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As the season wears on and his rivals fall by the wayside, Tom Mitchell continues to get stronger and the Hawthorn ball-magnet has resumed the lead in the 2018 Shadforth Financial Group AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award.

Mitchell, who recorded 43 disposals and 13 clearances against the Bombers on Saturday — the 11th time he’s collected 40 or more touches this season — polled eight votes form the respective coaches to leap ahead of Melbourne’s Max Gawn atop the leaderboard.

Now in second place, Gawn failed to poll a vote from the coaches in the Demons significant triumph against the Suns, while the third placed Patrick Cripps also didn’t register a vote against the Giants on Sunday.

Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver was the big mover from those inside the top 10, polling maximum votes for his 31 touches and two goals, to move to fourth place, while Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy jumped from 10th to sixth for his 24 disposals, 57 hit-out and nine clearances, receiving eight coaches’ votes.

Seven players received maximum votes from the coaches for their efforts in Round 20, including Oliver, Tim Kelly (36 disposals), Matt Crouch (35 touches), Jason Johannisen (42 disposals, 12 rebounds), Lance Franklin (six goals), Josh Kelly (41 touches, 16 inside 50s) and Elliot Yeo (26 disposals, two goals).

The AFL Coaches’ Association votes for Round 20 (see every vote from all the rounds so far at AFLCoaches.com.au):

RICHMOND V GEELONG

10 Kelly (Geel), 8 Lambert (Rich), 3 Blicavs (Geel), 3 Cotchin (Rich), 2 Rance (Rich), 2 Riewoldt (Rich), 1 Dangerfield (Geel), 1 Martin (Rich)

HAWTHORN V ESSENDON

8 Mitchell (Haw), 7 Gunston (Haw), 7 Stratton (Haw), 6 Z. Merrett (Ess), 1 Hooker (Ess), 1 O’Meara (Haw)

BRISBANE V NORTH MELBOURNE

9 Ziebell (NM), 8 Zorko (BL), 7 Dumont (NM), 2 Daw (NM), 2 Turner (NM), 1 Andrews (BL), 1 McCluggage (BL)

ADELAIDE V PORT ADELAIDE

10 M. Crouch (Adel), 8 R. Gray (PA), 6 Jenkins (Adel), 2 Gibbs (Adel), 2 Wingard (PA), 1 Doedee (Adel), 1 Houston (PA)

ST KILDA V WESTERN BULLDOGS

10 Johannisen (WB), 8 Macrae (WB), 4 Dunkley (WB), 4 Ross (StK), 2 Bontempelli (WB), 2 Hunter (WB)

SYDNEY V COLLINGWOOD

10 Franklin (Syd), 8 Grundy (Coll), 5 Adams (Coll), 5 Aliir (Syd), 1 Langdon (Coll), 1 Rampe (Syd)

CARLTON V GWS GIANTS

10 Kelly (GWS), 8 Coniglio (GWS), 3 Kennedy (GWS), 3 Ward (GWS), 3 Whitfield (GWS), 2 Hopper (GWS), 1 Tomlinson (GWS)

MELBOURNE V GOLD COAST

10 Oliver (Melb), 6 Brayshaw (Melb), 6 Hogan (Melb), 4 Harmes (Melb), 2 Salem (Melb), 2 Sexton (GCS)

WEST COAST V FREMANTLE

10 Yeo (WCE), 7 Redden (WCE), 4 Gaff (Wce), 3 Cripps (WCE), 3 Sheppard (WCE), 2 Darling (WCE), 1 Lycett (WCE)

LEADERBOARD

86 — TOM MITCHELL (HAW)

80 — MAX GAWN (MELB)

78 — PATRICK CRIPPS (CARL)

72 — CLAYTON OLIVER (MELB)

65 — ANDREW GAFF (WC)

64 — BRODIE GRUNDY (COLL)

64 — SHAUN HIGGINS (NM)

60 — LACHIE WHITFIELD (GWS)

59 — NAT FYFE (FREM)

59 — DYSON HEPPELL (ESS)