Gawn's All-Australian Milestone, Daicos Crowned MVP, and a Season of Standout Performances

Melbourne's Max Gawn has achieved a significant milestone, becoming the seventh player in AFL history to be named an All-Australian eight times. He secured the ruck position, edging out former teammate Brodie Grundy.

Geelong's Jeremy Cameron, the Coleman medallist, was surprisingly named captain of the All-Australian team. He admitted his lack of prior captaincy experience. The captaincy role has often been ceremonial in recent years, with players like Lance Franklin and Tom Hawkins holding the position despite not leading their respective clubs.

Despite a challenging season for the Demons, which included the dismissal of their premiership coach Simon Goodwin, Gawn and Kysaiah Pickett stood out. Gawn's selection came after a battle for the ruck spot with Sydney's Grundy.

Gawn joins an elite group of players with eight All-Australian selections, including Gary Ablett Snr, Gary Ablett Jnr, Patrick Dangerfield, Lance Franklin, Robert Harvey, and Mark Ricciuto. Since his first selection in 2016, Gawn has only missed the team twice, in 2017 and 2023.

Kysaiah Pickett was among eleven players selected for the first time. St Kilda's Naisah Wanganeen-Milera was named at half-back. Gold Coast, celebrating their first finals appearance, saw Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell make the team.

Brisbane Lions vice-captain Hugh McCluggage was finally recognized after previous squad selections. His teammates Zac Bailey and Harris Andrews also made the team, resulting in the Lions having the equal most representatives, alongside the Western Bulldogs. Marcus Bontempelli, despite missing the start of the season due to injury, earned his seventh All-Australian selection.

Collingwood's Nick Daicos was voted the AFLPA Most Valuable Player, becoming the fourth-youngest winner of the award. The midfielder played in every game this season, averaging 30 disposals and ranking highly in key statistical categories.

Daicos won the Leigh Matthews Trophy, narrowly ahead of Jordan Dawson and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. The AFLPA MVP is determined by player votes. Daicos is the youngest winner since Nick Riewoldt in 2004. He expressed his gratitude for the honor, acknowledging the many impressive players in the league. Daicos is the first Collingwood player to win the MVP since Dane Swan in 2010.

Fremantle's Murphy Reid was named the best first-year player. Josh Dunkley of the Brisbane Lions was recognized as the league's most courageous player, while Jordan Dawson of Adelaide was named best captain.

Noah Anderson and Bailey Smith tied for the AFL Coaches Association's champion player award. Both midfielders received 103 votes, with strong performances in the final round securing their victory.