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Who the coaches missed and Round 3’s Most Damaging Player
SEN • April 2nd, 2025 3:00 pm
Who did the coaches miss in Round 3?
Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne has assessed which players were overlooked in the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award.
See who the coaches missed below:
Mason Redman (Essendon)
Despite a dominant display in Essendon’s clash, Mason Redman didn’t receive a single vote from the coaches.
“(Mason Redman) was the highest rated player on the ground,” Hoyne told SEN's Sportsday.
Playing off the half-back flank, Redman was influential in Essendon’s ball movement.
“Mason Redman was superb,” he added.
Sam Darcy (Western Bulldogs)
Darcy failed to poll a vote despite a career-best outing.
“He was actually the number one rated player on the ground against Carlton,” Hoyne revealed.
His performance was even stronger than his previous outing, but his accuracy played a role in how his game was perceived.
“His game was actually higher rated than what it was the week before (when he kicked four against Collingwood),” Hoyne said.
“Accuracy played a significant factor in his game.”
Josh Ward (Hawthorn)
Ward has been consistently overlooked, despite his impact on games.
“I had to put this guy in because I reckon I’ve put him in here now for three weeks,” Hoyne said.
Ward ranked as the sixth highest rated player on the ground and was particularly influential with his ball use.
“(His) ball use was absolutely superb,” Hoyne explained.
“The ball use players sometimes are the ones that you need to go back and watch on replay to really appreciate the absolute impact that they have on matches.”
According to Hoyne, Ward is “going extremely well”.
Dayne Zorko (Brisbane Lions)
Despite an amazing performance, Zorko only received one AFLCA vote.
“(Dayne Zorko was) the second highest rated player on the ground,” Hoyne pointed out.
“We haven’t seen Dayne Zorko impact a game in the position that he’s in, with how he actually wins the footy."
"So, Dayne Zorko on the weekend was absolutely superb.”
Luke Jackson (Fremantle)
Although Jackson received AFLCA votes, he was surprisingly overlooked for the Glendinning-Allan Medal.
“The coaches did recognise him, he actually had equal votes alongside Caleb Serong (with eight),” Hoyne said.
“But the people who were voting on the actual Ross Glendinning-Ben Allan Medal didn’t recognise him.
"He only polled the two votes.”
Jackson’s performance was among the best of his career.
“That was actually the third highest rated game of his career,” Hoyne emphasised.
“Luke Jackson overall (was the) highest rated player for the weekend.”
Hoyne also identified the round's Most Damaging Player (MDP) and a few other different categories.
“No one had greater impact through how they used the footy on the weekend than what Touk Miller did in his role across the half-forward area,” he said.
Listen to Full On Footy with Hoyne below:
