Kane Lambert was rewarded for his excellent efforts through Richmond’s midfield in the opening round win against Carlton, achieving a perfect score in the AFL Coaches Association’s Player of the Year voting.

The tenacious Tiger, with the exemplary work ethic, scored 10 out of 10 from rival coaches Damien Hardwick (Richmond) and Brendon Bolton (Carlton) after racking up 28 disposals, including 10 contested possessions and four inside-50s, plus eight marks and seven tackles, in the best performance of his 14-game league football career.

Reigning Jack Dyer Medallist Alex Rance received six votes for another top-class display across Richmond’s backline.

The Tigers’ star key defender finished the match with 20 disposals (nine contested possessions), seven marks and four tackles.

Rance and Lambert were the only Richmond players to be awarded votes on the night.

Full voting details for the Round 1 Richmond v Carlton match are:

10 – Kane Lambert (Richmond)
6 – Alex Rance (Richmond)
6 – Marc Murphy (Carlton)
4 – Bryce Gibbs (Carlton)
3 – Sam Docherty (Carlton)
1 – Patrick Cripps (Carlton)