Leigh Matthews Trophy

Award for most valuable player in the Australian Football League

The Leigh Matthews Trophy is an annual award given by the AFL Players Association to the Most Valuable Player in the Australian Football League. It is named in honour of Leigh Matthews, who won the first MVP award in 1982, when the league was still known as the Victorian Football League. The trophy was first awarded in 2002, and all previous VFLPA/AFLPA MVPs were retrospectively given the Matthews Trophy in 2005. It is awarded at a special AFL Players Association awards ceremony.

The voting procedure for the award is:

* At the end of the regular season, each team votes for three players (previously two) to be considered for election.
* Two weeks into the finals, the AFLPA sends a final ballot to all players throughout the league. Players cannot vote for their own teammates; in fact, the ballots sent to each team are redacted to remove that team's nominees. Each player awards three votes to the player he believes is the best in the league, two votes to the second-best, and one vote to the third-best.[1] The leading vote-getter receives the trophy.

Prior to 2011, each player cast a single vote for the award.

The award is roughly analogous to the Brownlow Medal, the traditional "best and fairest" award in the league. However, the voting system is completely different: the Brownlow Medal awards votes on a game-by-game basis, while Leigh Matthews Trophy awards a single vote based on the entire season. In particular, this has meant that key-position players have been more likely to win this award than the Brownlow Medal. For example, Wayne Carey, generally regarded as one of the league's all-time great key-position players, never won the Brownlow Medal, but he won this honour twice.

The Leigh Matthews Trophy is strictly for the most valuable player, not the best and fairest as is the case with the Brownlow Medal. A league disciplinary suspension, which renders a player ineligible for the Brownlow, does not exclude a player from contention for the Matthews Trophy. In 1996, Corey McKernan finished tied in the Brownlow voting with that season's winners James Hird and Michael Voss, but he was disqualified from the Brownlow because of a disciplinary suspension. However, McKernan won the AFLPA MVP award that season.

## Winners

[edit]

Year  | Player  | Team

|
|

1982 | Leigh Matthews | Hawthorn
1983 | Terry Daniher | Essendon
1984 | Russell Greene | Hawthorn
1985 | Greg Williams | Geelong
1986 | Paul Roos | Fitzroy
1987 | Tony Lockett | St Kilda
1988 | Gerard Healy | Sydney
1989 | Tim Watson | Essendon
1990 | Darren Millane | Collingwood
1991 | Jim Stynes | Melbourne
1992 | Jason Dunstall | Hawthorn
1993 | Gary Ablett Sr. | Geelong
1994 | Greg Williams (2) | Carlton
1995 | Wayne Carey | North Melbourne
1996 | Corey McKernan | North Melbourne
1997 | Robert Harvey | St Kilda
1998 | Wayne Carey (2) | North Melbourne
1999 | Shane Crawford | Hawthorn
2000 | Anthony Koutoufides | Carlton
2001 | Andrew McLeod | Adelaide
2002 | Luke Darcy | Western Bulldogs
Michael Voss | Brisbane Lions
2003 | Michael Voss (2) | Brisbane Lions
2004 | Nick Riewoldt | St Kilda
2005 | Ben Cousins | West Coast
2006 | Chris Judd | West Coast
2007 | Gary Ablett Jr. | Geelong
2008 | Gary Ablett Jr. (2) | Geelong
2009 | Gary Ablett Jr. (3) | Geelong
2010 | Dane Swan | Collingwood
2011 | Chris Judd (2) | Carlton
2012 | Gary Ablett Jr. (4) | Gold Coast
2013 | Gary Ablett Jr. (5) | Gold Coast
2014 | Nat Fyfe | Fremantle
2015 | Nat Fyfe (2) | Fremantle
2016 | Patrick Dangerfield | Geelong
2017 | Dustin Martin | Richmond
2018 | Tom Mitchell | Hawthorn
2019 | Patrick Cripps | Carlton
2020 | Lachie Neale | Brisbane Lions
2021 | Marcus Bontempelli | Western Bulldogs
2022 | Andrew Brayshaw | Fremantle
2023 | Marcus Bontempelli (2) | Western Bulldogs
2024 | Marcus Bontempelli (3) | Western Bulldogs

## Multiple winners

[edit]

The following players have won the Leigh Matthews Trophy multiple times.

Wins  | Player  | Seasons

|
|

5 | Gary Ablett Jr. | 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013
3 | Marcus Bontempelli | 2021, 2023, 2024
2 | Greg Williams | 1985, 1994
Wayne Carey | 1995, 1998
Michael Voss | 2002, 2003
Chris Judd | 2006, 2011
Nat Fyfe | 2014, 2015

## See also

[edit]

* Athlete of the Year

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Evans, Heath (12 September 2011). "Judd takes home Players' MVP double". Australian Football League Players' Association. Retrieved 12 September 2011.

