Ben Cousins - the players’ choice

Ben Cousins has been voted by fellow players as the AFL’s Most Valuable Player. Cousins received the Leigh Matthews trophy for Most Valuable Player at the AFL Players’ Association MVP Awards at Melbourne’s Park Hyatt last night.

The Leigh Matthews Trophy for Most Valuable Player recognises versatility, the ability to play under pressure, skill, courage, leadership, respect for all players and value to a team. To vote, players initially nominate players from their own club for each award. Players then vote for the player, (not from their own club), they believe should win each Award.

Cousins received 159 votes, ahead of Fremantle’s Matthew Pavlich on 99, followed by Sydney’s Barry Hall (73) and Adelaide’s Mark Ricciuto (37).

A total of 621 players voted for this year’s awards.

The Eagles captain enjoyed a stellar 2005 season including 563 disposals, 357 kicks and 131 marks.

In other awards, players selected Adelaide Captain Mark Ricciuto as Best Captain, ahead of 05 MVP Ben Cousins and four time AFLPA Best Captain Michael Voss.

Two other awards, also determined by the players, were announced.

The Kangaroos Glenn Archer received the Robert Rose Most Courageous player award, while Richmond’s Brett Deledio won Best First Year Player.

For the fifth time, the ever inspirational Glenn Archer was selected by players as the AFL’s Most Courageous player, followed by the Lions Jonathan Brown.

Best First Year player Brett Deledio enjoyed an excellent debut season, playing all 22 games for the Tigers heading an impressive field of first-year players, including the Bulldogs’ Ryan Griffen who finished second.

Melbourne’s Aaron Davey received the Qantas Marn Grook award, for best emerging Indigenous player. Last year Davey received the AFLPA’s Best First year player award.

Collingwood’s James Clement received the Education and Training Excellence award.

Throughout his time in football, Clement has completed a Bachelor of Science (Aquaculture), a Graduate Diploma in Business, a Masters of Business Administration, a Graduate Certificate of Financial Planning and a Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning. James has also completed the AFLPA’s Next Goal Program, with Cameron Walshe Financial Planners.

James currently works with Thorney Investments as an Accredited Derivative Advisor and was named in the 2004 & 2005 all-Australian side. A strong advocate of developing yourself for life away from football, James is a Collingwood Vice-Captain and the club’s AFLPA delegate.

Jon Ralph of the Sunday Herald Sun was awarded the Grant Hattam Trophy for the best piece of football journalism from a player’s perspective.

Ralph’s poignant story, “The day my life changed – the inside story on the amazing recovery of Angelo Lekkas”, told of Angelo Lekkas’ inspirational fight to return to AFL football after suffering a career threatening stroke.