The AFL Coaches Association awards are a group of awards that have been presented annually since 2003, mainly to players and coaches in the Australian Football League (AFL), voted for by all AFL coaches.
Awards
Champion player of the year Awarded annually since 2003. Each week, the coaching panel of each AFL club give five votes to the player they consider to have been best on ground in the game in which their team plays, four to the second-best, and so on to one to the fifth-best. The player with the most votes at the end of the year wins. The award has different rules to many "best and fairest" awards, as player suspensions are disregarded.
Year Winner Club 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 (2) 2009 (3) 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 (2) 2023 2024 2025 2026 (2)
Gary Ayres Award Awarded since 2016. Each week during the finals series, the senior coach of each competing AFL club gives five votes to the player they consider to be best on ground in the game their team plays in, four to the second-best, and so on to one for the fifth-best. The votes given in the Grand Final are counted as worth 150% compared to the other finals. The player with the most votes at the end of the finals series wins. The award is named after Gary Ayres, a five-time VFL/AFL premiership player and Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee.
Year Winner Club 2016 2017 2018 2019 (2) 2020 (3) 2021 2022 2023 Sam Walsh Carlton 2024 2025 2026 (2)
Best emerging player Awarded annually since 2003 (as "best young player" from 2003 to 2025). There is no age or game limit. Awarded to the best player inside the first two seasons of their AFL careers based on the weekly AFLCA Player of the Year votes.
Year Winner Club 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Defensive player of the year Awarded annually since 2026. Each week, the coaching panel of each AFL club give two votes to the player they consider to have had the best defensive performance in the game their team plays and one to the second-best. The player with the most votes at the end of the year wins.
Year Winner Club 2026
Allan Jeans Senior Coach of the Year Award Awarded annually since 2003. At the end of the season, all AFL coaches give three votes to the senior coach they adjudge to have performed the best over that season, two to the second-best, and one to the third-best. The coach with the most votes wins. Chris Fagan is the only coach who has won the award three times. Ken Hinkley, Luke Beveridge, John Longmire, John Worsfold and Mark Thompson have won the award more than once, with two each.
(†) indicates that the recipient was a premiership coach in the same year.
Year Winner Club 2003 2004 † 2005 2006 † 2007 † 2008 (2) 2009 2010 † 2011 (2) 2012 † 2013 2014 (2) 2015 2016 † (2) 2017 † 2018 2019 2020 (2) 2021 † 2022 2023 2024 † (2) 2025 † (3) 2026 Fremantle
Assistant coach of the year Awarded annually since 2003. At the end of the season, all AFL coaches and players rate their club's assistant coaches out of ten, with ten being the highest score. Assistant coaches' scores are then averaged, and the coach with the highest score wins.
Year Winner Club 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 (2) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Collingwood
Development coach of the year Awarded in 2012 and 2013 and then reintroduced annually from 2022. Based on 50–50 input from both players and coaches, it is awarded to the highest-ranked AFL development coach based on "their overall performance [that] year". Year Winner Club 2012 2013 2022 2023 (2) 2024 2025 2026 Geelong
Phil Walsh Memorial Scholarship Awarded annually since 2016. Awarded to an AFL coach who is "committed to developing themselves via study and travel".
Year Winner Club 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Career & Education Award Awarded annually since 2014. Awarded to an AFL coach who has "shown exceptional commitment to their professional development".
Year Winner Club 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 not awarded 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Geelong
Neale Daniher Lifetime Achievement Award Awarded annually since 2003. In recognition of "an individual who has made an outstanding contribution" to Australian rules football. Renamed from Lifetime Achievement Award to Neale Daniher Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
Year Winner 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Coaching Legend Award Awarded annually from 2009 to 2018. Awarded to a former VFL/AFL coach who has achieved "significant achievement and success".
Year Winner VFL/AFL club/s 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Media Award Awarded annually since 2009. Awarded to an individual who displays "respected and insightful coverage of AFL football at the professional level". All AFL coaches can nominate an individual.
Year Winner 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (2) 2016 (3) 2017 (4) 2018 (5) 2019 (6) 2020 (7) 2021 (8) 2022 (9) 2023 (10) 2024 (11) 2025 (12)
Support Staff Leadership Award Awarded annually from 2003 to 2014. Awarded to an Australian rules support staff member who shows "outstanding contribution, innovation, [or] initiative in carrying out [their] duties".
Year Winner VFL/AFL club/s 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
All-Australian team
A representative team was selected by the AFLCA in 2015 and 2016. In its first year, in what was described as "ditching traditional positions in favour of modern tactics," in each position on the field (decided by analysts), the highest-scoring player from the Champion Player of the Year Award voting was chosen. In its final year, a more traditional team line-up was selected.
2015 team 2015 AFL Coaches Association All-Australian team Name Position Club Easton Wood Tall/medium defender Alex Rance Tall defender Zach Tuohy Small defender Robert Murphy Medium defender Cale Hooker Tall defender Jarrad McVeigh Medium defender Todd Goldstein Ruckman Dan Hannebery Inside/outside midfielder Nat Fyfe Inside midfielder Josh P. Kennedy Inside midfielder Matt Priddis Inside midfielder Andrew Gaff Inside/outside midfielder Patrick Dangerfield Inside/outside midfielder Jake Stringer Key forward Brett Deledio High half-forward Chad Wingard Small forward Josh J. Kennedy Key forward Jack Gunston Tall/medium forward David Mundy Interchange inside midfielder Scott Pendlebury (captain) Interchange inside/outside midfielder Bernie Vince Interchange inside/outside midfielder Nic Naitanui Interchange ruckman
2016 team 2016 AFL Coaches Association All-Australian team B: Josh Gibson () Alex Rance () Rory Laird () HB: Callan Ward () Robbie Tarrant () Corey Enright () C: Marcus Bontempelli () Joel Selwood (, captain) Patrick Dangerfield () HF: Dan Hannebery () Tom Lynch () Robbie Gray () F: Eddie Betts () Josh Kennedy () Nick Riewoldt () Foll: Max Gawn () Rory Sloane () Dustin Martin () Int: Luke Parker () Scott Pendlebury () Luke Shuey () Todd Goldstein ()
AFLW champion player of the year Awarded each season since 2018. Each week, the senior coach of each AFL Women's club gives five votes to the player they consider to be best on ground in the game in which their team plays, four to the second-best, and so on to one for the fifth-best. The player with the most votes at the end of the season wins. The award has different rules to many "best and fairest" awards, as player suspensions are disregarded.
Season Winner Club 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 (S6) 2022 (S7) (2) 2023 (3) 2024 2025
AFLW senior coach of the year Awarded each season since 2019. After the preliminary finals, the senior coach of each AFL Women's club gives three votes to the other coach they consider to have performed best throughout the season, two to the second-best, and one to the third-best. The coach with the most votes from this process wins.
Season Winner Club 2019 2020 2021 2022 (S6) 2022 (S7) (2) 2023 (3) 2024
References
External links AFL Coaches Association awards homepage