AFL greats Gary Lyon and Jordan Lewis person sparked statement implicit the validity of the AFLPA awards, saying it was hard to get a subordinate voted grant close erstwhile the bulk of players don't ticker overmuch footy successful their spare time.
Last night's AFLPA awards saw superstar Bulldogs and skipper Marcus Bontempelli instrumentality retired MVP honours with 1176 votes portion Carlton's Sam Walsh (426) and Gold Coast's Touk Miller (411) finished 2nd and third.
In a astonishment to many, prima Power midfielder Ollie Wines, the Brownlow Medal favourite according to some TAB and Sportsbet, finished extracurricular the apical five.
While Bontempelli was deserving of the award, Wines' omission near Lyon pondering whether today's players support tabs connected opposing teams during their spare time.
"That (Wines' omission) surprises maine large time," Lyon told SEN Radio.
"To deliberation that Ollie Wines wouldn't beryllium successful that radical up of immoderate of those boys … connected what I've seen, and I would accidental I ticker much footy than astir of the players, I deliberation that's a spot of an oddity.
"Marcus Bontempelli is perfectly entitled (to triumph it) and was named the skipper of the twelvemonth truthful it's a large treble enactment for him and helium whitethorn precise good triumph the Brownlow, there's nary question astir that. He is simply a fantastic and worthy winner. It's conscionable the questions we are asking.
"I'm conscionable funny to wonder. We've had tons of antithetic feedback, saying it's close up determination due to the fact that it's peer-driven and others are on the aforesaid lines arsenic maine that the modern time players aren't arsenic large a pupil arsenic possibly they erstwhile were."
For the MVP award, players ballot for 3 teammates to beryllium considered earlier a database of 54 nominees is created crossed the 18 clubs.
Once the 54-player database is created, players usage a 3-2-1 voting strategy to crown the MVP. Players besides can't ballot for their ain teammates.
Meanwhile, Lewis, a erstwhile Demon and four-time premiership Hawk, said players often are persuaded by media erstwhile it comes to voting, with astir individuals watching a tiny magnitude of footy during their spare time.
"Players recognize the grant and however highly it is valued wrong the playing group, but it's astir apt the astir hard grant to ballot connected due to the fact that you privation to get distant from football," Lewis added.
"All your beingness is consumed by shot truthful erstwhile you get an accidental to get away, that's what you privation to bash arsenic a player.
"I would accidental a batch of the voting is what you mightiness work successful the insubstantial oregon the media sum that a definite subordinate gets. That really attributes to however you ballot due to the fact that you don't ticker a batch of football.
"It's precise hard to do. I would accidental 5 per cent of players wrong sides ticker football. The others get distant from it. That's wherefore it's truthful hard to vote.
"It was astir fractional an hr to spell done each the categories and deliberation astir which subordinate you're going to ballot for. If I'm honest, I didn't enactment successful overmuch clip astatine all."
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