Trent Cotchin has been rated by his peers as one of the AFL’s most valuable players, finishing third in the 2012 Leigh Matthews Trophy.

Cotchin collected 495 votes, while Gold Coast’s Gary Ablett won his fourth Matthews Trophy with 788 votes, and Essendon’s Jobe Watson was second on 602 votes.

The AFL Players Association’s MVP Award is voted on entirely by the players, and recognises a player’s overall value to his team, versatility, the ability to play under pressure, skill, leadership, courage and respect for all players.

The process to determine this year’s MVP began as it has in previous years, with each team voting for those three teammates that, in their view, have displayed the best overall value to their own team.

In a second round of voting, all AFL players voted in a 3, 2, 1 preference from the list of 51 nominees (three players from all clubs excluding their own) to determine the MVP.

Richmond’s other nominated players for the MVP Award were Brett Deledio and Ivan Maric, while it also had nominations in the Most Courageous Player Award (Steven Morris - won by Joel Selwood and Beau Waters), Best Captain (Chris Newman - won by Job Watson) and Best First-Year Player (Steven Morris - won by Jeremy Cameron).

Cotchin has already collected accolades for his outstanding 2012 season for the Tigers, winning the Jack Dyer Medal, the AFL Coaches Association’s best player award, and The Age Player of the Year.