AFL Hall of Fame

Legends of the Game:

• three-time Sandover Medal winner Merv McIntosh, playing 213 games between 1939-1955,
• ten-time SANFL Premiership Coach Jack Oatey AM, coaching 500 wins at Norwood.

Hall of Fame:

• Debbie Lee – the first female HoF inductee – a driving force behind Melbourne’s AFLW program and an integral part of its establishment,
• Chris Judd – Brownlow Medal winner at two clubs and 279 game player,
• Nathan Burke – played a record-setting 323 games with the Saints from 1987-2003, 3-time Best and Fairest winner and St Kilda team of the century, Bulldogs AFLW Head Coach.
• Rob Wiley – Goal kicking rover with a rare combination of champion qualities.

2021 NAB AFL Rising Star Award

Luke Jackson won the award with 51 votes ahead of GWS GIANTS midfielder Tom Green (38 votes) and Port Adelaide’s power forward Mitch Georgiades (28 votes).

2021 Coleman Medallist

Kicking 58 goals over 19 games, Harry McKay claimed the award by four goals, ahead of last year’s winner Geelong’s Tom Hawkins (54 goals) and Richmond’s Jack Riewoldt (51 goals).

2021 Coleman Medal top ten:
58 Harry McKay (Carlton)
54 Tom Hawkins (Geelong Cats)
51 Jack Riewoldt (Richmond)
48 Lance Franklin (Sydney Swans)
48 Josh Bruce (Western Bulldogs)
48 Taylor Walker (Adelaide Crows)
47 Ben King (Gold Coast SUNS)
47 Charlie Cameron (Brisbane Lions)
47 Bayley Fritsch (Melbourne)
46 Charlie Dixon (Port Adelaide)

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 26: Harry McKay of the Blues poses for a photograph after winning the 2021 Coleman Medal during a portrait session at Marvel Stadium on August 26, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)

2021 AFL Coaches Association Best Young Player

Noah Anderson of the Gold Coast Suns and Caleb Serong of the Fremantle Football Club.

Following his impressive first year for the Dockers, Serong started the year with high expectations and it’s safe to say the 19-year-old went above and beyond those in another outstanding season. He had 30 disposals or more on five occasions, and could have had more if he didn’t spend the majority of his 22 games playing a more selfless defensive role as a part of Fremantle’s emerging midfield.

Anderson has been one of the SUNS most consistent contributors, averaging 22.7 disposals, 4.2 clearances, 4.2 marks and 8.9 contested possessions per game. The youngster is one of many young, rising SUNS making an impact on gameday and someone who will be looking to continue to impress as the 2022 season arrives.

2021 AFL Coaches Association AFL Champion Player of the Year

Melbourne star midfielder Clayton Oliver has been awarded the 2021 AFL Coaches Association AFL Champion Player of the Year.

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.

2021 Therabody AFL All Australian Team

Back Pocket
Jake Lever, Melbourne.
Never Previously All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
342 disposals. 215 kicks, 124 marks, 127 handballs averaging 15.5 disposals, 9.8 kicks, 5.6 marks, 5.8 handballs. 27 Inside 50m, 94 rebound 50m. 41 tackles. 80.5 Kick Efficiency. 130 spoils.

Full Back
Steven May, Melbourne.
Never Previously All Australian.
20 games in 2021.
368 disposals. 111 kicks, 116 marks, 57 handballs averaging 18.4 disposals, 15.8 kicks, 5.8 marks, 2.9 handballs. 17 Inside 50m, 128 rebound 50m. 23 tackles. 84.9 Kick Efficiency. 119 spoils.

Back Pocket
Tom Stewart, Geelong Cats.
2018, 2019 All Australian.
20 games in 2021.
480 disposals, 178 marks (First in AFL for total marks), 122 rebound-50m, 84.8 disposal efficiency, 378 kicks, 102 handballs, 115 contested possessions, 155 intercept possessions, 61 spoils. Averaging 24.0 disposals, 8.9 marks, 6.1 rebound-50m, 18.9 kicks.

Half Back
Daniel Rich, Brisbane Lions.
Never Previously All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
575 disposals, 65 inside-50m, 170 rebound-50m, 475 kicks, 121 contested possessions, 128 marks. Averaging 26.1 disposals, 3.0 inside-50m, 7.7 rebound-50m, 21.6 kicks, 6.0 intercept possessions,.8 marks.

Centre Half Back
Aliir Aliir, Port Adelaide.
Never Previously All Australian.
22 games in 2020.
339 disposals. 244 kicks, 142 marks, 95 handballs averaging 15.4 disposals, 11.1 kicks, 6.5 marks, 4.4 handballs. 17 Inside 50m, 86 rebound 50m. 35 tackles. 82 Kick Efficiency. 121 spoils.

Half Back
Bailey Dale, Western Bulldogs.
Never Previously All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
539 disposals. 381 kicks, 84 marks, 158 handballs averaging 24.5 disposals, 17.3 kicks, 84 marks. 59 Inside 50m, 117 rebound 50m. 23 tackles.

Wing
Zach Merrett, Essendon.
2017 All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
694 disposals, 345 kicks, 94 marks, 349 handballs, averaging 31.5 disposals, 15.7 kicks, 4.3 marks, 15.9 handballs. 82 clearances, 122 Inside 50m, 52 Rebound 50m. 103 tackles.

