Lachie Hunter has claimed his first Charles Sutton Medal, edging out Jackson Macrae by a single vote in a thrilling count at Crown Palladium on Wednesday evening.
Hunter finished with 191 votes, ahead of Doug Hawkins medallist Macrae, with Marcus Bontempelli winning the Gary Dempsey medal for third place with 154 votes.
It was the second successive year the Dogs’ champion player award was decided by just one vote, after Bontempelli narrowly eclipsed Jason Johannisen in 2017.
The ultra-consistent Hunter trailed by eight when the votes were tallied at the end of Round 8, and was six votes ahead at the end of Round 16, before surviving a late challenge by Macrae.
Hunter averaged 30 disposals (a career-high) from 21 games this season. The 23-year-old was ranked eighth in the league for total effective disposals, third for uncontested possessions per game and 10th for kicks per game.
It was a significant improvement on his 2017 season, where he averaged 22.6 disposals and finished sixth in the Sutton Medal, and better than his outstanding 2016 season, where he averaged 27.6 disposals and finished third in third place.
Macrae, who played two fewer games than Hunter in 2018, completed a brilliant campaign in which he averaged 32.8 disposals (second in the AFL).
Bontempelli’s fourth consecutive top-three finish in the Sutton Medal came after he averaged 24 disposals per game and kicked 22 goals.
First year player Aaron Naughton capped off a terrific debut season, finishing fourth on 120 votes, while Josh Dunkley achieved his first top-five finish in the award after a career-best year.
Charles Sutton Medal: Top 10
- Lachie Hunter – 191 votes
- Jack Macrae – 190 votes
- Marcus Bontempelli – 154 votes
- Aaron Naughton – 120 votes
- Josh Dunkley – 110 votes
- Caleb Daniel – 110 votes
- Jason Johannisen – 109 votes
- Hayden Crozier - 98 votes
- Toby McLean – 91 votes
- Bailey Williams – 86 votes
