Richmond excitement machine Shai Bolton was rewarded for his dazzling display against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG last Saturday night with maximum votes in the 2022 AFL Coaches’ Association’s Champion Player of the Year Round 4 voting.
Bolton received 10 out of 10 from respective coaches Damien Hardwick (Richmond) and Luke Beveridge (Western Bulldogs) for the master class he produced in the Tigers’ 38-point win.
The super-talented, dual premiership Tiger finished the match with 20 disposals, 13 contested possessions, five clearances, four inside-50s, four marks, four intercepts, two goals (the second one a sensational contender for the competition’s Goal of the Year), 10 score involvements and 330 metres gained.
After four rounds of the 2022 season, Bolton is equal-sixth in the prestigious coaches’ award with 17 votes, eight behind the leader, Carlton captain Patrick Cripps.
Star Richmond rebounding defender Jayden Short picked up six votes for his top-class showing against the Bulldogs.
Short had an AFL career-high 35 disposals, along with seven inside-50s, three rebound-50s, six marks, four intercepts, three score involvements and a huge 810 metres gained.
Rounding out Richmond’s Round 4 vote-getters were Marlion Pickett and Tom Lynch, with two votes apiece.
Pickett had 20 disposals, eight contested possessions, four rebound-50s, five intercepts, seven score involvements, 464 metres gained, took seven marks and kicked a lovely, long set-shot goal in his wing role.
Lynch took five marks (four of them contested) and booted four goals in an excellent exhibition of key-forward play.
The full voting details for the Round 4 Richmond v Western Bulldogs match are:
10 – Shai Bolton (Richmond)
6 – Jayden Short (Richmond)
5 – Bailey Smith (Western Bulldogs)
4 – Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
2 – Marlion Pickett (Richmond)
2 – Tom Lynch (Richmond)
1 – Bailey Dale (Western Bulldogs)