Centre
Ollie Wines, Port Adelaide.
Never Previously All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
706 disposals (Third in AFL for total disposals), 337 kicks, 369 handballs, 114 inside-50m, 211 ground-ball gets, 77 stoppage clearances, 140 score involvements, 98 tackles. Averaging 32.1 disposals, 15.3 kicks, 16.8 handballs, 5.2 inside-50m, 6.4 score involvements, 4.5 tackles.

Wing
Sam Walsh, Carlton.
Never Previously All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
656 disposals, 298 kicks, 358 handballs, 85 inside-50m, 127 marks, 252 contested possessions, 100 tackles, 503 pressure acts, 143 score involvements, 12 goals, six behinds. Averaging 29.8 disposals, 13.5 kicks, 16.3 handballs, 3.9 inside-50m, 5.8 marks, 4.5 tackles.

Half Forward
Christian Petracca, Melbourne.
2020 All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
629 disposals, 173 score involvements (First in AFL for total score involvements), 24 goals, 14 behinds, 299 contested possessions, 355 kicks, 274 handballs, 148 inside-50m, 62 centre clearances, 95 tackles. Averaging 28.6 disposals, 7.9 score involvements, 16.1 kicks, 12.5 handballs, 6.7 Inside-50m.

Centre Half Forward
Tom Hawkins, Geelong Cats.
2012, 2019, 2020 All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
298 disposals. 190 kicks, 116 marks, 108 handballs averaging 13.5 disposals, 8.6 kicks, 5.3 marks, 4.9 handballs. 54 Goals, 33 Behinds. 33 Inside 50m.

Half Forward
Marcus Bontempelli, Western Bulldogs (Vice Captain).
2016, 2019, 2020 All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
598 disposals, 340 kicks, 88 marks, 258 handballs, averaging 27.2 disposals, 15.5 kicks, 4 marks, 11.7 handballs. 26 Goals, 16 Behinds. 120 clearances, 145 Inside 50m, 40 Rebound 50m. 111 tackles.

Forward Pocket
Tom Papley, Sydney Swans.
Never Previously All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
297 disposals, 123 contested possessions, 41 goals, 27 behinds, 21 goal assists, 218 kicks, tackles inside-50m. Averaging 13.5 disposals, 5.6 contested possessions, 6.5 score involvements, 3.9 marks.

Full Forward
Harry McKay, Carlton.
Never Previously All Australian.
19 games in 2021.
185 disposals. 154 kicks, 113 marks, 31 handballs averaging 9.7 disposals, 8.1 kicks, 5.9 marks, 1.6 handballs. 58 Goals, 33 Behinds. 26 Inside 50m. 27 tackles.

Forward Pocket
Toby Greene, GWS GIANTS.
2016 All Australian.
17 games in 2021.
299 disposals, 223 kicks, 77 marks, 76 handballs, averaging 17.6 disposals, 13.1 kicks, 4.5 marks, 4.5 handballs. 42 Goals, 40 Behinds. 20 clearances, 70 Inside 50m, 36 tackles.

Ruck
Max Gawn, Melbourne (Captain).
2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
404 disposals. 273 kicks, 115 marks, 131 handballs averaging 18.4 disposals,12.4 kicks, 5.2 marks. 11 Goals, 14 Behinds. 68 Inside 50m.

Ruck Rover
Jack Macrae, Western Bulldogs.
2019, 2020 All Australian
22 games in 2021.
743 disposals, 359 kicks, 92 marks, 384 handballs, averaging 33.8 disposals, 16.3 kicks, 92 marks, 17.5 handballs. 110 Inside 50m, 106 tackles.

Rover
Clayton Oliver, Melbourne.
2018 All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
696 disposals (fifth in AFL for total disposals), 388 contested possessions (first in AFL for total contested possessions), 313 kicks, 383 handballs, 116 tackles. Averaging, 31.6 disposals, 17.6 contested possessions, 14.2 kicks, 17.4 handballs, 5.3 tackles.

Interchange
Jack Steele, St Kilda.
2020 All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
642 disposals, 185 tackles (First in AFL for total tackles), 311 kicks, 331 handballs, 552 pressure acts. Averaging 29.2 disposals, 4.8 inside-50m, 8.4 tackles, 25.1 pressure acts, 14.1 kicks, 15 handballs, 8.9 ground-ball gets.

Interchange
Nic Naitanui, West Coast.
2012, 2020 All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
687 hit outs, 270 hit outs to advantage, 54 centre clearances, 335 disposals, 154 kicks, 181 handballs. Averaging 31.2 hit outs, 15.2 disposals, 7 kicks, 8.2 handballs, 3.5 inside-50m, 12.4 contested possessions, 5.4 ground-ball gets, 5.4 score involvements.

Interchange
Touk Miller, Gold Coast Suns.
Never Previously All Australian.
21 games in 2021.
668 disposals, 334 kicks, 95 marks, 334 handballs, 91 inside-50m, 149 tackles, 117 score involvements. Averaging 31.8 disposals, 15.9 kicks, 15.9 handballs, 4.3 inside-50m, 12.5 contested possessions, 7.1 tackles, 5.6 score involvements.

Interchange
Darcy Parish, Essendon.
Never Previously All Australian.
22 games in 2021.
666 disposals (Eighth in AFL for total disposals), 168 score involvements (Third in AFL for total score involvements), 319 kicks, 347 handballs. Averaging 30.3 disposals, 7.6 score involvements, 14.5 kicks, 15.8 handballs.