sheezel edged out fellow top-five 2022 draftee Will Ashcroft. Other first-round selections Oliver Hollands, Max Michalanney and Bailey Humphrey made up the top five.

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Will Ashcroft of the Lions, Aaron Cadman of the Giants and Harry Sheezel of the Kangaroos after the 2022 AFL Draft. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

AFLPA AWARDS — WINNERS AND VOTES

Leigh Matthews Trophy for the Most Valuable Player

1. Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)

2. Nick Daicos (Collingwood)

3. Zak Butters (Port Adelaide)

4. Toby Greene (GWS Giants)

5. Christian Petracca (Melbourne)

6. Charlie Curnow (Carlton)

7. Errol Gulden (Sydney Swans)

8. Jordan Dawson (Adelaide Crows)

9. Taylor Walker (Adelaide Crows)

10. Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide)

Robert Rose Most Courageous Award

1. Zak Butters (Port Adelaide)

2. Tom Liberatore (Western Bulldogs)

3. Jack Viney (Melbourne)

4. Liam Baker (Richmond)

5. Brayden Maynard (Collingwood)

Best First Year Player Award

1. Harry Sheezel (North Melbourne)

2. Will Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)

3. Oliver Hollands (Carlton)

4. Max Michalanney (Adelaide Crows)

5. Bailey Humphrey (Gold Coast Suns)

Best Captain

1. Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)

2. Toby Greene (GWS Giants)

3. Darcy Moore (Collingwood)

4. Jordan Dawson (Adelaide Crows)

5. Patrick Cripps (Carlton)