PORT ADELAIDE wingman Dan Houston was one of six players to receive the maximum number of votes in the 2022 AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award in the opening round of the season.
Despite his side’s loss Houston was dominant on-ball, collecting a career-high 36 disposals and recording 775m gained – well clear of anyone else on-field in both counts.
He further bolstered his stat line by adding two goals, leaving the Gabba as the Power’s sole multiple goalkicker for the evening.
Travis Boak was the only other Port Adelaide player to poll votes, with the Lions populating the rest of the coaches’ list.
Boak was awarded four votes following a tidy performance that consisted of 32 touches and seven clearances – pipped in that category only by teammate Zak Butters and Brisbane’s Jarryd Lyons who both finished with eight.
Joe Daniher received eight votes for his game-high four goals.
Others to join Houston with a perfect 10 votes included Patrick Cripps (Carlton), Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong), Luke Parker (Sydney), Christian Petracca (Melbourne) and Matt Rowell (Gold Coast).
The group are the outright leaders in the voting after the first round of the season.
Round 1 votes v Brisbane
10 votes – Houston (PA)
8 votes – Daniher (BL)
5 votes – Adams (BL)
4 votes – Boak (PA)
2 votes – Neale (BL)
1 vote – McInerney (BL)
Overall leader board
10 votes – Patrick Cripps (Carlton), Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong), Dan Houston (Port Adelaide), Luke Parker (Sydney), Christian Petracca (Melbourne), Matt Rowell (Gold Coast)
9 votes – Jordan De Goey (Collingwood), Patrick Lipinski (Collingwood), Joshua Rachele (Adelaide)
8 votes – Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle), Joe Daniher (Brisbane), Tom Green (GWS), Tom Hawkins (Geelong), Changkuoth Jiath (Hawthorn), Matthew Kennedy (Carlton), Touk Miller (Gold Coast), James Sicily (Hawthorn)
