We've reached the midway point of the 2023 AFL season, which means it's time to dish out awards for the best-performing players to date.
The opening half of the year has offered plenty of thrills and spills, with each club forging an identity as we begin to work through the final stretch of this season's premiership race.
Individuals have stuck their necks out in contention for particular awards, and here we detail who may be leading the honours as we turn to the second half of the season.
Without further ado, we name our Brownlow Medal winner, Rising Star winner, Most Improved Player, Recruit of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year from the first half of the 2023 season.
Recruit of the Year
Since entering the Kennel at the start of this year, Liam Jones' presence in the Western Bulldogs' backline has been nothing short of a revelation. After spending a stint away from football prior to 2023, the ex-Blue has transformed into Luke Beveridge's most dependable key-defensive option.
Essendon run-with expert Will Setterfield, Richmond contested-ball machine Tim Taranto, and Brisbane hard nut Josh Dunkley represent a number of the additional upper-echelon recruits deserving to be in the conversation, however, it'd be near impossible to forego Jones as the winner at the halfway point.
