Electrifying Tiger Shai Bolton is charging home in the AFL Coaches’ Association’s Player of the Year award.
Bolton polled a perfect 10 votes for his dynamic four-goal display in Richmond’s decisive Round 21 victory over Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval. That followed the nine votes he received in the previous round against Brisbane.
He has catapulted into ninth place in the prestigious coaches’ award with 57 votes overall, behind the equal leaders, Gold Coast’s Touk Miller and Brisbane’s Lachie Neale on 88 votes.
It was a clean sweep for Richmond in the Round 21 voting, with six Tigers featuring.
Gun midfielder Dion Prestia picked up seven votes for his superb performance on the night. He finished with an equal game-high 32 disposals, a game-high/AFL career-high 23 contested possessions, a game-high 10 clearances, game-high four centre clearances, five inside-50s, four rebound-50s, four intercepts, eight score involvements, five tackles and 476 metres gained.
Richmond co-captain Toby Nankervis was rewarded for his ruck dominance – an equal AFL career-high 29 disposals, 14 contested possessions, four marks, an equal game-high/career-high seven stoppage clearances, seven inside-50s, five intercepts, five score involvements, six one-percenters, 42 hit-outs and 304 metres gained – with six votes.
Former Tigers skipper Trent Cotchin (31 disposals, 17 contested possessions, six clearances and a game-high three goal assists) and star spearhead Tom Lynch (16 disposals, six marks and four goals) were given three votes apiece.
Rounding out Richmond’s Round 21 vote-getters was dashing defender Daniel Rioli with one vote.
The full voting details for the Round 21 Richmond v Port Adelaide match are:
10 – Shai Bolton (Richmond)
7 – Dion Prestia (Richmond)
6 – Toby Nankervis (Richmond)
3 – Trent Cotchin (Richmond)
3– Tom Lynch (Richmond)
1 – Daniel Rioli (Richmond)