## External links

[edit]

* AFL Players’ MVP - AFL Players Association website

* v
* t
* e

Leigh Matthews Trophy * AFL Players Association most valuable player

* 1982: Matthews
* 1983: Daniher
* 1984: Greene
* 1985: Williams
* 1986: Roos
* 1987: Lockett
* 1988: Healy
* 1989: Watson
* 1990: Millane
* 1991: Stynes
* 1992: Dunstall
* 1993: Ablett Sr.
* 1994: Williams
* 1995: Carey
* 1996: McKernan
* 1997: Harvey
* 1998: Carey
* 1999: Crawford
* 2000: Koutoufides
* 2001: McLeod
* 2002: Darcy/Voss
* 2003: Voss
* 2004: Riewoldt
* 2005: Cousins
* 2006: Judd
* 2007: Ablett Jr.
* 2008: Ablett Jr.
* 2009: Ablett Jr.
* 2010: Swan
* 2011: Judd
* 2012: Ablett Jr.
* 2013: Ablett Jr.
* 2014: Fyfe
* 2015: Fyfe
* 2016: Dangerfield
* 2017: Martin
* 2018: Mitchell
* 2019: Cripps
* 2020: Neale
* 2021: Bontempelli
* 2022: Brayshaw
* 2023: Bontempelli
* 2024: Bontempelli

* v
* t
* e

Awards in the Australian Football League

AFL awards|

* AFL Rising Star
* All-Australian team (umpires)
* Brownlow Medal (winners)
* Coleman Medal
* Goal of the Year
* Mark of the Year
* Michael Tuck Medal
* Norm Smith Medal

AFL Players Association awards|

* Leigh Matthews Trophy

Club best and fairest awards|

* Malcolm Blight Medal (Adelaide)
* Merrett–Murray Medal (Brisbane Lions)
* John Nicholls Medal (Carlton)
* Copeland Trophy (Collingwood)
* W. S. Crichton Medal (Essendon)
* Doig Medal (Fremantle)
* Carji Greeves Medal (Geelong)
* Gold Coast Suns Club Champion (Gold Coast)
* Kevin Sheedy Medal (Greater Western Sydney)
* Peter Crimmins Medal (Hawthorn)
* Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy (Melbourne)
* Syd Barker Medal (North Melbourne)
* John Cahill Medal (Port Adelaide)
* Jack Dyer Medal (Richmond)
* Trevor Barker Award (St Kilda)
* Bob Skilton Medal (Sydney)
* John Worsfold Medal (West Coast)
* Charles Sutton Medal (Western Bulldogs)

Other awards|

* AFL Coaches Association awards
* Australian Football Media Association Player of the Year
* Geoff Christian Medal
* Herald Sun Player of the Year
* Lou Richards Medal
* Merv Agars Medal

* v
* t
* e

Australian Football League

Clubs|

| Current|

* Adelaide
* Brisbane Lions
* Carlton
* Collingwood
* Essendon
* Fremantle
* Geelong
* Gold Coast
* Greater Western Sydney
* Hawthorn
* Melbourne
* North Melbourne
* Port Adelaide
* Richmond
* St Kilda
* Sydney
* West Coast
* Western Bulldogs

|

Future|

* Tasmania

Former|

* Brisbane Bears
* Fitzroy
* University

Seasons|

* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

Grand finals|

* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

Venues|

* Adelaide Oval
* Bellerive Oval
* Carrara Stadium
* Cazaly's Stadium
* Docklands Stadium
* Eureka Stadium
* The Gabba
* Kardinia Park
* Manuka Oval
* Marrara Oval
* Melbourne Cricket Ground
* Perth Stadium
* Stadium Australia
* Sydney Cricket Ground
* Sydney Showground Stadium
* Traeger Park
* York Park

Awards|

* AFL Coaches Association awards
* AFL Players Association awards
* Leigh Matthews Trophy
* 22 Under 22 team
* AFL Rising Star
* All-Australian team
* Brownlow Medal (winners)
* Coleman Medal
* Goal of the Year
* Mark of the Year
* Norm Smith Medal

Major recurring
events|

* AFL Draft
* AFL finals series
* AFL Futures match
* AFL Grand Final
* Anzac Day Eve match
* Anzac Day match
* Dreamtime at the 'G
* Easter Monday clash
* E. J. Whitten Legends Game
* Gather Round
* King's Birthday match
* Len Hall Tribute game
* Opening game
* QClash
* Showdown
* Sydney Derby
* Western Derby

Second-tier and
junior competitions|

| Current|

* AFL National Championships
* Talent League
* South Australian National Football League
* Victorian Football League
* West Australian Football League

|

Former|

* AFL reserves
* AFL under-19s
* North East Australian Football League
* VFL Sub-Districts

Related articles|

* AFL Coaches Association
* AFL Commission
* AFL Players Association
* AFL Record
* AFL Umpires Association
* AFL Women's
* AFLX
* Carlton salary cap breach
* Current coaches
* Essendon supplements saga
* Games records
* 200-game players for one club
* Goalkicking records
* Grand final location debate
* Grand Final pre-match performances
* History
* Individual match awards
* International Rules Series
* McClelland Trophy
* Melbourne tanking scandal
* Minor premiers
* Premiers
* Premiership captains/coaches
* Premiership/grand final statistics
* Proposed clubs
* Tasmanian AFL bid
* Records
* Reserves affiliations
* Rivalries
* Television shows
* Video games
* Wooden spoons

Known as the Victorian Football League from 1897–1989; no grand finals were held in 1897 and 1924
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