North defender Ben McKay did a fantastic job on star Geelong forward Tom Hawkins on Saturday. Photo: GETTY

FULL BACKS

Luke Ryan (Fremantle)
An outstanding game from the Fremantle defender, who led an undermanned and inexperienced backline to victory against the Tigers. He enjoyed a good battle with Jack Riewoldt, ultimately holding him to just one goal, and took repeated intercept marks to chop off Richmond inside 50s and get his side out of trouble.

Ben McKay (North Melbourne)
For the second time this season, Ben McKay came up against and soundly defeated Tom Hawkins, with the reigning Coleman medalist getting his only goal late in the game and from a particularly difficult shot. McKay’s pace was a real asset as his opponent failed to get separation on the lead, and he didn’t lose a one-on-one contest all day.

Brayden Maynard (Collingwood)
Maynard continued his top form in what has been a slightly modified role in the last six weeks, often playing on a much taller key forward and beating them. Against the Eagles, Maynard took on Jack Darling and rendered him completely ineffectual, while also getting involved in the Magpies’ stat-fest with 30 disposals and 11 marks.

HALF BACKS

Bailey Dale (Western Bulldogs)
A best-on-ground performance from a serious All-Australian contender, and one of the AFL’s reborn players this season. Dale had 25 kicks at 88 per cent efficiency, acting as the Dogs’ chief interceptor and rebound player from the back half, and also hit the scoreboard as he has done on numerous occasions this season.

Steven May (Melbourne)
It was barren up forward for the Gold Coast Suns on Sunday, but Steven May made absolutely sure of it with a dominant, blanket job on Ben King who was goalless, markless and kickless. May is often damaging with his excellent long kicking, but this was a reminder of his ability to perform elite shutdown jobs when required.

Jack Crisp (Collingwood)
Another powerful, dynamic game from Crisp, who hurts opposition sides in a number of ways, be it intercepting the footy at half back, driving it forward with his run and long kicking, or winning stoppage clearances. He will surely waltz to a maiden Copeland Trophy victory at the end of the year.

CENTRES

Karl Amon (Port Adelaide)
Karl Amon being the best midfielder on the ground in a game between GWS and Port Adelaide is not something many would have predicted at the start of the season, but that’s exactly what happened on Sunday. The vastly-improved wingman dominated through the middle of the ground, with 31 touches, nine inside 50s, one goal and two assists.

Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle)
Brayshaw has been playing excellent footy pretty consistently for the best part of two seasons now, but his game on Sunday evening was at another level entirely. He had career-highs in disposals (39), tackles (12), and clearances (eight), as well as 10 score involvements. His two vital clearances in the last minute of play were match-winning and capped off a wonderful game.

Adam Cerra (Fremantle)
If Brayshaw was the match-winner on the inside of the contest, Cerra’s performance as the first receiver on the outside wasn’t far behind. He ran hard on the spread all game, at times clearly out-working the Tigers’ midfield, and kicked with typical precision on his way to 33 touches and nine inside 50s.

HALF FORWARDS

Chad Wingard (Hawthorn)
A really good response from Wingard, who was under fire during the week but came out strongly and played one of his best games in Hawthorn colours. He nailed a fantastic banana goal late in the first quarter, and went on to collect a season-high 32 touches, register nine score involvements and lay seven tackles.

Daniel McStay (Brisbane)
The Lions’ workhorse in the forward line lived up to his billing, taking six contested marks, booting four goals, and providing some inspirational defensive efforts to keep the Lions score at least somewhat respectable. They needed a lift with Eric Hipwood going down, and they have got that from McStay in the last two weeks.

Tom Papley (Sydney)
After a wayward day in front of goal last week, the Swans’ heartbeat up forward was much more effective against the Bombers, kicking four goals from five shots and having nine score involvements. A seven-minute burst in the third term, in which he kicked three, was vintage Papley and signalled the Swans taking the momentum.

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FORWARDS

Luke Jackson (Melbourne)
It’s been a quieter few weeks for Jackson, but he responded strongly with a career-best four goals against the Suns, all of them coming in the first half when most of the work was to be done. As always, he was also useful in the ruck, winning only six fewer hitouts than Gold Coast’s number one option, and three clearances as well.

Harry McKay (Carlton)
Considering that David Teague all but ruled McKay out of Friday night’s game in the middle of last week, it was an impressive effort not just to play, but to kick a bag and be one of the best players on the ground. With Charlie Curnow back on deck, McKay no doubt enjoyed the lack of double-teaming from the opposition, and made the most of it with another five goals.

Luke Breust (Hawthorn)
Despite going off injured early on in the second half, Breust still managed to be one of the most influential players in the game against Brisbane. He set the win up for Hawthorn with three early goals, and is one of the very few to actually get a hold of Brandon Starcevich this season. An incredibly clever footballer who wins one-on-ones and takes his opportunities.

FOLLOWERS

Brodie Grundy (Collingwood)
In the always-intriguing battle against Nic Naitanui, Grundy took the honours with a busy and impactful display. Despite a typically effective effort from the gun Eagle in and around the contest, he was clearly outworked by the Collingwood ruckman, who had 22 disposals, took 10 marks, and kicked a nice set-shot goal.

Clayton Oliver (Melbourne)
This was a mammoth midfield performance from Oliver, and should net him three votes on Brownlow night. His clearance work both in centre bounce and at stoppages around the ground was absolutely elite, winning a round-high 12 of them, but using his vision and handball game, and his breakaway speed, to capitalise in equal measure.

Zach Merrett (Essendon)
After a rare disappointing day last week, Merrett bounced back forcefully with one of his best games of the year. Against an in-form Swans midfield, Merrett was the dominant player on the ground and set up a plethora of scoring opportunities, coming away with two goals and four direct assists among his 36 touches.

INTERCHANGE

Jordan De Goey (Collingwood)
In an indication of De Goey’s commitment to his new on-ball role, he did not have a single disposal inside the Magpies’ forward 50 on the weekend, instead working back hard into defence and winning the ball around stoppage in the middle of the ground. His ball use by foot continues to stand out and makes Collingwood a more dangerous side.

Jaeger O’Meara (Hawthorn)
There was definitely an element of “the Jaeger of old” about this performance, with the Hawks midfielder looking more energetic and more athletically superior than he often has in recent times. It was also a game nicely balanced between defence and attack, with 10 tackles as well as nine inside 50s a good indication of his willingness to work both ways.

Sydney Stack (Richmond)
Stack’s game on Sunday reminded the footy world of just how good he was in his whirlwind debut year. With 25 touches, 12 intercepts, and 10 marks his stats were impressive, but there were a number of crucial wins, especially in the second half, that won’t have made the sheet. Still has the time, and undoubtedly the talent, to have a fantastic career.

Jack Silvagni (Carlton)
Silvagni stepped up big time after the injury to No.1 ruck Tom De Koning, filling the void and battling away impressively after he had looked lively up forward in the first term. He didn’t win many hitouts, but his follow up work as an extra rover, with six clearances and nine tackles, was just as important. He has really played some top-class footy in multiple different roles in the last month.

STIFF TO MISS
Sam Walsh (Carlton), Jarryd Lyons (Brisbane), Callum Mills (Sydney), Charlie Dixon (Port Adelaide), Jack Steele (St Kilda), Jake Stringer (Essendon), Zach Guthrie (Geelong), Nick Haynes (GWS), Christian Petracca (Melbourne), Jack Macrae (Western Bulldogs)