The draft classes of the early 2020's are more than bearing fruit, as six of the last five weeks' top seven vote-getters in the Zero Hanger MVP were drafted this decade.
Of that top seven, the legendary Marcus Bontempelli (drafted in 2013) is the black sheep.
Nick Daicos (88 votes since Round 17 inclusive, drafted in 2021), Will Ashcroft (57 votes, 2022), Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (55 votes, 2021), Harry Sheezel (54 votes, 2022), Jason Horne-Francis (48 votes, 2021) and Jagga Smith (48 votes, 2024) round out the top seven polling players in the last five weeks.
The baton has well and truly been handed to the next generation of midfielders, with their prolificity and scoreboard impact being rewarded by Zero Hanger's panel of judges.
In Round 21, there were six unanimous best afield nods dished out, with Jai Newcombe (pick 2, 2021 Mid-Season Draft), Oliver Dempsey (pick 15, 2021 Rookie Draft) and Errol Gulden (pick 32, 2020 National Draft) furthering the case for this decade's draftees with their most recent star turns.
Top five picks from the 2023 National Draft in Harley Reid (pick one) and Nick Watson (pick five) yielded 16 and 15 votes respectively for their roles on the weekend, too.
Max Gawn, Tim Taranto and Fremantle role player Oscar McDonald were the other three players to yield maximum votes in Round 21.
The 20 votes assigned to McDonald for his defensive masterclass are the only votes procured by the journeyman all season.
Each week, Zero Hanger's Jonty Ralphsmith, Aidan Cellini, Mitch Keating and Harrison McIlwaine will assign their 5-4-3-2-1 votes for every game. The player with the most votes at the conclusion of the home and away season will be crowned the Zero Hanger MVP, powered by Winning Edge Presentations.
See the full breakdown of Round 21's voting below!
| Mitch Keating | Aidan Cellini | Harrison McIlwaine | Jonty Ralphsmith | |
| 5 | Oliver Dempsey | Oliver Dempsey | Oliver Dempsey | Oliver Dempsey |
| 4 | Nick Daicos | Tom Stewart | Tom Stewart | Nick Daicos |
| 3 | Tom Stewart | Nick Daicos | Daniel McStay | Daniel McStay |
| 2 | Daniel McStay | Daniel McStay | Oisin Mullin | Tom Stewart |
| 1 | Oisin Mullin | Tanner Bruhn | Nick Daicos | Isaac Quaynor |
| Mitch Keating | Aidan Cellini | Harrison McIlwaine | Jonty Ralphsmith | |
| 5 | Oscar McDonald | Oscar McDonald | Oscar McDonald | Oscar McDonald |
| 4 | Josh Treacy | Josh Treacy | Josh Treacy | Josh Treacy |
| 3 | Caleb Serong | Ed Richards | Caleb Serong | Caleb Serong |
| 2 | Tim English | Caleb Serong | Ed Richards | Ed Richards |
| 1 | Ed Richards | Karl Worner | Karl Worner | Karl Worner |
| Mitch Keating | Aidan Cellini | Harrison McIlwaine | Jonty Ralphsmith | |
| 5 | Errol Gulden | Errol Gulden | Errol Gulden | Errol Gulden |
| 4 | Chad Warner | Isaac Heeney | Isaac Heeney | Isaac Heeney |
| 3 | Isaac Heeney | Callum Wilkie | Max Hall | Max Hall |
| 2 | Callum Wilkie | Logan McDonald | Callum Wilkie | Nick Blakey |
| 1 | Max Hall | Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera | Chad Warner | Hugo Garcia |
