Star Richmond key forward Jack Riewoldt has capped off his best season of AFL football by winning the 2018 Jack Dyer Medal.
This is the second Jack Dyer Medal for Riewoldt, who previously won it in 2010.
Riewoldt took out the Tigers’ 2018 Best and Fairest award at tonight’s count held at a packed Crown Palladium ballroom.
He polled 81 votes, which was 13 more than top midfielder Kane Lambert, who finished runner-up with 68 votes.
Dynamic midfielder Dustin Martin, who captured back-to-back Jack Dyer Medals in 2016-17, was third on 66 votes, talented playmaker Shane Edwards came fourth with 65 votes, while gun defender Dylan Grimes filled fifth place on 64 votes.
It was a comprehensive Jack Dyer Medal-winning performance by Riewoldt, who polled the maximum votes in a match six times during the season, including the preliminary final loss to Collingwood.
Riewoldt added the Jack Dyer Medal to his 2018 Coleman Medal and All-Australian blazer honours.
The 29-year-old was superb right throughout the season, averaging 14.2 disposals, 6.2 marks and 3.2 inside-50s per match.
He was ranked No. 1 in the competition for goals (70 in total), No.1 for marks inside 50, No. 2 for score involvements and No. 5 for contested marks.
To highlight just how well rounded Riewoldt’s game was during the season, he was ranked No. 1 at Richmond for tackles inside 50.
Lambert, who went one step further in the 2018 Jack Dyer Medal after finishing third last year, averaged 22.6 disposals, 3.9 inside-50s and 3.6 marks per game for the season.
Among the Tigers’ playing group, he was ranked No. 2 for disposals, No. 4 for goal assists and No. 4 for score involvements.
Martin averaged 25.4 disposals, 5.9 inside-50s and 5.4 clearances per match and kicked 31 goals.
Competition-wide, he was ranked No. 1 for inside-50s, No. 1 for centre clearances, No. 1 for score involvements and No. 5 for goal assists.
And, for the third year in-a-row, Martin was selected in the All Australian team.
Edwards averaged 19.2 disposals and 3.5 inside-50s per game in season 2018.
He was ranked No. 2 in the competition for goal assists, No. 18 for score involvements, and for the first time in his 12-season AFL career, he gained All Australian selection.
Grimes averaged 11.5 disposals, 3.2 marks and 3.6 tackles per match.
Across the competition, he was ranked 13th for one-percenters and 14th for intercepts.
Under the Jack Dyer Medal voting system, all of the team’s players on match day receive a rating from 0-5 based on their overall performance.
The match committee assesses each player’s offensive, defensive, and contest impacts on the game.
After those game phases have been analysed, the 0-5 rating is given, as a joint match committee decision.
Votes are not allocated for what the match committee deems a below-average performance.
2018 Jack Dyer Medallist, @JackRiewoldt08 #JDM2018 pic.twitter.com/SNzv1LkJD7
— Richmond FC (@Richmond_FC) October 2, 2018
2018 Jack Dyer Medal top 20
1st Jack Riewoldt, 81 votes
2nd Kane Lambert, 68 votes
3rd Dustin Martin, 66 votes
4th Shane Edwards, 65 votes
5th Dylan Grimes, 64 votes
6th Alex Rance, 63 votes
7th Trent Cotchin, 58 votes
8th Nick Vlastuin, 51 votes
9th Jayden Short, 47 votes
10th Josh Caddy, 45 votes
11th Dion Prestia, 43 votes
12th David Astbury, 42 votes
13th Toby Nankervis, 40 votes
Equal 14th Kamdyn McIntosh, 39 votes
Equal 14th Jason Castagna, 39 votes
16th Jack Higgins, 38 votes
17th Shaun Grigg, 36 votes
18th Dan Butler, 33 votes
19th Nathan Broad, 31 votes
Equal 20th Daniel Rioli, 28 votes
Equal 20th Reece Conca, 28 votes
Jack Riewoldt wins the 2018 RICH B&F
— Swamp (@sirswampthing) October 2, 2018
He kicked goals in 20 H&A games in 2018, the most by any player in the comp
Kicked multiple goals in the H&A season 18 times, 2 more than anyone else
@Richmond_FC @AFL
Jack Riewoldt is the first Coleman medallist to win a club B&F since Jack Riewoldt in 2010
— Swamp (@sirswampthing) October 2, 2018
@Richmond_FC @AFL