PORT ADELAIDE midfielder Travis Boak was one of eight players league-wide who received a perfect ten votes in the 2021 AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award after his side’s season-opening win over North Melbourne on Sunday.
Boak finished with 27 disposals including 21 in the first half when the game was on the line.
He also had a game-high seven clearances, three marks, four tackles, 449 metres gained and a game-high 12 score involvements including two goals.
The 32-year-old was runner up in last year’s Champion Player of the Year award to Brisbane’s Lachie Neale.
Club debutant Orazio Fantasia scored eight votes from the coaches for his four-goal effort while Dan Houston received four after repelling attack after attack and chalking up 26 disposals and gaining 594 metres in territory.
Ollie Wines’ 30 disposals and five clearances earned him three votes while Steven Motlop earned one vote for his 24 disposals, seven score involvements and a goal.
North Melbourne debutant Jaidyn Stephenson got four votes for his game-high 33 possessions.
Others to join Boak with a perfect 10 votes included Richmond’s Dustin Martin, Steven May from Melbourne, St Kilda’s Tim Membrey, Sydney’s Callum Mills, Hawthorn’s Tom Mitchell, Bulldog Bailey Smith and Crow Taylor Walker.
The group are the outright leaders in the voting after the first round of the season.
Round 1 – votes v North Melbourne
10 votes – Boak (PA)
8 votes – Fantasia (PA)
4 votes – Houston (PA)
4 votes – Stephenson (NM)
3 votes – Wines (PA)
1 vote – Motlop (PA)
Overall leader board
10 votes – Travis Boak (Port Adelaide), Dustin Martin (Richmond), Steven May (Melbourne), Tim Membery (St Kilda), Callum Mills (Sydney), Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn), Bailey Smith (Western Bulldogs), Taylor Walker (Adelaide).
8 votes – Orazio Fantasia (Port Adelaide), Tim Kelly (West Coast), Darcy Moore (Collingwood), Jaeger O’Maera (Hawthorn)
7 votes – Oscar Allen (West Coast), Jack Graham (Richmond), Errol Gulden (Sydney), Tom Hickey (Sydney), Jake Lever (Melbourne), Clayton Oliver (Melbourne)