| Mitch Keating | Aidan Cellini | Harrison McIlwaine | Jonty Ralphsmith | |
| 5 | Jai Newcombe | Jai Newcombe | Jai Newcombe | Jai Newcombe |
| 4 | Nick Watson | Nick Watson | Nick Watson | Nick Watson |
| 3 | Jarman Impey | Harry Sheezel | Jarman Impey | Harry Sheezel |
| 2 | Harry Sheezel | Jarman Impey | Harry Sheezel | Jarman Impey |
| 1 | Josh Battle | Cooper Trembath | Luke Davies-Uniacke | Luke Parker |
| Mitch Keating | Aidan Cellini | Harrison McIlwaine | Jonty Ralphsmith | |
| 5 | Stephen Coniglio | Lachie Whitfield | Lachie Whitfield | Lachie Whitfield |
| 4 | Lachie Whitfield | Stephen Coniglio | Stephen Coniglio | Jason Horne-Francis |
| 3 | Aliir Aliir | Jason Horne-Francis | Jason Horne-Francis | Stephen Coniglio |
| 2 | Jake Stringer | Aliir Aliir | Aliir Aliir | Miles Bergman |
| 1 | Jase Burgoyne | Jake Stringer | Jake Stringer | Aliir Aliir |
| Mitch Keating | Aidan Cellini | Harrison McIlwaine | Jonty Ralphsmith | |
| 5 | Jagga Smith | George Hewett | Jagga Smith | Jagga Smith |
| 4 | George Hewett | Jagga Smith | George Hewett | George Hewett |
| 3 | Harry McKay | Brodie Kemp | Brodie Kemp | Brodie Kemp |
| 2 | Brodie Kemp | Harry McKay | Harry McKay | Sam Walsh |
| 1 | Will Ashcroft | Will Ashcroft | Will Ashcroft | Marc Pittonet |
| Mitch Keating | Aidan Cellini | Harrison McIlwaine | Jonty Ralphsmith | |
| 5 | Tim Taranto | Tim Taranto | Tim Taranto | Tim Taranto |
| 4 | Jack Ross | Harley Reid | Harley Reid | Harley Reid |
| 3 | Harley Reid | Jack Ross | Sam Lalor | Hugo Ralphsmith |
| 2 | Hugo Ralphsmith | Sam Lalor | Jack Ross | Sam Lalor |
| 1 | Marcus Herbert | Marcus Herbert | Hugo Ralphsmith | Marcus Herbert |
| Mitch Keating | Aidan Cellini | Harrison McIlwaine | Jonty Ralphsmith | |
| 5 | Max Gawn | Max Gawn | Max Gawn | Max Gawn |
| 4 | Joel Fitzgerald | Joel Fitzgerald | Joel Fitzgerald | Joel Fitzgerald |
| 3 | Matthew Rowell | Matthew Rowell | Matthew Rowell | Matthew Rowell |
| 2 | Jacob van Rooyen | Tom Sparrow | Jacob van Rooyen | Jacob van Rooyen |
| 1 | Jake Bowey | Koltyn Tholstrup | Touk Miller | Touk Miller |
| Mitch Keating | Aidan Cellini | Harrison McIlwaine | Jonty Ralphsmith | |
| 5 | Izak Rankine | Riley Thilthorpe | Riley Thilthorpe | Riley Thilthorpe |
| 4 | Riley Thilthorpe | Izak Rankine | Izak Rankine | Peter Wright |
| 3 | Peter Wright | Peter Wright | Peter Wright | Izak Rankine |
| 2 | Jordan Dawson | Billy Dowling | Billy Dowling | Billy Dowling |
| 1 | Billy Dowling | Jordan Dawson | Jordan Dawson | Jordan Dawson |
THE TOP 10
| PLAYER | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Daicos |
12 | 273 |
| 2 | Marcus Bontempelli |
0 | 217 |
| 3 | Max Gawn |
20 | 176 |
| 4 | Isaac Heeney |
15 | 175 |
| 5 | Luke Jackson |
0 | 168 |
| 6 | Jai Newcombe |
20 | 160 |
| 7 | Harry Sheezel |
10 | 157 |
| 8 | Jason Horne-Francis |
10 | 156 |
| 9 | Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera |
1 | 152 |
| 10 | Will Ashcroft |
3 | 148 |
FOR THE FULL LEADERBOARD, VISIT HERE.
