PORT ADELAIDE midfielder Travis Boak has had a podium finish in the 2020 SHADFORTH FINANCIAL GROUP AFLCA CHAMPION PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD after a year in which he was awarded his third All-Australian blazer.
Boak had a big night on Thursday when he was first named in the All-Australian midfield for the third time, to go with his 2013 and 2014 recognition.
He was then announced as the second runner up in the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award, finishing with 77 votes, one behind second placed Christian Petracca from Melbourne and 16 behind the eventual winner Lachie Neale.
The Brisbane Lions ball magnet is now the unbackable favourite to win the Brownlow Medal, having led the AFL in total disposals and ground ball gets, and ranked top five in centre clearances, contested possessions and score involvements.
Neale polled the perfect ten votes in six games during the season, while Boak was not far behind with full marks in five games. The former Port captain polled in ten of his 17 games in 2020 showing remarkable consistency.
Ollie Wines was the next best Port Adelaide player on the leaderboard, finishing with 43 votes to tie for 12th. Port Adelaide joined the Western Bulldogs (Marcus Bontempelli and Jack Macrae) as being the only clubs to have two players in contention.
Boak’s fellow All-Australian Charlie Dixon finished inside the top 20 on 36 votes.
The last Port Adelaide player to win the award was Robbie Gray in 2014, while Premiership skipper Warren Tredrea also claimed the award in 2004.
Overall leader board
93 votes – Lachie Neale (Brisbane)
78 votes - Christian Petracca (Melbourne)
77 votes – Travis Boak (Port Adelaide)
72 votes – Jack Steele (St Kilda)
60 votes - Taylor Adams (Collingwood)
59 votes - Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
56 votes - Nic Naitanui (West Coast)
55 votes - Zach Merrett (Essendon)
48 votes – Cam Guthrie (Geelong)
46 votes - Jack Macrae (Western Bulldogs)
44 votes – Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong), Luke Parker (Sydney)
43 votes – Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood), Ollie Wines (Port Adelaide)
--
36 votes – Charlie Dixon (Port Adelaide)
