Six votes separate top five as Lion closes in: 2022 AFL MVP

Each round this season, the Zero Hanger team - consisting of editor Mitch Keating, senior reporter Jack Fitzpatrick, general manager Nick Splitter, and deputy editor Ed Carmine - will vote on every game to establish our AFL MVP for 2022.

Votes will be given out on a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 system for each game, meaning the maximum score any player can record in any game is 20.'

Round 11 made for another exciting weekend of footy, with a few close calls, a few landslide wins and plenty of standout performances.

Lachie Neale and Tom Stewart stole the show this week with their incredible individual performances, while big outings from Lance Franklin and Sean Darcy were enough to get their sides over the line

Sydney vs Richmond

Sydney only just got themselves over the line against the Tigers in a narrow six-point victory, with a classic Lance Franklin performance enough to get the Swans the win. 'Buddy' took over kicking five goals, while also managing 10 disposals and five marks. Chad Warner was solid with 27 disposals, while Sam Reid chipped in with three goals. Trent Cotchin and Dion Prestia stood out for the Tigers with 26 and 25 disposals respectively.

Brisbane vs GWS

The Giants put up a good fight but just couldn't get the job done against the Lions at the Gabba, with Lachie Neale completely running the show for Brisbane. Neale was almost everywhere, kicking two goals while managing 39 disposals and six tackles. Jarrod Berry also stood out for Brisbane with 33 disposals and a goal. Lincoln McCarthy was impressive in the forward line with four goals, while Toby Greene was equal to him for the losing team with four of his own. Josh Kelly also put in a shift with two goals and 31 disposals.

Geelong vs Adelaide

Geelong were too much to handle for Adelaide on the day, with the Cats getting up comfortably by 42 points. Tom Stewart was the player of the match, completely taking over with 40 disposals and 16 marks. Cam Guthrie put in a shift with 34 disposals of his own, while Jeremy Cameron looked lively with four goals. Reilly O'Brien stood out for the losing team with 28 disposals and seven tackles.

Melbourne vs Fremantle

Fremantle put up a massive performance, coming back from almost 30 points down to end up winning by 38 points, handing Melbourne their first loss of the season. Sean Darcy outclassed the opposition ruckmen with an impressive 32 hit-outs, 16 disposals and a goal, while Lachie Schultz was solid up front with four goals and 18 disposals. Will Brodie was impressive with 28 disposals, while Clayton Oliver remained lively for the losing side with a standard 36 disposals.

West Coast vs Western Bulldogs

The Doggies heaped more pressure onto the struggling Eagles with a massive 101-point victory away from home. Tim English looked back to his best with an impressive 28 hit-outs, 25 disposals and a goal, while Aaron Naughton lit up the forward line with four goals to his name. Adam Treloar was his usual self with 35 disposals and a goal, while Tim Kelly was impressive for West Coast despite the loss with 38 disposals and a goal.

Gold Coast vs Hawthorn

Gold Coast continued their impressive run of form with a statement 67-point victory over Hawthorn. Veteran Brandon Ellis pulled the strings in midfield with an impressive 24 disposals and two goals, while Touk Miller continued to impress with 24 disposals and a goal of his own. Mabior Chol was solid up front for the Suns with three goals to his name, while a 29-disposal effort from Tom Mitchell wasn't enough to get the Hawks over the line.

St Kilda vs North Melbourne

A dominant performance from St Kilda saw them brush aside the Roos in a comfortable 52-point win. Bradley Hill put on a show with 33 disposals and a goal to his name, while Jack Sinclair wasn't too far behind with 32 disposals of his own. Jade Gresham also did his part with a solid 30 disposals and two goals. Callum Wilkie was solid in defence with 19 disposals and 12 marks, while Jy Simpkin was the standout for the Roos with 29 disposals and a goal.

Collingwood vs Carlton

The Pies only just scraped through against the Blues in a narrow four-point win, with both teams putting up a good fight. Steele Sidebottom pulled the strings in the midfield with 17 disposals and two goals, while Jack Crisp held his own with 27 disposals himself. The Carlton midfielders continued to dominate despite the loss, with Sam Walsh managing 35 disposals and a goal, while Adam Cerra wasn't too far behind with 30 disposals and a goal himself.

Port Adelaide vs Essendon

Port Adelaide heaped more pressure onto the lacklustre Bombers with a respectable 16 point win at home. Ollie Wines continued to run the midfield for Port with 29 disposals, while Travis Boak looked solid with 23 disposals and seven tackles. Connor Rozee did his part with 24 disposals, while Darcy Parish continues to dominate in the midfield with an impressive 39 disposals despite the loss.

Leaderboard

RANK		LAST ROUND	TOTAL
1	Patrick Cripps	0	115
2	Christian Petracca	0	113
3	Clayton Oliver	4	111
4	Callum Mills	9	110
5	Lachie Neale	20	109
6	Andrew Brayshaw	0	97
7	Touk Miller	8	87
8	Bailey Smith	0	82
9	Ben Keays	0	80
10	Shai Bolton	0	80